An artwork exploring the loss of childhood, memory and survival will be screened in a public space in old Nicosia from October 14 to 16, near the Green Line.
The approximately seven-minute collective work will be shown on a continuous loop from 7pm to 11pm each evening, next to Haratsi.
Created by archlab10, comprising Dimosthenis Houpas, Dimitris Chaliasos and Alexandra Pappa, together with Eleonora Sotiriou, the project examines how war violently interrupts childhood and leaves lasting traces in people and places.
The bombing that inspired the project
The work takes as its starting point the bombing of Gaza’s beach on July 16, 2014, when four children were killed while playing football by the sea.
The incident becomes the basis for a reflection on loss, memory and the persistence of life. Combining filmed footage from Cyprus, handmade animation and processed visual material, the project traces a journey from carefree childhood to rupture, silence and transformation.
At its heart is play, described as one of the most universal expressions of childhood. Images of children running, laughing and discovering the world are abruptly interrupted by war, leaving behind the traces of a football match that was never completed.
A visual poem about memory and survival
Moving away from linear storytelling, the work develops a series of visual allegories in the form of an artistic poem.
Its central symbol is a seed, representing memory and continuity. The project explores the idea that a life cut short does not simply disappear, but takes root, transforms and continues through the earth, people and their stories.
The work also creates a dialogue between the memory of Gaza and the Cypriot landscape. It does not equate different historical experiences, but brings together two places familiar with the lasting marks of violent history.
Bringing the story closer to Cyprus
By placing the story on Cypriot soil, the creators seek to narrow the distance between “there” and “here”, highlighting war as a present reality rather than a distant event.
The choice of a public space in old Nicosia, close to the Green Line, forms part of the work’s narrative. The setting is intended to activate collective memory and emphasise that war and its aftermath remain relevant to the present.
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