EXHIBITIONS

 Aphrodite's Island : Australian Archaeologists in Cyprus / 2012

The exhibition Aphrodite's Island: Australian Archaeologists in Cyprus was held at the Nicholson Museum, The University of Sydney from 29 October 2012 to January 2016, and was curated by Dr Craig Barker. This exhibition celebrated the Cypriot archaeological collections of the Nicholson Museum, and explored the stories of the Australian researchers who have investigated the island’s history.

Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean, has a rich archaeological and cultural tradition dating back more than ten thousand years. Legend has it that Aphrodite, the mythical goddess of love and beauty, was born in the waters off the coast of Cyprus. 2013 marks the centenary of the birth of Professor James Stewart, who excavated on the island before and after the Second World War and developed the Nicholson Museum’s collection of more than 1500 Cypriot items. The legacy of Australian archaeological investigations on the island continues today. Fieldwork projects by Australian universities are ongoing, including the Nicholson Museum sponsored excavations at Nea Paphos; the Hellenistic-Roman capital of the island.

A component of the work of The University of Sydney's archaeological excavations at Paphos in Cyprus since its inauguration has been to work with contemporary Australian artists in the field. The project's Artist in Residence, Professor Diana Wood Conroy, has overseen many exhibitions in Australia and overseas based on their work.

Artists from the Senior Artists Research Forum (SARF), Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong joined the field season in 2010 and created works over the next two years based on their experiences.  The Forum brought together high-level Australian practitioners in visual arts and performance and enabled them to achieve a doctorate within a defined period, under the guidance of a dedicated co-ordinator and supervisors.

““By understanding the processes of description, chronology, measurement and documentation of the theatre site and its objects, the Forum saw contemporary art freshly in the wide context of the philosophies and ideas of the ancient world.””

A selection of artworks from the SARF artists were exhibited in the exhibition Aphrodite's Island: Australian Archaeologists in Cyprus. SARF consisted of the following artists: Nikki Heywood, Diana Wood Conroy, Tim Maddock, Jacky Redgate, Lawrence Wallen, Deborah Pollard, Penny Harris, Dereck Kreckler and Jacqueline Gothe.

This exhibition was proudly supported by the Cyprus Community of NSW and Cyprus Hellenic Club Ltd. Principal exhibition sponsor: Bank of Sydney.