‘Kochinochoma – Red Soil’ tells the story of the illegal killing of migratory birds on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, through a post-mortem inquiry into the unfortunate way they meet their end. This collaborative project by photographer Silvio Augusto Rusmigo, and designers Omiros Panayides and Thalis Nicolaou has taken the form of a book-artefact and a documentary film, as well as an interactive installation. The viewer is invited to delve into the multifaceted environmental and cultural issue of wildlife crime in Cyprus, through the collective works produced by the team, raising questions about individual responsibility as well as collective action.
The book
The ‘Kochinohoma – Red Soil’ book (2021) by photographer Silvio Augusto Rusmigo in collaboration with designer Omiros Panayides, recounts how these birds are trapped and killed, partly through what remains: the confiscated trapping paraphernalia and the artificial landscapes that lure them into their ephemeral home. The descriptions add to this inquiry, by drawing on a nostalgic, extinction-inferring note. The narrative is inspired by bird-watching guides, communicating the intense interest that birds cause in their passage.
Photography: Silvio Augusto Rusmigo
Text: SIlvio Augusto Rusmigo & Vasiliki Anastasi
Graphic Design: Omiros Panayides
Funded by: MAVA Foundation
Supported by: BirdLife Cyprus
Special thanks: Sovereign Base Areas Administration & Sovereign Base Areas Police Service
The book has received international recognition through a number of awards (2018-today), including the International Photo Awards, the ND Photography Awards, the Prix de la Photographie Paris, among others.
Photography: Silvio Augusto Rusmigo
Text: SIlvio Augusto Rusmigo & Vasiliki Anastasi
Graphic Design: Omiros Panayides
Funded by: MAVA Foundation
Supported by: BirdLife Cyprus
Special thanks: Sovereign Base Areas Administration & Sovereign Base Areas Police Service
The book has received international recognition through a number of awards (2018-today), including the International Photo Awards, the ND Photography Awards, the Prix de la Photographie Paris, among others.
The documentary
‘Kochinochoma – Red Soil’ tells the story of the illegal killing of migratory birds on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, through a post-mortem inquiry into the unfortunate way they meet their end. The ‘Kochinohoma – Red Soil’ documentary (2021) tracks the project’s evolution from its inception in 2016 as a book, to its placement as an artefact within an interactive exhibition that never took place due to the restrictions that came with the Covid-19 pandemic. The film explores the creative process of the team - led by Silvio Augusto Rusmigo, Thalis Nicolaou and Omiros Panayides - , and takes a deeper dive into the issue of organised wildlife crime that plagues Cyprus. By coming together in this film, the dynamic creative team attempts to communicate this important environmental issue to a broader audience, bringing the book and the exhibition to life.
Produced by: Visual Caliber / Director: Costas Drakos / Film Editing: Costas Drakos & Silvio Augusto Rusmigo Production Designer: Thalis Nicolaou
Original Score: Andys Skordis / Music performed by: Andrea Voets, Sarah Jefferey, Evi Filippou - Resonate Productions (NL)
Music Mix: Panagiotis Mina / Audio Mix: Stavros Terlikkas / Subtitles: Danielle Neophytou
Appearing in film: Silvio Rusmigo, Omiros Panayides, Tassos Shialis, Thalis Nicolaou, Sovereign Base Areas Police Officer, Eleni Kadi, Olivia Christodoulides
Additional footage: Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), BIrdLife Cyprus, SigmaTV
Funded by: MAVA Foundation / Supported by: BirdLife Cyprus
Special thanks: Sovereign Base Areas Administration & Sovereign Base Areas Police Service
Special thanks: Polyvios Symeonides, Demetris Mina, Michalis Karatzis, Stefanos Nicolaides, Yiannis Pahitas, Nicodemos Protopapas, Panagiotis Mina, Marios Stylianou, Manolis Camassa
Produced by: Visual Caliber / Director: Costas Drakos / Film Editing: Costas Drakos & Silvio Augusto Rusmigo Production Designer: Thalis Nicolaou
Original Score: Andys Skordis / Music performed by: Andrea Voets, Sarah Jefferey, Evi Filippou - Resonate Productions (NL)
Music Mix: Panagiotis Mina / Audio Mix: Stavros Terlikkas / Subtitles: Danielle Neophytou
Appearing in film: Silvio Rusmigo, Omiros Panayides, Tassos Shialis, Thalis Nicolaou, Sovereign Base Areas Police Officer, Eleni Kadi, Olivia Christodoulides
Additional footage: Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), BIrdLife Cyprus, SigmaTV
Funded by: MAVA Foundation / Supported by: BirdLife Cyprus
Special thanks: Sovereign Base Areas Administration & Sovereign Base Areas Police Service
Special thanks: Polyvios Symeonides, Demetris Mina, Michalis Karatzis, Stefanos Nicolaides, Yiannis Pahitas, Nicodemos Protopapas, Panagiotis Mina, Marios Stylianou, Manolis Camassa
The documentary will premier at the Kochinohoma Exhibition at Leventis Gallery on September 19th, and will be available online on September 20th.
The exhibition
Kochinohoma – Red Soil’ this Autumn at A.G. Leventis Gallery
The A. G. Leventis Gallery in collaboration with BirdLife Cyprus, is organising a different kind of exhibition this Autumn.
The collaborative exhibition ‘Kochinohoma – Red Soil’, which opens to the public for the first time on September 19, tells the story of the illegal killing of migratory birds in Cyprus, through a post-mortem inquiry into the unfortunate way they meet their end.
The timing of the exhibition is intentional, as birds in their millions are leaving Europe to seek the milder climates of Africa during winter. To these migratory birds that fly thousands of kilometres to their wintering grounds, Cyprus offers refuge along the way. For many however, this route turns out to be fatal.
‘Kochinohoma – Red Soil’ is the result of multiple collaborations between creatives, led by photographer Silvio Augusto Rusmigo, and designers Omiros Panayides and Thalis Nicolaou. The project has taken the form of a book-artefact, a documentary film, as well as an interactive installation. These elements come together to transport the viewer to a figurative crime-scene, bringing them close to the objects, sounds and landscapes that make up this illegal activity, while confronting them with some hard-hitting truths on the magnitude of this problem. Through this experience, the exhibition invites the viewer to delve into the multifaceted environmental and cultural issue of wildlife crime in Cyprus, raising questions about individual responsibility as well as collective action.
Dates: 19 September – XX October
Coordinator: Loukia Loizou Hadjigavriel, Director of the Leventis Gallery and Katerina Stephanides, Curator of the Leventis Gallery
Created by: Silvio Augusto Rusmigo, Omiros Panayides and Thalis Nicolaou
Head Curator and Exhibition Design: Thalis Nicolaou
Graphic Design: Omiros Panayides
Projections: Costas Drakos
Sound: Panayiotis Mina
Text: Vasiliki Anastasi
Supported by: BirdLife Cyprus and the Sovereign Area Police Anti-Poaching Unit
Funded by: MAVA Foundation, BirdLife Cyprus, A.G. Leventis Gallery
Special thanks to: Martin Hellicar, Tassos Shialis, Elena Markitani, Markos Charalambides, Olivia Christodoulides, Argyro Nicolaou, Camassa Touch, Giancarlo Rusmigo
The A. G. Leventis Gallery in collaboration with BirdLife Cyprus, is organising a different kind of exhibition this Autumn.
The collaborative exhibition ‘Kochinohoma – Red Soil’, which opens to the public for the first time on September 19, tells the story of the illegal killing of migratory birds in Cyprus, through a post-mortem inquiry into the unfortunate way they meet their end.
The timing of the exhibition is intentional, as birds in their millions are leaving Europe to seek the milder climates of Africa during winter. To these migratory birds that fly thousands of kilometres to their wintering grounds, Cyprus offers refuge along the way. For many however, this route turns out to be fatal.
‘Kochinohoma – Red Soil’ is the result of multiple collaborations between creatives, led by photographer Silvio Augusto Rusmigo, and designers Omiros Panayides and Thalis Nicolaou. The project has taken the form of a book-artefact, a documentary film, as well as an interactive installation. These elements come together to transport the viewer to a figurative crime-scene, bringing them close to the objects, sounds and landscapes that make up this illegal activity, while confronting them with some hard-hitting truths on the magnitude of this problem. Through this experience, the exhibition invites the viewer to delve into the multifaceted environmental and cultural issue of wildlife crime in Cyprus, raising questions about individual responsibility as well as collective action.
Dates: 19 September – XX October
Coordinator: Loukia Loizou Hadjigavriel, Director of the Leventis Gallery and Katerina Stephanides, Curator of the Leventis Gallery
Created by: Silvio Augusto Rusmigo, Omiros Panayides and Thalis Nicolaou
Head Curator and Exhibition Design: Thalis Nicolaou
Graphic Design: Omiros Panayides
Projections: Costas Drakos
Sound: Panayiotis Mina
Text: Vasiliki Anastasi
Supported by: BirdLife Cyprus and the Sovereign Area Police Anti-Poaching Unit
Funded by: MAVA Foundation, BirdLife Cyprus, A.G. Leventis Gallery
Special thanks to: Martin Hellicar, Tassos Shialis, Elena Markitani, Markos Charalambides, Olivia Christodoulides, Argyro Nicolaou, Camassa Touch, Giancarlo Rusmigo