The hosting of an exhibition at the Nicosia Municipal Arts Center has sparked strong political and social reactions, as it features an artist who, according to public reports, is said to have designed the flag of the pseudo-state on Pentadaktylos.

Earlier, the Nicosia Municipal Group of DISY expressed, in a related statement, its dissatisfaction and opposition to the hosting of this exhibition, while the Deputy Mayor of Nicosia, Chrysanthos Fakas, who also stated in a related announcement that he had requested its cancellation if the relevant information were confirmed.

SEE ALSO: Backlash over an exhibition in Nicosia featuring an artist who allegedly designed the flag of the pseudo-state

Following the backlash, the Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Pruntzos, clarified his position in a social media post, emphasizing that it is not an event organized by the Municipality of Nicosia.

Regarding the issue that has arisen concerning the NiMac exhibition:

1. The exhibition is not an event organized by the Municipality of Nicosia but by NiMac. The Municipality was not involved in its preparation or curation. Personally, I was not aware of the exhibition, did not attend it, and the Nicosia City Council, as a rule, does not approve—nor is it expected to approve—works exhibited at art centers or museums.

2. Attached is a relevant announcement from NiMac that speaks for itself: https://nimac.org.cy/el.

3. I would like to quote the following excerpt from the announcement verbatim: “The work ‘A Lost Moment’ by artist Emin Çizenel is part of the State Collection and was purchased by the Republic of Cyprus around 2007. It was loaned to NiMac exclusively for the purposes of the exhibition. It has been displayed numerous times in other exhibitions, and no issues have ever arisen.”

4. The matter must be examined in a timely manner by NiMac’s administration. During this examination, reasonable concerns raised in the public discussion must be evaluated.