Pygmalion Effect – ECoC Paphos
Revisiting Through the Pygmalion Effect and Guernica
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Vulnerability, Empathy, and the Transformative Power of Art
Vulnerability is often associated with weakness. Yet art has the power to reverse this perception, transforming vulnerability into a space for exploration, expression, and change.
The Reconciliation workshop series I facilitated in 2017, as part of Paphos European Capital of Culture, offered a tangible example of this approach.
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A Gathering Beyond Borders
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One of the workshops included participants from the Orthopedic Disabled Association, with whom I had previously worked. Due to political restrictions, some participants were unable to cross into South Cyprus. Special permissions were obtained, turning the journey into more than a physical passage—it became a confrontation with memory, emotion, and invisible borders. The journey itself evoked powerful associations and emotional openings.
The Pygmalion Effect: Belief and Transformation
The workshop process began with the myth of Pygmalion. The story of a king from Paphos who brings a sculpture to life through belief and love offered a potent metaphor for transformation.
The Pygmalion Effect suggests that positive expectations—toward oneself or others—can actively shape outcomes. Within the context of art therapy, this concept created a starting point for participants to recognize their own potential and open space for inner change.
Engaging with Guernica Through Empathy
This journey led us to Picasso’s Guernica. Created in 1937 in response to the bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, the painting stands as a universal symbol of the devastation of war. Its black, white, and gray tones, fragmented bodies, and distorted figures reveal the fragile condition of humanity.
A large reproduction of Guernica was placed at the center of the workshop space. Participants were invited to continue the painting into the adjacent empty area using drawing and mixed media. The guiding question was:
“If I were in their place, what would I do?”
This collective exercise enabled participants to approach another’s experience through artistic means, fostering empathy and allowing boundaries to soften. During the sharing phase, diverse perspectives converged into a shared field of sensitivity.
From Pain to Hope: Working with War Photographs
In the following phase, participants worked with photographs of war—direct representations of violence and suffering. Through painting, drawing, and collage, these images were transformed. Traumatic visuals became tools for personal storytelling and inner confrontation.
Participants from diverse backgrounds gathered around the same table. One participant, carrying deep war-related wounds, stated:
“Wars are not created by individuals, but by systems and powers.”
These words deeply affected another participant who had lost a father to war, revealing how personal pain can evolve into shared understanding.
Art as Witnessing and Collective Healing
Art exists through the relationship it establishes with the viewer. In this workshop, art became not only a means of expression, but also a shared space for witnessing, empathy, and healing. As participants shared their vulnerabilities, they bore witness to one another’s stories.
Those who came together in Paphos experienced how vulnerability can become a unifying force rather than a dividing one.
Because sometimes, the moment we feel most vulnerable is also the moment we are strongest.