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believe its importance lies: it stands against
the insecurity caused by the sense of the
incomprehensible, as well as the convenience
of the reasonable, and acknowledges the need
to support complications. The world we live in
is bewildering. So, I think that contemporary
art is one of the most flexible rituals that help
one understand the vicious circles of our time.
Indeed, one could certainly say: “Yes, but
isn’t precisely this very inclusiveness what
allows so many misplaced incongruities?” I
am not cynical, however I do believe that we
must allow space for incongruity, as meaning
cannot be realised without its opposite nor can
experimentation emerge without relaxation.
These are not glorious times we live in. On
the contrary. We are going through tragic and
painful processes so as to defeat once and for
all the “glory” that we inherited through a
series of rigidities and brutalities. If we ever
succeed in that, the victory will certainly be
important. Although we are now fifteen years
into the 21st century, it seems that we are
not done with the 20th yet, and the “glorious
past” is one of the most dangerous links in our
endless regression. Within this framework,
“contemporary art” is still an admirable and
(Left to right) Artist Christodoulos Panayiotou, President
Nicos Anastasiades and Takis Nemitsas
The ceremony was attended by an array of distinguished guests
Nemitsas Prize winner, artist Christodoulos Panayiotou
