In the wake of the Turkish Army invasion of Cyprus in the months of July and August 1974, the Island was finally partitioned.
A demilitarised buffer zone, which runs along an east-west axis was established and has since that time been maintained by United Nations Forces (UNFICYP). Access to this Zone is strictly controlled and until recently movement of the two communities whether from the North or the South across the line was limited to selected crossing points and only once a year. Whilst tensions may still exist, there is a noticeable relaxing of restrictions and border crossing is a much easier and more regular process. However, entry into the Buffer Zone itself is still very carefully regulated.

As a result the territories that comprise the Buffer Zone and Green Line (the stretch which runs through the main city of Nicosia - the only divided city left in Europe) have slept under an uneasy peace. Human presence is still felt there through the decaying traces of villages, agriculture, mining, etc.. But it is the return of nature and wilderness which dominate. In fact the Buffer Zone has become a mini nature reserve.

Everywhere, however, there is a palpable sense of watchfulness - not that of the Gods, but that of humans - and the Zone's perimeter is marked at intervals by opposing Cypriot National Guard and Turkish Army observation posts. Set between these are the UN lookout posts. That the landscape bears some, if not all, of the attributes, visually at least, associated with a tranquil and natural Idyll is in the circumstances both extraordinary and disconcerting.

From 1998 to 2005 Jim Harold has made a series of visits to the Island and with the help of UNFICYP has entered and recorded the appearance of the Buffer Zone. For this installation at Street Level he will present photographic images taken within the Buffer Zone and wall works (made specially for the Gallery) that look at the nature of this complex and contradictory landscape. His work will touch upon the nature of Idyll as it has permeated European landscape art, whilst giving form to some of the overarching political tensions.

Jim Harold was born in Reading, England but now lives in Glasgow, Scotland. He works across sculpture, photography, text and installation and has exhibited regularly in the UK, Europe and Canada. He was Artist in Residence at Durham Cathedral in 2003. He is Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Contemporary Photographic Practice at Northumbria University, Newcastle.

A minigraph with a commissioned essay by David Brittain accompanied the exhibition.

A slideshow of some of the images included in the show together with documentation of the exhibition in situ.