The impressive Mercedes-Benz showrooms at the entrance of Nicosia will be transformed into a contemporary art museum for the entirety of November, in a pioneering collaboration between art and industrial design. This innovative amalgamation is anticipated to pleasantly surprise both art enthusiasts and automobile aficionados.

This exhibition, titled “Casts Of An Island,” is prompted by the 70 years of Mercedes-Benz presence in Cyprus, in collaboration with the Cyprus Import Corporation (CiC). Notably, it marks the first significant display of contemporary art within the framework of events commemorating 50 years since the Turkish invasion.

Curated by collector Nikos Chr. Pattichis, the publisher of Phileleftheros, the exhibition features 25 museum-scale artworks, primarily belonging to the non-profit organisation CYCO (Cyprus Contemporary Art Center), with many pieces being exhibited for the first time. Historic and collectable models of Mercedes-Benz from the last few decades, such as the famous limousine of Zena Gunther de Tyras, will interact with contemporary artistic creations by Cypriot artists, among others.

Exhibited along with the vintage Mercedes-Benz models will be the sofa Woosh of architect Zaha Hadid (1985/86) with a parallel projection of Freedom Square in Nicosia, designed by her office.

The title of the exhibition, “Casts Of An Island,” derives from the eponymous artwork by visual artist Socrates Socratous, featured prominently at the event. Additionally, the exhibition includes works by artists Klitsa Antoniou, Banu Cennetoglu, Nikos Charalambides, Savvas Christodoulides, Zaha Hadid, Mustafa Hulusi, Demetris Neocleous, Maria Perentou, Melina Shukuroglou, Lefteris Tapas, Panikos Tembriotis, Costis Velonis, Alexandros Yiorkadjis.

The collection serves as a prelude to the larger, eponymous exhibition scheduled for the summer of 2024 in Limassol, marking 50 years since the Turkish invasion. According to curator Nikos Chr. Pattichis, this exhibition presents a part of the works to be showcased in 2024 at the Carob Warehouses on the Limassol seafront.

Thaleia Stefanidou, an art historian and curator, underlines that the selected works have shaped art in Cyprus over the past 20 years, especially after the opening of the checkpoints. She notes that the collection covers a wide range of artistic proposals, characteristic of contemporary trends in the international art community.

Stefanidou previously defined Nikos Chr. Pattichis as “a detector and in a way, an honourer of creations, even as a custodian of visual memory.” Above all, she emphasises a particular aspect of his personality: “the ability to assemble his collection as an organic whole, not by adding up and ranking works according to their value in the theoretical art “stock market”, but supporting his obsessions and exhibiting them in ways that reveal a deeply personal look that defines his boldness.”

“It would be fair for one to admit,” notes Stefanidou, “that Nikos Pattichis ‘exists’ next to the works in his collection and not because of them. From this angle, when the collector is identified with the curator, I would conclude that the goal of the conscious collector is confirmed in an integrated way.”

The exhibition is deemed particularly demanding due to the landmark anniversary it commemorates. Hence, there is an intentional effort to make the dynamism of the selected artworks as visible as possible.

“In this direction, the guiding myth drawn up by the curator, i.e. the scenography setting of the works within the exhibition space, is a decisive step. Individual works act as stops, or stops along the route, while self-contained units of works confrontations and fruitful dialogues are created. The overall composition seems to command reasonable commentary and is perhaps particularly open to critical reflection, which dissolves disjointed impressions,” the renowned art historian concludes.

Information: “Casts Of An Island,” Nicosia, Mercedes-Benz showroom (49 Kampou Street, Strovolos). Grand Opening: Wednesday, November 8th, 5 p.m. Open to the public: November 9th to 30th (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. & 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.).

The inauguration will be officiated by the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides.