Europa Nostra award for the Home of Cooperation
T
he Home of Cooperation, a historical
building situated in the UN-controlled
buffer zone in Nicosia, has won the Europa
Nostra Award for Cultural Heritage.
And to commemorate the conservation award,
European Commissioner for Education, Culture,
Multilingualism and Youth, Androulla Vassiliou,
unveiled a plaque at a special ceremony held on 16
September, 2014. The ceremonywas also attended
by the vice president of Europa Nostra, Irina
Subotic, Ambassador for European Economic
Area and Norway Grants, Ingrid Schulerud,
NicosiaMayor, ConstantinosYiorkadjis on behalf
of the Greek Cypriot community and Mehmet
Harmanci as representative of the Turkish Cypriot
community. A musical programme followed the
presentation of the award.
The Jury said the Home for Cooperation was
something to be really proud of; “It constitutes
a substantial contribution to the revitalisation
of Nicosia’s United Nations Dead Zone as
well as to the wider peace-making procedure.
Furthermore it represents a typical example of
the 1950s architecture of Cyprus, which finds
few supporters but which we are again starting
to see as a brave and distinctive statement of the
character of its period.”
Erected in the early 1950s, the building is
attached to the Nicosia renaissance fortifications.
Like most of the architecture in the UN Buffer
Zone, it suffered from daily disintegration until
it was included in the project implemented by
the inter-communal organisation Association of
Historical Dialogue and Research. Functioning
as an educational centre, the purpose of the
Home for Cooperation is the launching of
projects involving education and training and
the advancement of research and dialogue. It is
accessible from both sides of the divide without
having to cross checkpoints, providing a shared
space that can be used by all.
“It thus symbolises the philosophy of the
Cypriot communities working together, in
collaboration with the international community
– ideals of course shared by Europa Nostra,’’
the European cultural heritage organisation
said.
The European Union Prize for Cultural
Heritage
The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage
/ Europa Nostra Awards was launched in 2002
by the European Commission and has been
organised by Europa Nostra since then. The
Prize promotes excellence, inspires through
the “power of example” and stimulates the
exchange of best practices in the heritage field
across Europe. It also aims to communicate to
the general public the beauty and the economic
and social value of our cultural heritage.
The Prize honours every year up to 30
outstanding heritage achievements from all
parts of Europe. The awards are given in
four categories: conservation, research and
digitisation, dedicated service by individuals
or organisations and education, training and
awareness-raising.
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“It symbolises the philosophy
of the Cypriot communities working
together, in collaboration with
the international community – ideals
of course shared by Europa Nostra’’
constantly disappointed with their position in
the orchestra and constantly disillusioned with
their chosen profession. Orchestra is a mini
model of modern society, where freedom of
self-expression entails disappointments.
One may assume that, with their social
character, all of Arshak’s heroes are “orchestra
musicians” and can express themselves by
means of instruments. For example, a woman
has a fan in one hand and a piece of watermelon
in the other. They are free and vibrant, often
look negligent, are probably stubborn like
Fellini’s heroes, but in that noise a hubbub is
continuous and always present, and nothing
significant will happen.
It is all about the costumes
Costumes have aprimary significance inArshak’s
paintings and sculptures. His vivid visual stories
are told not only through gestures, mimics
and poses, but especially through costumes.
The clothes of the characters are often hung
like a sack; they look casual, sometimes even
miserable. Clothes symbolise social exploitation
and sometimes escape from the social, since a
person lives and acts inside of clothes.
Besides paintings and graphic works, sculpture
also has an important place in Arshak’s art.
Arshak’s sculptures have “come out” of his
paintings and graphic works, and they also
need to be looked at in a different way. For
example, a unique character emerging from a
graphic work may be transferred afterwards to
painting and finally may become a sculpture.
During these transformations, those characters
become more vivid, more alive, because the
subject is the secret of life, that life coming out
of its own boundaries.
Both paintings and sculptures of Arshak have
dramatic contents; there, life stages itself and
shows its whole power. I would like to call his
sculptures “dimensional painting”, but we know
that this term has been used by great goldsmith
and sculptor Julio Gonzalez for completely
different sculptures. In his sculptures, Arshak
remains a painter, which brings to mind Degas’
“Dancers”: Degas’ wonderful sculptures were
the outcome of his desire to see his painted
images in tangible form.
Modern society is trying to find and define what
is allowed, while science and bio-technologies
are questioning boundaries between humane
and inhumane, life and lifeless. More and more
frequently we are changing our behaviour, as if
something inhuman had invaded our life. I think
Revolutionism is typical of Arshak’s paintings, yet
it is not a social, but an anthropological revolution.
About the artist
Arshak Sarkissian was born in Gyumri,
Armenia in 1981. Arshak works predominantly
in the medium of painting, drawing and
sculpture. He completed his education at the
National Aesthetic Center of Art in Armenia
and later took an art course at Cyprus College
of Art (2001-2002). The artist had solo shows
in different galleries abroad, among them the
Albemarle Gallery in London, Gavriel Gallery
in Bremen, Opus 39, Nicosia and many more.
In 2005 he attained a RA President’s Award for
FineArts.Among his works is the interior design
of the passenger terminals at ZvartnotsArmenia
International Airport. He has participated in
numerous art projects, among them are Art
Omi International Artist residency in New
York and
Stand Up For Your Rights
Design
and Illustration Team Residence program in
Buntingford, UK, and the Andirran National
Commission for UNESCO international art
camp 2014. He works and lives in Yerevan,
Armenia. This is his 4
th
solo exhibition at Opus
39 Gallery.
