In 1974, Turkish forces invaded the island of Cyprus and claimed a third of the island, including part of our capitol. To this day, the island remains divided, and Nicosia remains the only divided capitol in the world. Since the war, the island has been separated by a physical border. In 2003, this border was opened, permitting people on either side to cross at specific border crossings with their passports.
The invasion caused a split, not only in the land, but in the communities of the island. In this poem, I wanted to articulate in words the thoughts that haunt those who survived, and everyone who still lives amidst this conflict, and this speak from the perspective of one who fled and settled elsewhere. Along the entire border remains of buildings can be found, from shops to homes, that have been left untouched since the war. Even though one can now cross, the sight of these abandoned buildings remains a constant reminder of our painful history.
The green line is not merely a line - its width varies across the island, creating a no man's land.
In 2003, the green line was opened to the public, allowing people on either side to be able to cross at specific border crossings. One cannot enter or cross the green line at any point except for at these specific border crossings, of which there are only 5. The opening ...
The winding line, repeating the words entry and no entry shape the border, revealing the length of no man’s land while also showing how few border crossings there are. The sloping words on either side of this line represent the echoing thoughts drowning those who were forced to leave their homes and settle elsewhere.
The goal of the project was to address a currently charged socio-political issue within a chosen city, and develop the project through research but also using different experimental processes each week as a means of artistic expression. The project is thus a culmination of research and work across various disciplines including poetry, film, drawing, and sculpture.
I focused my project on Nicosia, the capital of my home country - Cyprus. Since 1974 the Cyprus Issue continues to be an open wound for the country and its people. The invasion of 1974 left a third of the island illegally occupied, displacing an estimated 210,000 people and resulting in the division of the island to this day. The green line is a physical entity that divides the country and runs through the capital, Nicosia. To this day, Nicosia remains the only divided capital in the world. Walking along the green line, one can see abandoned buildings and homes left untouched since the time of the invasion. Many of them are slowly decaying after being abandoned and exposed to natural elements for decades. These buildings are an integral part, as well as an important reminder, of our history.
This project explores ways in which we can revive these abandoned areas. Over a three month period, interviews were conducted with people who lived through the invasion and who spoke of their memories of the currently occupied region. Traditional Cypriot patterns from craft arts were also looked at for design inspiration, and were reproduced in the context of each week’s delivery.
