Artwork / Installation Details:
Title: Phōs | Lines of Transcendence
Materials: beeswax candles, aluminum, sand
Dimensions: 110 x 300 x 120 cm
“(…) could talk for hours, days, weeks, years about the small, silent but great deeds that illuminate memory.”
Illuminating memory and ritual
In the fourth edition of the Larnaca Biennale, under the theme Along Lines and Traces, Cyprus artist Christina Shiakola received a special mention for her installation Phōs | Lines of Transcendence, marking her third participation in the event. “This installation is a space in which expanded writing, sculpture, and time come together,” says curator Sana Lopez-Abellan. “By presenting the text in this voluminous and interactive way, reading shifts from being an intellectual endeavor to a bodily process, transforming it into a complete experience. Phōs, Lines of Transcendence, can be approached from different angles, both conceptually and physically, but its essence speaks to all, and that moment of contemplation will have a different meaning for each of us.”
The work draws from the Orthodox ritual of lighting κεράκια λεπτά, small thin beeswax candles that are ubiquitous symbols of devotion and prayer in Cypriot churches. Lit by worshippers as offerings for personal intentions, the well-being of loved ones, or in memory of the departed, these flames represent both light and the soul’s connection to God. Shiakola translates this act into a personal and public ritual. “I wanted to connect the omnipresent symbol of devotion to the act of writing,” she explains. “Through this, the text acquires a new meaning, and the audience can interact, interweave, and share these moments themselves.”
A Biennale of connection
For this artist, the Biennale is more than an exhibition. “This is my third participation, and receiving a finalist award this year was deeply meaningful,” she says. “It’s wonderful to see international artists coming together, but it’s equally rewarding to see the Cypriot art scene interwoven with these practices. Events like this are essential for Cyprus, they connect us beyond our borders and foster collaborations. The Biennale becomes a journey of discovery, a chance to express, reflect, and belong within a wider world of art and meaning.”
She emphasises the exchange of ideas and creative growth that the Biennale facilitates. “Being able to see my work alongside artists from all over the world allows me to understand it in new ways. It’s not just about exhibiting, it’s about connection, dialogue, and the emergence of new collaborations.”
a quiet moment for themselves,” Shakola says.
Transforming text into light
The installation itself is intimately personal. “The text inscribed within Lines of Transcendence comes from the memorial speech I gave for my father,” Shakola shares. “Creating this piece allowed me to cleanse that moment, to illuminate the memory of those who have passed. Through the ritual of lighting a candle, grief transforms into light. It’s both a gesture of mourning and a quiet celebration of enduring connection. Somewhere along the lines, all we are left with are traces filled with light.”
Shakola’s practice is rooted in everyday gestures and rituals. “Most of my work comes from small acts, daily routines, and simple repetitive actions,” she explains. “I draw inspiration from these gestures and create spaces that others can enter and connect with. Some works require a personal, meditative process, while others invite the audience to participate, to experience, and to complete the work through their presence and action.”
Text, space, and sensory experience
Her fascination with text drives the conceptual core of the work. “In our everyday lives, text is flat and two-dimensional. Through this work, I wanted to lift the text from the surface, to give it volume, light, and presence, so that it becomes something we can walk around, feel, and experience physically. Reading becomes a bodily, spatial, and ritualistic act. Words have the power to transport you, to take you to other places and states of being.”
The audience’s engagement brings the installation to life. “Many visitors felt drawn to the work, to light a candle, read the text, and take a quiet moment for themselves,” Shakola says. “It’s touching to witness how these small, silent acts create a collective longing for serenity, for stillness, light, and inner peace. Each person experiences it differently, yet there is a shared sense of reflection and presence.”
On gratitude and collaboration
Shakola also acknowledges the collaborative effort required to realize the installation. “Special thanks to the Larnaca Biennale team for the excellent collaboration, to the curator for all her support and her heartwarming smile, and to CYENS – Thinker Makers Space for their technical assistance. Bringing this work to life was truly a collective effort.”
In Phōs | Lines of Transcendence, light, text, and ritual converge into an intimate, interactive space. Through the quiet gestures of candle and word, memory is illuminated, private reflection becomes shared experience, and small, silent deeds reveal their enduring power.