Lost Heritage, Cyprus 1974-2009

S.O.F.I.A Foundation in collaboration with Gallery K in London are organizing the group exhibition entitled LOST HERITAGE at the Melina Merkouri Hall. The exhibition takes its title from the many churches damaged and looted during and after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. The British-based photographer Doros Partasides visited his divided homeland from 2003 to 2008 to make a pictorial record of them. They still stand desolate, with broken windows, crumbling roofs, walls and floors, and desecrated cemeteries, in silent judgment of mankind’s eternal folly.

Gallery K sent his photographs to 23 well-known artists working in five countries; some are familiar with Cyprus, others only know it as a holiday destination, or by hearsay. They were invited to express the concept of the theme LOST HERITAGE in whatever way they wished. In response they created unusual, stunning and exceptionally powerful pieces of art in a variety of mediums.

The exhibition was sponsored by Ministry of Education and Culture and the Philelefteros Newspaper and the Cyprus Weekly.

LOST HERITAGE exhibition is will be opened by Eleni Mavrou, the Mayor of Nicosia at the Melina Merkouri Hall on the 2nd of December 2009.

Participating artists

Artists working in the UK:
Mychael Barratt
Lynn Dennison
Ann Eastman
Andrew Flint Shipman
Chris Gollon
Clair Grossman
Maggi Hambling
Zenon Jepras
George Kyriacou
Jane MacLean
Yorgos Papadopoulos
Linda Sutton
Christine Watson
Zoe Zenghelis

Artists working in Cyprus:
Demetrios Aristotelis
Mattheos Christou
George Georgiou

Artists working in Greece:
Marcos Kambanis
Yiannis Christakos
Stathis Vatanidis
Apostolos Yayannos

Artists working in Switzerland:
Gaye Paterson

Artists working in Germany:
Maria Rigoutsou

Opening Hours
10:00 - 13:00 & 16:00 - 19:00