Historical Timeline
Introduction to Metamorphosis Art
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Welcome to Sergis Adamos's unique artistic journey, which is chronicled on this website from 2006 until 2023. You will be able to see how Sergis' art has progressed throughout time, as well as new works and collections, all of which are based on his pioneering approach to working with historical glass negative plates.
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Sergis Adamos' Artistic Evolution: * Chronological Exploration:
The website provides a complete history beginning in 2006 when an invaluable photography archive was discovered. It then moves forward in time, emphasizing Sergis' artistic growth and the different collections he has made. Sergis' work is distinguished by the combination of degraded vintage glass negatives with contemporary digital art, giving these relics of the past new life.
Yet to Commence: While Sergis' art is currently the emphasis, the Metamorphosis Art Project, a separate and larger project, is due to begin. The scope and aims of this project are quite distinct.
This project seeks to elevate the deteriorated glass negatives beyond their historical significance, embracing them as a catalyst for Fine Art. By digitizing and reinterpreting these fragile fragments, it ventures into uncharted creative territory, uncovering the profound artistic potential within this rare and evocative medium. Through this transformative process, the archive becomes more than a record of the past; it is reimagined as a dynamic source of contemporary expression, inviting us to explore the unexpected beauty that emerges from decay.
Cultural and Historical Importance: The Metamorphosis Project seeks to uncover, what's left of, the rich historical tales hidden inside the glass negatives. It strives to archive, preserve, and artistically interpret Paphos's historical journey and its connection to larger world events and trends.
As you explore this website, keep in mind that you are witnessing not just the progress of an artist, but also the beginning of an enormous project that tries to connect art and history. Sergis Adamos' experience with the glass negatives foreshadows the Metamorphosis Project, a new initiative that aims to add a new depth to understanding historical content via the lens of art.
All of the artwork displayed on this website is for sale. Each piece is available as a hand-signed, unique Giclée Print or in limited editions, many other are printed on canvas and finalized with acrylic paint, allowing art enthusiasts to own a piece of this unique artistic journey. Furthermore, digital paintings are now available as NFTs, ushering in a new era of digital art ownership and collection.
Inside Image of the Archive as Discovered. On the left, you can see the shelves where the glass plates were stacked on top of each other, and at the back, you can see the entrance that connects the basement to the town's old water canal.
Originating from South Africa and growing up in Cyprus, Sergis Adamos is a singular artist whose creations explore the obscure corners of history. His easel? Early 20th-century glass negative plates that have been damaged; each one reveals a tale that has been weathered but not lost. These once-sharp remnants of the past have transformed into surprisingly beautiful compositions. He captures the transition rather than the still point in time by revealing expressions, gestures, and moments that were before doomed to be forgotten.
Motivated by the condition in which the famous Cypriot photographer Spyros Haritou (1901–1991) glass negative plate archive was discovered, whose vast archive provided the foundation for Sergis's revolutionary work, Sergis undertook the enormous challenge of saving what was on the verge of extinction. Almost ten years of unrelenting research—a process that continues to develop—have resulted in his ongoing "Metamorphosis" series. He made a change in 2019 with his first show under this label, dedicating himself to this new genre of work that emerges from deterioration, aging, and the accidental blending of disparate realities.
Sergis is hardly a newbie to the world of painting, though. Before this endeavor, he had developed a distinct, surrealistic style and participated in art exhibits and curatorial projects. His creative heritage and multicultural upbringing, as the son of a writer and sculptor, provide a rich tapestry from which his distinct style originates.
The spirits in his works are, in his own words,' shadows, reviving from the past, merging in a quiet dance, pushing each other towards the sight of light.' Sergis Adamos challenges spectators to consider the transition as a beautiful process—a dance between light and shadow, past and present—because of his choice of material, his meticulous technique, and his strong regard for transformation rather than preservation.
Directed by Charalambos Charalambous