honorable mention
Silvio Rusmigo cyprus
title
This is your Cyprus
This body of work attempts to show Cyprus not just as another Mediterranean island, but depict it is as more vast and unexpected. As I consider each photographic expedition a journey, my challenge is to capture the way in which I encounter the island's rolling landscape, finding unfamiliar perspectives and summing-up the whole experience of being 'out there'.
All of the images of this project are in black and white, which for me is essential as I feel that it removes the literal and leaves a more symbolic interpretation. The images attempt to capture what I call the 'silent' Cyprus - they show airy, quiet and abandoned landscapes as an atmosphere rather than as identifiable locations.
It is my view that however small, expected and saturated one may think a place is, there is always more exploring to do; and that by taking a step beyond our everyday patterns, it is possible to discover that it is our choices that create the limits we sense, and not the physical boundaries of an island.
Nature conservation has been a particular focus of Silvio’s personal projects. Such projects include ‘Red Soil’, ‘This is your Cyprus’, ‘The Balkan Lynx’ and ‘Within mountains, there lies’, all of which refer to the preservation of natural elements, landscapes and wildlife as well as recounting the experiences of those working hard for this purpose.
Silvio’s personal projects have received international distinctions; his longest-running project, ‘This is your Cyprus’, has been selected as a winning project in the PDN Perspectives Contest in 2017. At the same time, Silvio’s commissioned and commercial work share the common theme of communicating the importance of exploring and appreciating aspects of our surroundings. Such work includes projects and campaigns for Cypriot and international organisations like Cobalt Air, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, Cyprus Tourism Organisation, University of Cyprus, Antiquities Department, KEAN Soft Drinks and Unicars. His campaign for the later was awarded a Silver Award by the PX3 Paris Photography Prize (2018) and a Bronze Award by the Tokyo International Foto Awards (2017).
Silvio holds an MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from the University of the Arts London (2016-2018) and a BA in Design from Frederick University (2006-2010).
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entry description
Through my long-term project ‘This is your Cyprus’ (2012 – today), I took on the personal challenge of portraying what, in my eyes, is the true Cyprus. The Cypriot countryside hides a uniqueness and a small-scale beauty that require an attentive look to be truly noticed and valued. In my experience, Cyprus and its nature are often neglected and bypassed by its own people, as well as unfairly measured against larger places of the world. The island’s small size, coupled with the seemingly unthreatening, tamed and giving character that defines the Mediterranean environment, tricks us into setting nature aside and separating it from ourselves, and makes it easier for us to forget its vital role in our everyday lives.This body of work attempts to show Cyprus not just as another Mediterranean island, but depict it is as more vast and unexpected. As I consider each photographic expedition a journey, my challenge is to capture the way in which I encounter the island's rolling landscape, finding unfamiliar perspectives and summing-up the whole experience of being 'out there'.
All of the images of this project are in black and white, which for me is essential as I feel that it removes the literal and leaves a more symbolic interpretation. The images attempt to capture what I call the 'silent' Cyprus - they show airy, quiet and abandoned landscapes as an atmosphere rather than as identifiable locations.
It is my view that however small, expected and saturated one may think a place is, there is always more exploring to do; and that by taking a step beyond our everyday patterns, it is possible to discover that it is our choices that create the limits we sense, and not the physical boundaries of an island.
about the photographer
Silvio Rusmigo (b. 1988) is a freelance photographer, based in Cyprus, whose work engages topics that deal with natural and cultural heritage.Nature conservation has been a particular focus of Silvio’s personal projects. Such projects include ‘Red Soil’, ‘This is your Cyprus’, ‘The Balkan Lynx’ and ‘Within mountains, there lies’, all of which refer to the preservation of natural elements, landscapes and wildlife as well as recounting the experiences of those working hard for this purpose.
Silvio’s personal projects have received international distinctions; his longest-running project, ‘This is your Cyprus’, has been selected as a winning project in the PDN Perspectives Contest in 2017. At the same time, Silvio’s commissioned and commercial work share the common theme of communicating the importance of exploring and appreciating aspects of our surroundings. Such work includes projects and campaigns for Cypriot and international organisations like Cobalt Air, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, Cyprus Tourism Organisation, University of Cyprus, Antiquities Department, KEAN Soft Drinks and Unicars. His campaign for the later was awarded a Silver Award by the PX3 Paris Photography Prize (2018) and a Bronze Award by the Tokyo International Foto Awards (2017).
Silvio holds an MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from the University of the Arts London (2016-2018) and a BA in Design from Frederick University (2006-2010).
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