NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) – Abstract figures of naked women spinning to the beat of a five-piece band had surprised many people almost 60 years ago when they first saw the work on the walls of a popular restaurant-disco of Cyprus.
The valuable and rare concrete relief of Christoforos Savva, the most avant-garde artist in Cyprus in the 1960s, had been hidden for decades in the underground premises of the Perroquet nightclub in the abandoned Varosha, an inaccessible ghost town that had been under military control. Turkish. since a 1974 war ethnically shattered the island nation.
But with the controversial partial opening of Varosha last November, the artwork has come to light again after a report from the local newspaper Politis. Now, the man who says he commissioned the art from Savva is asking for help from the authorities to remove it and transport it to the country’s national gallery for everyone to see.
Former Perroquet owner Avgerinos Nikitas, 93, a Greek Cypriot, has appealed to a committee of Greek and Turkish Cypriots to protect Cyprus’ cultural treasures on both sides of the divide to help eliminate 13 sections.
“In return, I pledge to donate these pieces to the National Collection as a small contribution to the enormous work of Christoforos Savva,” Nikitas said in a letter obtained by The Associated Press, addressed to the committee and the ministry of Cyprus education.
But the whole company could derail, as the Greek Cypriot family that owns the Esperia Tower hotel that hosted the Perroquet club insists the artwork belongs to them legally. They say they will not allow their “private property” to be removed and transferred, and warn of legal action.
Speaking on behalf of his family, Panayiotis Constantinou told the AP that his lawyer informed them that the hotel, the club and everything inside belongs to the family, regardless of the cultural value of the family. art Savva.
“We respect and value culture, but it is a private property about which we have not been asked anything about the elimination of it and, moreover, someone else claims it,” Constantinou said.
Art historians credit Savva as one of the most influential artists of the time who brought modernity from the traditional art world to the country in the years immediately following Cyprus ’independence from British colonial rule in 1960.
Painter and sculptor, Savva moved away from established artistic styles of representation including influences such as Cubism, which he picked up during his stays in London and Paris during the 1950s, in his voluminous works of art. He died in 1968.
“Savva was an innovator who always tried to open new paths and challenge the conservative times in which he lived,” said Andre Zivanari, director of the Point Center for Contemporary Art.
Savva’s work reflected the joy of living of Varosha, which at the time was the most progressive and popular resort in Cyprus, a favorite of visitors from Europe and other countries, said Yiannis Toumazis, professor of art history and Greek Cypriot member of the culture committee.
Everything changed in the summer of 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of the union with Greece. Turkish armed forces seized an empty Varosha and kept it virtually sealed until last November, when Turkish Cypriot pro-independence authorities reopened a stretch of beach to the public.
The move caused much consternation among Greek Cypriot residents of the suburb and protests by the island’s internationally recognized government, amid concerns that the harsh direction of Turkish northern Cyprus was aimed at placing the entire area under its control. .
Former First Lady of Cyprus President and Co-Chair of the Cultural Committee Androulla Vassiliou told the AP that the body would study bringing relief to the southern part of the island once new Turkish Cypriot members are appointed. .
Earlier members of the Turkish Cypriot committee collectively resigned last December in what they said was a divergence of opinion with the new Turkish Cypriot leadership over its goal of directing talks to resolve the division of Cyprus outside an agreement based on the federation.
The recovery of works of art that disappeared amid the confusion of war is unprecedented. Last February, the culture committee successfully designed the return of 219 paintings, including some of the most significant works produced by Greek Cypriot artists, which were thought lost or stolen in the north.
In return, Turkish Cypriots received rare archive footage from the state-run CyBC Turkish Cypriot cultural and sporting event from 1955 to the early 1960s. The exchange was hailed as a tangible way to build trust between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Toumazis said the return of the Savva reliefs would be another milestone that boosts confidence, but it would be even better if people could return to their properties in Varosha.
“It would be nice for people to go back to what they owned instead of transferring to them any work of art,” he said.