Venice Biennale: Cypriot participation and the blooming dirt road

The Cypriot participation in the 60th International Art Exhibition – Venice Biennale, titled "In a blossoming dirt road next to a quiet alley…", opened on April 18, 2024. The exhibition, a collective platform for action, presented works by the Lower Levant Company, the Endrosia art collective, and Lebanese artist Haig Aivazian.

The exhibition examined current political and social conditions, with references to a 2019 Forbes report regarding a black van in Larnaca, which was linked to espionage technology dealer Tal Dilian. The fictional company "Forever Informed" was presented as the "face" of the exhibition, promising "smart solutions for weak signals." The exhibition space was transformed into a peculiar company office, with elements such as a false ceiling flashing the message "ΑΥΡΙΟΝ ΠΡΩΙΝ ΕΝ ΝΑ ΔΕΙΣ" in Morse code.

Two years later, the team received an email from an anonymous Reddit user, Shaba7-el-adna, who shared a survey based on public data regarding the surveillance activities of the "black van." The mapping makes visible a network of relationships between legal frameworks, business practices, and state mechanisms. The exhibition remains connected to the public, examining issues such as surveillance, complicity, and the relationship between the visible and the invisible.

More information: Elefthera, 19.04.2026