Kyriaki Phili: speculum mundi

The exhibition of Cypriot artist Kyriaki Phili, entitled speculum mundi displays works which are visual references to historic paintings as well as works with stills taken from film. Her media: pencil, oil, sand and video.

Her two main visual references are the paintings of Johannes Vermeer and Luchino Visconti’s film, Death in Venice. For the former, the artist attempts to generate a new reading for selected artworks by Vermeer by modifying particular symbols of the historic paintings. Consequently, a new narrative and inevitably a new meaning emerges. With Visconti’s Death in Venice, she regards the subject’s gaze as an impulsive act, which purveys the desire of human beings to be seen and transcends the subject’s sudden glance, portrayed through Visconti’s camera.