Xarkis Festival returns to Kalavasos for its 12th edition

Kalavasos, Cyprus. The 12th Xarkis Festival will take place in Kalavasos from September 11 to 13, bringing together residents, artists and visitors from Cyprus and abroad to explore the village’s past and create new stories.

Kalavasos, Cyprus. The festival programme will examine the village’s ancient settlements, mining history, archaeological research, local techniques and productive practices through contemporary art, knowledge exchange and collective creation.

Return to Kalavasos

Xarkis first worked with Kalavasos in 2016 for the Tenta Cultural Festival. A decade later, it is returning to the village, inviting artists and visitors to engage with Kalavasos as an active part of the artistic process.

Colonial heritage and memory

A central theme of this year’s programme is colonial heritage and its continuing influence on contemporary culture. Through visual art, the festival will consider which histories are remembered, which remain marginalised and how new interpretations of the past can be created.

Artists from Chile, Ghana, Tunisia, Rwanda, Hungary, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, England and Cyprus will take part in a 14-day residency in the village. They will meet local residents and develop dialogue around memory, cultural heritage and the stories shaping an understanding of place.

Programme and collaborations

More than 25 artists will work with archaeological fragments, photographs and videos from archaeological sites and mines, as well as stories shared by local people. Local voices will also be brought together through choirs created on site.

The artists will present their work through audiovisual performances, presentations, exhibitions, workshops and installations developed with the participation of residents and the public.

The festival will collaborate with Kalavasos-based and local artists, including Gaia Olea, who works with natural handmade botanical skincare; Helen Chrysanthou, who works with the psatharouda tradition; and Simoni Christoforou, who explores new uses for silkworm cocoons through the Kori shop, transforming them into jewellery.

Xarkis will also work with archaeologists Alison South and Thea Christoforou, and anthropologist Sheena Crawford, on walks and meetings focused on Tenta, the old mine and the stories of former miners. A film examining aspects of women’s lives and everyday experiences during the 1980s will also be screened.