The 11th International Conference & Festival on Visual Communication, Graphic Stories

Graphic Stories 2025 | Pafos, 18-20 July

The 11th International ConFest on Visual Communication, Graphic Stories, successfully concluded in Paphos, held from July 18 to 20, 2025. For the first time, the city of Paphos hosted a three-day event dedicated to creativity, innovation, and cultural outreach, attracting a large audience and lively engagement.

This established institution, which for 11 years has been showcasing visual communication, social design, and creative thinking, returned this year with a rich program of lectures, workshops, and exhibitions, organized in collaboration with the Municipality of Paphos and co-organized with the Petrides Foundation.

The official opening took place on Friday, July 18 at the Attikon venue in Paphos, where Mr. Giorgos Pitros, President of the Committee on Culture and Education of the Municipality of Paphos, Mr. Pantelis Evangelou, Board Member of the Petrides Foundation, and Ms. Christina Papamiltiadou, Public Relations Officer at the Cyprus Computer Society, welcomed the attendees. The general presentation of the conference lectures was led by Flora Karra.

As part of the program, the public had the opportunity to attend eight lectures by distinguished professionals and academics. The lecture series began with Margarita Ioannou and Nikos Georgoudis Junior Administrative Officers at the Organisation of European Programmes and Cultural Relations, presenting “Funding opportunities of the EU ‘Creative Europe’ Programme.” This was followed by illustrator Constantinos Pissourios and award-winning author Adam Reeves, who spoke on “Biography through Comics: The Creation of Trombone Man – The Lost Star of Ska.” Next, Mike Hajimichael, Professor at the University of Nicosia, gave his talk titled “The Everyday Image and Sociological Imagination as Inspiration for Songwriting,” focusing on the work Wise Men from The Living Chiofta. Designer and Marketing Manager Babis Schoinas spoke about the relationship between creativity and entrepreneurship with the topic “Design is Business,” while visual artist Irini Gonou presented her work “Silken Echoes – A Living Ritual.” Then, Onur Yazicigil, type designer and Associate Professor of Typography at Sabancı University, delivered an online lecture on “The Pergamon Project,” a research initiative exploring ancient Greek typography and cultural heritage. Savvas Chatzichristofis, Vice-Rector of Research and Innovation and Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Neapolis University Pafos, addressed the topic “AI in Marketing: From Inspiration to Transcendence or Disaster?” The evening culminated with a visually and philosophically rich lecture by internationally acclaimed visual designer Charis Tsevis, titled “⌘ + SHIFT + PHILOSOPHY: The Algorithm and the Olive Tree,” exploring the coexistence of tradition and technology. The day closed with the screening of the documentary Destinat10n, directed by Charalambos Drousiotis, which highlighted the journey and resilience of Graphic Stories over the years, inspiring especially young people to pursue their dreams despite challenges.

Special attention was drawn to the specialized workshops held at the Palia Ilektriki venue, while the children’s workshop was hosted in Avli tis Nefelis. Over the weekend of July 19–20, participants had the opportunity to attend a series of practical workshops covering various aspects of design, technology, and personal development. Specifically, Charis Tsevis led the “AI & Design” workshop, Babis Schoinas conducted “Business for Creatives,” and Irini Gonou taught Calligraphy. Constantinos Pissourios led the Comic Illustration workshop, while Aggeliki Athanasiadi organized an experiential Art Empowerment workshop. The children’s workshop, led by Stella Paloungou, offered creative collage activities for the younger participants.

At the same time, the NGO Graphic Stories Cyprus, in collaboration with the Calanca Biennale of Switzerland, presented the international poster exhibition “TREE & ME” at En Plo Gallery in Kato Paphos. The exhibition, which ran from July 19 to 27, featured 60 artworks from 23 countries and highlighted the tree as a symbol of life, memory, and resilience. The opening ceremony took place on Saturday, July 19, in the presence of the Mayor of Paphos, Mr. Phedonas Phedonos, who, in his address, emphasized the importance of the event, describing it as “a project that goes beyond the boundaries of a simple exhibition.” As he noted, “it is a reminder that art is not something distant but is part of us, and we are part of it.” Mr. Phedonos pointed out that “this exhibition is an example of how art bridges cultures, opens dialogues, and unites voices,” and underlined that “here in Paphos, a city that carries thousands of years of culture, we are proud to continue being a vibrant hub of creativity and cultural outreach.” He went on to state that “today, art transcends personal boundaries and becomes a vehicle for communication, participation, and education,” adding that “in today’s world, it is very important for people to express their thoughts as active members of society.” As he said, “society is kept alive through dialogue, with honesty, thought, and reflection, so we can reconsider our personal views and beliefs.” Concluding, Mr. Phedonos remarked that “we need more truth and more wisdom, facing reality so that we may advance as a society in a globalized world, where the essence is the human being, and the human being stands above religions.” The opening concluded with a reggae art party featuring the music of HajiMike.

The interactive installation of the exhibition allowed over 2,500 visitors to leave their personal messages on a symbolic tree, reinforcing the sense of connection between humanity and nature. The exhibition gained even greater relevance due to the recent devastating wildfires in the Limassol region, serving as a poignant reminder of the need to protect the environment.

Graphic Stories 2025 was held with the support of the Municipality of Paphos and the Deputy Ministry of Culture, co-organized with the Petrides Foundation, and in collaboration with the Calanca Biennale 2025 of Switzerland, reaffirming its role as a leading institution in promoting visual communication and cultural dialogue.

Poster Designers Featured in the “TREE & ME” Exhibition (in alphabetical order):
Aggeliki Athanasiadi (Cyprus), Alexandros Delidis (Cyprus), Andreas Panayi (Cyprus), Christos Karpasitis (Cyprus), Costas Mantzalos (Cyprus), Efi Katsi (Cyprus), Irini Karotsi (Cyprus), Kostas Kanellopoulos (Greece), Miltos Karras (Cyprus), Stella Paloungou (Cyprus), Tasos Anastasiades (Cyprus), Theodoros Kakoulis (Cyprus), Yianna Christoforou (Cyprus), Adrianna Górecka (Cyprus), Ak Bill (Hong Kong), Claire Barsoumian (Cyprus), Claudio Sotolongo (Cuba), Damian Klaczkiewicz (Poland), Dayu Wu (China), Eduardo Davit (Uruguay), Elmer Sosa (Mexico), Ganesh Tayde (India), Guoqiang Chen (China), Hanan Awny (Egypt), Hasim Arif Bagcivan (Turkey), Hitoshi Miura (Japan), Homero Posada (Mexico), Hyungjoo A. Kim (USA), Ivan Rosales (Mexico), Iván Alejandro Batista Cadalso (Cuba), Itzamar Bravo (Panama), Jiangbin Xue (China), Jingwen Xu (China), Joseph Fadi Khadra (Cyprus), Julianto Oei (Indonesia), Kathiana Cardona Reyna (Venezuela), Kun Wang (China), Liu Guan Chen (Taiwan), Luis Muñoz Jean Baptiste (Panama), Lyeont Antoniou (Cyprus), Malak Al Salman (Cyprus), Maria Eletta Baroni (Italy), Maytee Pourian (Canada), Michaela Ivanova (Cyprus), Naandeyé García Villegas (Mexico), Nihat Dursun (Turkey), Obed Meza (Mexico), Patrick Haddad (Cyprus), Rafael Ramírez Lozano (Mexico), Rikke Hansen (Denmark), Simon Pruciak (Cyprus), Sylwia Markieta (Poland), Wazma Khan (Cyprus), Yingjie Zheng (China), Yanaisy Puentes (Cuba).

Organizer:

Co-Organizer:

Sponsors / Supporters:

• Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus (Department of Contemporary Culture)
• British Council
• Leptos Group
• Cyprus Computer Society

In collaboration with: Boussias Cyprus, Calanca Biennale
Supported by: Municipality of Paphos
Media Sponsors: RIK, Politis Newspaper, Politis Radio 107.6, Expo GR, Digital Tree Media, FastForward & Avant Garde