‘Intimidation and terrorism’ led to cancelled Gavriel exhibition

The cancelling of art exhibition ‘Antisystemic Art’ in Paphos happened in a climate of “intimidation and terrorism”, artist Giorgos Gavriel said on Monday, responding to the storm of reactions caused by his works.

In a public post on social media, Gavriel said “we are living in difficult times, where artists exhibit their works under police guard and take them down through intimidation and terrorism”.

Gavriel said “the threats began on Thursday with the posting of a video by an Elam MP candidate in Paphos, which was taken down on Friday with the intervention of third parties”.

“The threats peaked on Saturday and continued on Sunday,” Gavriel added.

At the opening of the exhibition on Saturday, Gavriel complained that “three young men” had taken down some of the artworks on the ground floor of the gallery, which they later returned to their original position.

Gavriel said the police were “aware of everything that took place” and were “discreetly present at the opening as well as on Sunday at the exhibition’s takedown”.

“However, the owner, due to the prevailing climate of intimidation and terrorism, did not want to file a written complaint,” Gavriel added.

Regarding a painting presented as his on social media, Gavriel said this was not his artwork but a collage created by Disy deputy chairman Efthimios Diplaros aimed at “creating impressions”.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the archbishopric Christakis Efstathiou said on Monday that cancelling Giorgos Gavriel’s art exhibition was a correct move, as the artist’s work “brutally provokes the religious feelings of the faithful”.

Efstathiou clarified, however, that he was not referring to the artist himself, but his work.

He told the Cyprus News Agency that the art on exhibit “brutally provokes the religious feelings of believers without there being any element of respect that should be included in the concept of art”. 

Efstathiou said that a particular painting constituted an affront to religion.

“This work is not art, nor can it be considered free expression, but rather it operates within the framework of a toxicity which precisely nullifies the concept of culture as a dimension that precisely adorns humanity,” Efstathiou said. 

On Sunday, the Blue Iris gallery in Paphos cancelled its exhibition after paintings sparked controversy for being considered offensive to Orthodox Christian symbols.