Monuments
Online Photography Exhibition by Veysi Soyer
Hello to photo-friends and art-lovers,
The following online exhibition that you are about to see comprises of analogue photos from the 1990s which were digitalised by CVAR. They originate from the archive of photographic material which I donated to CVAR in previous years. I believe this material has found its proper place and is in the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. The subject material is MONUMENTS. Portraits and Landscapes were exhibited in previous functions.
Wars inflict a heavy toll on people and countries, especially on heritage sites when invading armies relentlessly destroy whatever is on their way. Heritage sites include monuments which first bear the crushing strike. Damage to cultural and historical sites becomes permanent. This is what happened in 1974 when the Turkish Army swept away whatever stood on its advancing hordes.
Returning from my studies right after 1974 I first encountered the damaged chapel in Trachoni Village. The photo is included in the collection. I was affected by the devastation in many areas, so I decided to record more images. This was the start of a series of photos of monuments.
Much is needed both in human efforts and finances to repair the demolition. It will be very hard to achieve this in north Cyprus because the authority and the institutions are collapsing. Corruption and nepotism are causing a decline socially and economically. The governing authority has always been a subordinate regime to Turkish politicians. Most of the monuments in the north will remain as such as long as long as the island remains divided and with open wounds.
Let this exhibition be a call for the needed awareness...
Veysi. September 2024
Biography
Veysi Soyer was born in Nicosia in 1952. A pharmacist by profession, he was the first Turkish Cypriot photographer to be awarded the AFIAP title and has received several prizes for his work over the years.
He has exhibited widely and has worked as a photo editor for numerous magazines. Married with two adult children, Soyer teaches art-in photography and has served as a jury member in photographic competitions.