An exhibition bringing together over 50 Cypriot artists opens this week in Nicosia as part of the Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Hosted at the newly renamed Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the exhibition examines landscape as a cultural, political and ecological concept.
An official cultural event of the Cyprus EU Presidency
The exhibition Agropoetics: soils/bodies opens on Friday at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, formerly known as SPEL. It is presented by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Deputy Ministry of Culture, and is an official event of the Presidency’s Cultural Programme.
Curated by Elena Parpa, the exhibition features works by more than 50 Cypriot artists and will run from January 30 until June 30 in central Nicosia.
Landscape as a cultural and artistic concept
The exhibition brings together both historical and contemporary artists whose works propose an open interpretation of the concept of landscape. The term is explored in relation to nature, countryside, land, place and soil, encouraging a broader understanding of how landscape functions within Cypriot artistic practice.
The exhibition draws its starting point from observations of works held in the State Collection of Cypriot Art (Majestic). The selected works invite an exploration of the relationship between art and landscape, as well as the public’s engagement with this theme.
Expanded readings of land, identity and ecology
According to the organisers, the notion of landscape is approached in an expanded sense, where geomorphology, geology, light and nature are interwoven with history and ideas of identity and belonging. Within this framework, art is positioned in direct relation to the earth.
Through diverse artistic approaches rooted in the Cypriot experience while addressing concerns beyond local boundaries, landscape is examined not only as an aesthetic representation but also as a cultural construct. It is presented as a site of power relations, a contested terrain, a natural resource subject to exploitation, a living ecosystem and a fundamental material.
The meaning behind the exhibition title
The title Agropoetics: soils/bodies is drawn from an essay by Portuguese artist Filipa César. It refers to an interdisciplinary framework for discussing the relationship between humans and nature, with soil understood as a basis for collective resistance.
The exhibition adopts this term and develops it further in relation to the Cypriot context, engaging with the questions and perspectives it raises.
Publications and parallel events programme
Accompanying the exhibition is a publication featuring contributions from more than 30 writers from the fields of literature, poetry and the social sciences, invited to reflect on the works presented.
A parallel programme of events will unfold throughout the exhibition’s duration. This includes guided tours, artist presentations, a three-day film screening programme titled Only Terrestrial, curated by Róisín Tapponi, and a symposium organised in collaboration with the Celadon Centre for Arts & Ecologies under the title Oiko-nomia: Peasant Women, Invisible Others, and Resilience. Dates and times will be announced at a later stage.
Exhibition information
Agropoetics: Soils/Bodies
Group exhibition, part of the Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026
Curated by Dr Elena Parpa
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nicosia
January 30 – June 30
Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 10:00–18:00
Thursday: 10:00–20:00
Tel: 22 479600