VOLUMINOUS TERRITORIES

April - June 2019 | in collaboration with Julie Spyropoulou & Anna Michael

Due to shifting political and economic interests, Cyprus has been under divided control throughout its history and up to the present. The development of new technologies and businesses continuously offer new opportunities for Cyprus (and vice versa). As Cyprus continues to accommodate private interests in the name of Capital, by leasing its territories to maritime and satellite industries, it seems as though the notion of “Cyprus territory” is becoming increasingly obscured; the spaces we occupy are defined more by negotiations between governments and private entities than by law. All over the world, private companies are reshaping the very notion of territory.

Starting from an investigation into Cypriot, Greek and Philippine politics and the business driving political interests and the redistribution of territories, this project speculates on the notion of territorial borders through data visualisation in the form of physical models and an archive.

Throughout its history, control over Cypriot territory has been shifted by politics and military initiatives. The Republic of Cyprus has been in dispute over its rights to its land, seas and air space for decades, with two foreign countries, namely the UK and Turkey. Today, the island country continues to be under divided control — the north is occupied by Turkey, the south by Cyprus and two cities by the UK. Meanwhile, parallel to the ongoing political disputes, satellite technology and maritime industries offer lucrative opportunities for the developing country’s economy. Over the years, Cyprus has opened its doors to big business, selling rights to its seas to private entities and allowing foreign companies to use its licenses to launch satellites into space. Private companies are shaping a new world, as they continue to occupy space and transform notions of territory. One day, political borders may become a thing of the past and Cyprus may no longer belong to Cyprus.