By Alix Norman
Unless you’ve been to the Louvre, or done the rounds of the London galleries and museums, it’s unlikely you’ve seen a real Monet. Or a painting by Canaletto. Or a genuine El Greco masterpiece. These Masters are the stuff of legend; once seen, never forgotten. And, until now, the opportunities to view even one of these unparalleled works – let alone three in the same place -would have been few and far between. But that’s all about to change. Now, visitors to Nicosia will be able to see not just art by this triumvirate, but a host of priceless works by any number of renowned artists. Because the much-anticipated AG Leventis Gallery is about to open its doors to the public.
The culmination of the vision of Cypriot entrepreneur Anastasios G Leventis (1902-1978), the project fulfils his ambition to establish a public gallery in his homeland to share the extensive private collection built up over a lifetime. Under the auspices of the AG Leventis Foundation – which for 40 years has supported the dissemination of Greek and Cypriot cultural heritage, focusing on education, society and culture – this €20 million project is seen as an important, if not invaluable, addition to the cultural landscape of the island.
Housing over 800 works, the Gallery will play home to what is the largest private collection of European Art on the island, a collection dedicated to showcasing Greek, Cypriot and Western European art.
“Our aim is to provide Cyprus with a cultural institution that will promote European art, bringing the public into contact, for the first time, with major works created within the span of four centuries, from the Renaissance to the 20th century,” says Loukia L. Hadjigavriel, Director of the AG Leventis Gallery. Alongside the objective of sharing and promoting the collection, the intent is that the Gallery will also achieve an educational and informative purpose, acting as an important platform for arts education during a period of grave economic difficulty.
“We’ve set up a traditional art gallery in a minimal, contemporary environment that offers the visitor the opportunity of getting to know and appreciate European art from the 17th century onwards,” she adds, noting that the 4,500m² environment-friendly building will play home to a variety of artworks, from paintings and drawings to watercolours and objets d’art.The collation of such vast amounts of priceless art under one roof seems indeed a massive undertaking – a description which, though frequently overused, is in this case extremely apt. “It took seven years – literally – to get this project off the ground,” says Hadjigavriel.
The multi-million euro project has drawn together experts from all walks in life with the sole purpose of creating a cultural institution without compare on the island; an institution of such importance to the city of Nicosia, that even the street on which it stands is to be renamed in its honour. Designed by the British architecture firm Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the building (which also includes a restaurant and a number of apartments) uses geothermal energy to heat and cool.
With close collaboration between the design team, the architects and the engineers, the project is a triumph of architecture, interior design and modern technologies. “The visitor will be able to use all his five senses, walk around the galleries and get to know styles, period and works of art and artists that will enable him to understand and appreciate European Art,” says Hadjigavriel.“Special importance has been given to the Gallery’s educational role,” she says, expressing the hope that the gallery will encourage viewers of all ages to learn more about the history of art and understand the divides of artistic schools, movements and styles.
With a number of educational programmes currently being put in place, stools and chairs available on request, and disabled access throughout, the family-friendly Gallery experience will be both informative and interactive. “Viewers will be able to walk around the gallery with the assistance of audio, written or digital multimedia guides,” says Hadjigavriel, enumerating some of the innovative strategies which will delight and inform visitors of all ages. “They can stop and enjoy the multimedia games and colouring productions or even use the video touch wall” – a massive touch screen installation showcasing each of the artworks –“at the entrance of the Gallery to get better acquainted with the entire collection.”
With 800 plus pieces, these modern aids will no doubt prove an invaluable – and entertaining – guide to navigating the three collections into which the artworks have been divided.
The first of these, entitled The Greek Collection, alone comprises over 260 oil paintings, watercolours, drawings and prints by 19th and 20th century Greek artists. Curated by Evita Arapoglou, the collection represents the variety of artistic movements and stylistic approaches in modern Greek painting and includes works by artists such as Pericles Pantazis, Konstantinos Parthenis, Konstantinos Maleas and Spyros Papaloukas as well as pieces by a number of eminent younger artists who have left their mark on 20th-century Greek painting: YannisTsarouchis, Nikos Hatzikyriakos-Ghika and Yannis Moralis, to name a few.
The second collection, The Paris Collection, falls under the auspices of curator Myrto Hatzaki and spans the 17th to the 20th century offering a glimpse of the high points of Western painting. Created by Anastasios G. Leventis in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, this collection reflects the founder’s personal fascination with different artistic schools and styles, from the Old Masters and academic art to Impressionism and the early days of Modernism, amidst period furniture and a wealth of objects from the decorative arts. Including works by artists such as El Greco, Murillo, Fragonard, Gainsborough, Monet, Renoir, Sisley and Pissarro, this grouping also contains what is known as The Paris Room, an artefact which Hadjigavriel admits is a personal favourite. “It’s the petit salon of the Anastasios G. Leventis Paris apartment,” she explains. “We managed to bring the entire room and set it up again in our Gallery. It represents the spirit, the taste of Anastasios Leventis, and always reminds me of him and his vision.”
Curated by Eleni Nikita, The Cyprus Collection is the most recently established of the three artistic groupings. Focusing primarily on the works of the first generation of Cypriot artists, the collection includes representative pieces often of a narrative and figurative character, many of which were inspired by the everyday life of the people, the landscape and the history of Cyprus. Incorporating many iconic pieces, the collection includes The World of Cyprus by Adamantios Diamantis – a painting which completely captures the traditions of the island and its people – as well as an abstract composition by Christoforos Savva, a work that heralds the dawn of a new era in modern Cypriot art.
With a number of temporary exhibitions also planned for the future, the AG Leventis Gallery is set to be a cultural cornerstone of the capital, if not the whole island. “We hope,” concludes Hadjigavriel, “that the visitor will very much enjoy the journey into European Art and to look forward to return and learn and enjoy more our collections or temporary exhibitions.” A hope, one feels, that will absolutely be fulfilled. After all, where else on the island does one have the amazing opportunity to see Canaletto, Hubert Robert, Renoir and Monet, Vryzakis and Rallis, Diamantis and Kanthosall in one space? So if you haven’t already arranged your visit, now is the time to block off a day – or possibly more – to truly appreciate what will no doubt prove to be an absolutely outstanding artistic experience.
The A.G. Leventis Gallery
Housed at 5 Leonidou Street, Nicosia will open its doors to the public on March 25. Opening hours are between 10am and 5pm every day except Tuesday. On Wednesday the Gallery will remain open until 10pm. Cost of entrance is €2. For further information call 22668838 or 22667277, or email [email protected]
