Krista Papista’s latest release, Visa Scum Bitch, is a raw and unfiltered response to the forces reshaping her homeland.
Cyprus—a country long caught in geopolitical tensions—has become a haven for luxury migration and financial fugitives. Russian elites, oligarchs, and criminals have flooded the island’s real estate market, securing EU access while driving up housing prices. Cities like Limassol have transformed into high-rise dystopias, where local culture is disappearing in favor of exclusive beachfront towers.
In Visa Scum Bitch, Krista returns home, confronting a landscape shaped by corruption and gentrification. The music video captures this uneasy homecoming—her presence both a tribute to the Cyprus she knew and a reaction to the forces that have displaced it. Sonically, the track blends avant-garde electronic production with piercing lyricism, cutting through the neoliberal propaganda that frames economic exploitation as progress.
Sound, Ritual, and Protest
Papista is no stranger to wielding music as a weapon of cultural resistance. Her work fuses Cypriot, Balkan, and Middle Eastern influences into politically charged compositions. Following the release of FUCKLORE, she toured in a custom-made costume adorned with shepherd’s bells—an instrument of both sound and ritual.
The outfit was inspired by an ancient Aegean carnival tradition. Masked figures would run through villages, using the clang of bells to drive away winter spirits. In her version, the ritual became a form of collective catharsis. Audiences projected their unwanted energies onto her performance, transforming the act into something communal.
Her artistic practice exists at the intersection of mythology, nationalism, and gender politics. She uses sound, storytelling, and performance to dissect Mediterranean identity. Whether smashing plates on stage or invoking divine archetypes through her visuals, Krista blurs the line between spectacle and spiritual work.
A Homecoming Marked by Displacement
Gentrification is not just a physical transformation. It is a process of cultural erasure. For many Cypriots, the rapid commercialization of their cities has made home feel unfamiliar. Krista’s return is not one of nostalgia but of confrontation.
The video captures this tension- Glass skyscrapers, luxury developments, and artificial opulence mask the country’s deeper social fractures. Papista moves through this landscape, both observer and disruptor. The visual language of Visa Scum Bitch is haunting, forcing viewers to reckon with the consequences of unchecked capitalism.
Interview with Krista Papista
Hello, how are you today? How do you feel about your recent work?
Hey, I’m great! I’m currently in Berlin, finalizing the production of my new album. I’m curious to see how it will unfold—how I’ll perform it and share it with the world. This project continues my exploration of queering Balkan, Cypriot, and Middle Eastern music and mysticism, weaving Tsifteteli, numerology, and Eurotrash EDM into a concept album alongside a series of performances.
Does your work always come from personal experiences?
Often, my work is biographical, but it also ventures into fiction. The new album is narrated through three characters: Salamina, Katerina, and myself. Salamina is a fictional Goddess from North Cyprus who brings wisdom, guidance, and luck. Katerina is a Euro Goddess from Prague who brings prosperity and abundance through numerology and business. Through these figures, I explore mythology, memory, and metamorphosis, blurring the lines between personal history and mythological narratives.
How did you choose the team to work with on this epic video?
Thank you for your kind words<3. I wanted to shoot this video in Limassol to paint a contemporary portrait of Cyprus—capturing the gentrification and corruption that have reshaped the island through the lens of my world. I shoot most of my videos with friends, and for this one, I wanted to work with Cypriot artists. A close friend introduced me to the work of director/producer Christos Panayiotou, stylist/producer Aphrodite Koupepidou, and stylist/designer Efi Melanidou. I knew immediately that we would work well together.
The rest of the team consists of close friends and frequent collaborators, it was an intimate and beautiful energy. I feel very blessed to have these people around me.
Your provocation evokes reflections about the world we live in. Any comment on that?
My work is a reaction to the absurdities of our times—a luxurious love letter and an angry, dirty slap in the face at the same time. Visa Scum Bitch reflects the gentrification of Cyprus, the impact of money laundering, and the consequences of luxury migration—issues that extend far beyond the island. I don’t see my work as provocative— I see it as raw. It’s a gateway for exposing contradictions, challenging power structures, and sparking conversation. Whether through spectacle, humor, or biographical bullshit, I aim to disrupt, entertain, seduce, and confront all at once.
Video credits
Concept by Krista Papista
Directed by Christos Panayiotou
Produced by Aphrodite Koupepidou
DOP: Christos Panayiotou
Stylist Efi Melanidou
Starring: Belinda Papavasiliou, Kristina Domino, Alexandra Charalambou, Krista Papista,
Evita Ioannou
1st AC: Michalis Antoniou
Production Assistant: Soteris Demetriou
Makeup artists: Anna Pampakka / Chloe Votsi
Hair Stylist Evdokia Arxontidou
Brands featured: Sophia K., Sanktoleono, Oronti Studio, Oresteaser, Christiana Hadjipapa,
Kosmirah, Efieri, Votive Offering, Knowwear shop, Dior, Sfera, Nicolaou Leathers,
Saxshoes, Carrera, Accessorize, New Rocks
A production by Pangram Pixels.
Visa Scum Bitch is more than a song. It is an artistic intervention. Krista Papista once again proves that music can be both an act of mourning and a call to arms. As Cyprus continues to be sold off to the highest bidder, her work stands as a sonic protest against displacement and erasure.
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