layers of memory

a dromenon at Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios' house

picture documentation

The house of the Dragoman Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios is undoubtedly the most significant example of traditional domestic architecture in the old city of Nicosia from the last centuries of the Turkish occupation. A house of exceptional character for its architecture and historical backround was the official residence of Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios the famous Dragoman in Cyprus from 1778/79 to 1809.

dragoman or drogman is the Italian form of the turkicised Arabic word "tardjaman" meaning an interpreter. The function of the Dragoman of the Seray was to be the Interpreter in the Governor's palace, as the agent who treads between the Christian population and the Governor, between the Ottoman authorities and the Christian subjects and the Archbishopry.

layers of memory is a site specific dance action or dromenon in the greek translation.

Here the dancer choreographer with her team of musicians, inspired by the house's life, historical backround, architectural beauty and spirit, will translate her own perceptions into a dance-action with live music, each Thursday morning treading anew between the audience and the house, thus becoming another kind of dragoman. Starting from the moment of being in the present and allowing the surfacing of associations, memory, images and feelings to be expressed through her skills of making art and movement, the artist will tread between the house and the audience, the purpose being that the action will in turn evoke the audience's own imagination, perceptions and memory so as to experience the house not only as a museum but hopefully to enliven its spirit and to voice its layered life and existence through time past and present.

dance - choreography:

Arianna Economou

musicians:

Aude-Marie Auphan :: cello
Giovanni Galetti :: bassoon
Nicolas Papageorgiou :: percussion
Pantelis Ionas :: oud

production:

ECHO ARTS