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Interview: ‘Plinth’, Work talk sell, a project by Anna Apostolou Plinth is a project curated by fashion designer Anna Apostolou at Π & Φ, in Nicosia, where one of the ‘hidden’ rooms was temporarily transformed into her own personal open studio, a shop and a collaborative project space. Every weekend, over the course of two months (Dec-Jan), workshops and presentations were offered. Anna’s intention was to create a space where independent designers and artists could present their work and discuss it together with buyers, creating a more intimate relationship between ‘producer’ and ‘consumer’. Anna received no commission for sales and all workshops and presentations were open to the public for free. More info here.
Why ‘Plinth’? ‘Plinth’ is the ‘transparent’ heart of the art piece. It is what keeps the art piece standing still in front of your eyes. In real life it is a white box used as a base for exhibiting items in galleries and museums. It has to be white in order to be ‘invisible’ but at the same time the art piece would be on the floor without it. So in my eyes it is the invisible force that brings art to your eyes. ‘Work-talk-sell’ is the 3 word slogan that I am using to explain or characterize ‘plinth’ as a project. What was the intention of this 2-month project and tell us a little bit about the workshops and events you hosted. The intention of this project is definitely not to pop another pop up shop in town. The intention is to introduce people to the making process of an art or design item and to get the chance to meet with the artists or designers themselves. By bringing maker and buyer together I aim to rebuild their relationship. I have been observing for a long time that the buyer tends to brutally judge the product of a sensitive mind, so I decided to try and explain to the buyer that what you pay for is made from little heart pieces and mind explosions. Hopefully through this project I will manage to guide the buyer to a new, simple way of thinking, which includes respecting the original and the handmade. The workshops and talks I hosted took place every weekend at Π και Φ and they varied from 3D video mapping to illustration, narration, doll making, ceramics, fashion, architecture and street art. Each artist or designer had the chance to talk about his or her way of thinking and making. Also visitors and supporters had
the chance to buy these products at the shop. What can someone find at Plinth? At plinth someone can find hand made items carefully selected for their quality, originality and unique aesthetic. Plinth shop is hosting the work of: photographers Ismini Chacholiadou and Orestis Kalvaris; the illustrations and artworks of Dapne Christophorou, Simone Philippou, Anna Apostolou, Maria Kofterou and Eleni Gircalli; paper cuts and sketchbooks by Stephanie Hadjipsalti; dolls by Lash Dolls; Georgia Moditi and Anna Apostolou’s clothing and accessories; flip books and posters by astraki*; interior and fashion accessories by Symeon; cyprus coffee cups by Stelios Kyprou; Eleonora Antoniadou bow ties; Floricienta Iuvenalis perfumes and love potions. You can also find the Fashion Portfolio book, Marina Konstans’ poets and Eleni Xenou’s book of stories. More work is constantly added such as calendars by Sophia Papacosta, handmade knitted accessories by Androulla and Konstantina Andreou and accessories from crave. What is the value of such independent efforts in relation to the commercial market? It is very important to embrace these kind of efforts. It makes me happy seeing individuals fighting for art. Supporting doesn’t always mean buying, it can also mean listening, asking, telling or just showing up. In a consuming world full of square minded monsters, I am the fool who voluntarily tries to promote and explain the work of others. Personally I enjoy flirting with the commercial market in order to seduce it into my multi shaped mind. As an independent fashion designer and artist yourself, how do you see the independent fashion scene in Cyprus? Is there potential? What I see is that on the island of Cyprus, we ‘proudly suffer’ from a syndrome I call the ‘copy machine syndrome’. People tend to buy or create fashion that they have seen or have been told before. They stop thinking and they start repeating. What saddens me is that most of the consumers support this type of production even though it lacks not only in imagination but quality as well. Fashion designers that think instead of repeating are usually struggling to survive. I believe in the Cypriot fashion talents and I advice them to keep on trusting their designer glittery hearts in order to heal this syndrome that ‘kills’ the Cypriot fashion scene. If we trust our instincts while designing we will finally build a fashion scene that this island deserves. Interview by Peter Eramian