BoCCF presents the ‘ReThinking CONFLICTS’ exhibition

The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation is continuing its series of exhibitions examining cultural heritage through a variety of lenses.

A relevant announcement from BoCCF notes, “Who owns cultural heritage, and how will we deal with it in the future? These questions were the cornerstone of the European Horizon 2020 project ‘Redefining the Future of Cultural Heritage, through a disruptive model of sustainability’ (ReInHerit), which is a joint venture by several cultural and educational institutions.”

In a collaborative process, the three partner museums, the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, the Graz Museum (Austria) and the Museum of Cycladic Art (Athens) developed three temporary and three digital exhibitions on the theme "Social Issues", with the following themes:

* ReThinking CRAFTSMANSHIP (BOCCF)- March - May 2023.

* ReThinking CONFLICTS (Graz Museum)- June - July 2023

* ReThinking IDENTITIES (Museum of Cycladic Art)- July - August 2023

As noted by BoCCF, objects presented digitally in space by the three museums are given an unconventional form of display that offers innovative ways of interaction. The themes and considerations of these exhibitions are the different skills and abilities we cultivate in order to address social issues and how museum collections can serve as a starting point for viewing, interpreting and framing social issues through a pan-European perspective.

How are conflicts reflected in objects? Conflicts have accompanied humankind from the very beginning. They are an intrinsic part of our social systems and they appear in different forms such as fighting, disputes, classism and competition, strikes and industrial conflict, class conflict and rebellion, war and civil war.

Conflicts can serve different functions for society: they can relieve social tensions and, under certain conditions, even become an important engine for necessary social change. Conversely, can escalate so far and unleash such a destructive force that they have fatal consequences for the people and societies affected.

We are currently experiencing many forms of crisis therefore we cannot foresee where these will lead us, as individuals, on a national or global level. All that is certain is that the world is going a huge process of change and in this situation, conflicts are a normal and inevitable consequence.

Postmodern individualistic societies with rather weak cohesion face the challenge of learning to deal constructively with conflicts. It is important to gain a deeper understanding of conflicts: Dynamics and systemic problems need to be identified and one's own role should be questioned.

The exhibition ‘ReThinking CONFLICTS’ will strengthen this awareness through objects that mirror conflicts from different times and places and allow a range of perspectives and explores objects in terms of what they reveal about conflicts across history and in a global context, the announcement concludes.

Duration: 2 June 2023 - 2 July 2023

Venue: Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation

Opening hours: 10:00-19:00 (weekdays and weekends)

The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation is situated at 86-90 Phaneromenis Str., 1011 Nicosia. Visit www.boccf.org or call 22 128157 for more information.