Glyn Hughes 1931 - 2014

21 The time of the Apophasis Gallery In an announcement-manifesto published in the first issue of the literary magazine Cypriot Chronicles in November 1960, Christoforos Savva and Glyn Hughes enthusiastically announce to the Cypriot public the opening of their ‘legendary’ Apophasis (=Decision) Gallery, which despite its short operation (1960–1965) was destined to play a key role in the development of the art scene in Cyprus. As they proclaim in their passionate text, their main target was to establish an ambiance of excitement for art in Cyprus and make the gallery an art centre in the heart of the capital. With their decision, they believed that they “threw a pebble into the lake of the spiritual and artistic life of the island.” 2 The Apophasis Gallery was opened on 7 May 1960 with a joint exhibition of Savva and Hughes that lasted for a week. It was initially housed at 6 Sophocleous Street in Nicosia, where the two artists had been living together since February/March 1960. 3 The two housemates knew that this place was temporary as the building had been sold and would be demolished to make space for a new building “at the altar of the capital’s renovation”, as they put it. It is for this very reason that the gallery was named Apophasis 1, thus expressing the founders’ certainty as to the continuation of their venture. In the summer of 1960, when Cyprus was officially declared an independent state, the gallery moved to a larger space at 44 A Apollo Street, 4 where Hughes and Savva showed their own and other artists’ work. In addition to the exhibitions, the gallery’s programme of events included lectures, discussions, screenings, traditional music and play readings. The announcement- manifesto clearly and ardently highlights the intentions of the two artists, which aimed to primarily promote art in Cyprus, to encourage new painters and sculptors, to teach art, and to establish a space where the public would have the opportunity not only to be informed about but also to discuss issues related to art. This initiative was innovative and could be considered a novel and radical gesture for an island that had just emerged from a long period of colonialism, following the liberation struggle fromBritish colonial rule. Hughes’ and Savva’s main vision can be compared with the spirit of the era globally in which similar non-profit spaces had begun to appear in large art centres: spaces established by artists for artists that aimed to promote the interests of artists. The revolutionary 1960s created the circumstances for such radical movements. Sensing this global trend, the two artists founded the Apophasis Gallery in Cyprus in parallel with what was happening in the rest of the world. And even though the artistic setting in Cyprus may have been quite different from that prevailing in the West, Hughes’ and Savva’s decision was an important mark, signifying the beginning of a new era for art in Cyprus.