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Graphic Stories Cyprus 3 | 2017

Graphic Stories Cyprus 3 | Nicosia the city of Utopia

The creative idea for the visual identity that I designed for the 3rdVisual Communication Designers Meeting was based on the unique architectural identity of the fortification walls of Nicosia. The castle that surrounds the city was built by the Venetians, in the form it has today, based on Julio Savorgnano’s plans during the late Renaissance era. The circular structure of the walls and the geometrical harmony of the final version of the design imply unity and fullness of the city and define the fundamental space not only for the sacred, but also for the popular buildings. During that era many similar structures, such as the walls of Palmanova in north-eastern Italy, were based on the idea that beauty and harmony of the design of a city could enhance the well-being of a community. The designer’s expectations did not include only the military protection of the city but also the creation of suitable conditions for the promotion of the well-being and equality of citizens, the preservation of the knowledge gained and its hand over from generation to generation. The basic principles of this utopian foundation of a society are reflected in the design of the Renaissance Nicosia. 

The outline of the fortified walls of the city, as seen in the ground plan, was the inspiration for expanding and integrating the applications of the visual identity. The recurring patterns of applications are the picture of the alternating landscape between the towns and rural areas of the island of Cyprus as it is abstracted when viewed from a high altitude. The blue of the sea, the yellow of the fields after the summer, the brown of the walls and the gray of the cities and the “gray zones” of the divided island.


Poster

Poster [A' side] & Program [B' side]


Poster with Sponsors - GSC2017


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Pins designed by: Aggeliki Athanasiadi - for GSC | Eliza Baldissera - 1st winner, professional category
Argyris Athanasiadis - 1st winner, students category

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The highlights of GSC2017
Video capture: Miltos Karras 
Video editing: Lefteris Kokkinakis

Visual Identity: Aggeliki Athanasiadi
Animated Intro: Aristarchos Papadaniel | Syllipsis 

   
Visual Identity: Aggeliki Athanasiadi
Voice-over: Aristarchos Papadaniel | Syllipsis 
Recording: Thodoris Zefkilis | SCA Studios

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1st Contest Promo

Sample of the award that made with clear acrylics materials


3 Poster Exhibitions hosted in the context of the events of the 
3rd Graphic Stories Cyprus

"I believe that an art exhibition can be engaging, fun and deeply intellectually satisfying and serious. These are not contradictory concepts in art". With these few words Jeffrey Deitch, former Director of the Museum of contemporary art of Los Angeles, managed to illustrate with disarming simplicity the reasons why an art exhibition usually provokes interest not only to art lovers but also to ordinary observers or even to random spectators who may just stop for a while in front of a work of art out of curiosity and eventually end up devoting their whole afternoon inside a gallery or an exhibition space. 

"Nicosia, the city of Utopia", is the title of the first exhibition and included the short-listed works from the first international poster competition organised by Graphic Stories Cyprus. The creative thinking of the competition in relation to the design of the poster, relied on the special architectural character of the fortification walls of Nicosia and in the basic principles of the utopian foundation of a society which are reflected in the Renaissance design of city. The theme of the competition, but also the corresponding exhibition are actions that have as their overarching objective, through the symbolism of the design of fortification walls of Nicosia, to view history, culture, arts and architecture of a city that was and remains to this day a crossroad of cultures, arts and literature and can sight a future without walls and without borders. The exhibition were hosted by the "Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation". The exhibition and the award winners presented on Friday the 10thof March 2017. The prizes of the winners were offered by the Bank of Cyprus and the Greek company Parachute Typefoundry.

The second scheduled exhibition of Graphic Stories Cyprus for 2017 regards the project "Sing me a Poster" of the Worldwide Graphic Designers (WGD) creative group. This international group was created with the purpose to unite designers from around the world who share the same passion for graphic design and especially to poster design. The projects that WGD creates, enable people with different ethnicity, culture and language to know each other, to work together and design together. The project "Sing me a Poster" gathered 115 works of designers from 39 different countries. The result of these collaborations were 70 remarkable posters, each one dedicated to a song chosen by the designers. The exhibition were hosted in the context of the 3rd annual Visual Communication Designers meeting of Cyprus, on the ground floor of the newspaper "Citizen" from 11 to 27 March 2017. The workswere were accompanied by the songs chosen by the designers.

The third very important exhibition which were hosted in the context of the events of the 3rd Graphic Stories Cyprus was titled "FREESTYLEE ROOTS". This report was organised in memory of the life and work of Michael Thompson, from the Dane Thompson (son of Michael) and Michael's partner, Maria Papaefstathiou. The Jamaican artist Michael Thompson, known as "FREESTYLEE artist without borders" died on August 15, 2016. This report presented 50 posters designed by the artist which focus on two topics, quite distinct from each other. The first aims to commemorate the heroism of the people of Jamaica and the constant resistance against the forces of oppression. The second thematic cycle of the exhibition reflects the sensibilities of the artist in relation to the pressing problems of war and forced migration that this causes. The exhibition demonstrates with clarity the artist's mission to change the way we look at the past and present and how we perceive the future. The exhibition were hosted by the the University of Nicosia, in the Cine Venue Hall, on the 11th of March 2017. The exhibition were echoed by the musical choices of the Cypriot Dub Poet and associate professor in the Communications Department of the University of Nicosia, Haji Mike, who for the third consecutive year offers his indiscernible assistance to the Graphic Stories Cyprus event.


A special article and illustration for Graphic Stories Cyprus from our friend & collaborator Rob Snow.

Nicosia, the city of Utopia

"FREESTYLEE" Michael Thompson

"Sing Me a Poster" Worldwide Graphic Designers

Graphic Stories Cyprus 3 | 2017
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Graphic Stories Cyprus 3 | 2017

The creative idea for the visual identity for the 3rd Visual Communication Designers Meeting was based on the unique architectural identity of th Read More

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