Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
May 9 2005
A grand vision for the arts
By Agnieszka Rakoczy
IMAGINE: a world-class music centre with an acoustic level matching
this of Epidavros; a museum of contemporary art full of works by
future Picassos; an impromptu concert during which the world’s
greatest virtuosos play masterpieces of contemporary music to the
audience of artists, writers and philosophers scattered among modern
sculptures, olive trees and cypresses.
Does it all sound absolutely improbable?
Yes, in a way it does. Yet, it is all a dream of Garo Keheyan, the
man who created the Pharos Trust, and just seeing what he has
achieved since he started his work in 1995 proves that for him, at
least in terms of cultural references, everything is very much
possible.
`Yes, we started from very small beginnings,’ he says during an
interview in the trust’s headquarters in Nicosia. `The first
exhibition we did was 10 years ago. It was supposed to be a one-off
event, a museum type exhibition of Post-Soviet Armenian Contemporary
Art. Then, in 1997, we organised the first big concert, performed by
the Chilingirian Quartet. It all developed from there.’
The `all’ that Keheyan refers to is the transformation the Pharos
Trust has undergone during the period. At first, it would organise a
concert every three-four months with about 40-50 people attending.
Now it holds about 30 concerts a year, with a regular public of at
least 400 coming from all spectrums of the Cypriot society.
`Attending the Pharos Trust event means not only listening to the
best classical music available on the island,’ comments one of the
regulars. `It is also an opportunity to talk afterwards to the
artists who performed during the evening, chat with some diplomats
about politics, and last but not the least meet the most attractive
women.’
`We have created our audience throughout last five years,’ agrees
Keheyan. `Now we have a very dedicated, enthusiastic and loyal
public. I find people in Cyprus more and more receptive to having
this opportunity of hearing great musicians. The key is to present
really outstanding quality. If the music is powerful, I find a
genuine enthusiasm in the audience.’
He points to some concerts and other events that the trust has
organised within last few years: performances by the London
Sinfonietta and the legendary Borodin String Quartet; piano recitals
by Brazilian-born Arnaldo Cohen, return visits by winner of Sibelius
International Violin Competition Sergei Katchatryan, and exhibitions
of works by famous Armenian film director Sergei Parajanov, and
world-wide known Brazilian photographer Sagaldo.
`We created our own Chamber Music Festival,’ he says, `which, I hope,
will soon become a major fixture of the European music calendar.
We established our own orchestra, the Pharos Soloists, in which, I
hope, Cypriots from both communities will be able to perform and
which next year, will give concerts on both sides. We have just
started creating our own space dedicated to contemporary art on
world-class level. And we are planning to build a centre which will
include a world-class concert hall, contemporary art centre, library
and a residency programme for visiting artists, workshops and
seminars.
`I want this centre to be an international art centre for global
dialogue within Europe and between Europe and other regions.’
Keheyan stops for a moment and then proceeds: `You know, at the
beginning it wasn’t so clear in my mind where we would go. It is a
good thing the trust has developed in such a healthy and natural way.
If we decided suddenly to build a £20 million pound centre for music
and visual arts 10 years ago, without any track record or doing any
work, I don’t think it would be the right approach. But now, we feel
far more confident about who we are, what we can do, and what the
possibilities are.’
This all sounds very nice but, of course, needs a lot of money. And
the trust is a non-profit cultural foundation. So how much is, for
example, a fee for a musician participating in the festival? And
where does Keheyan hope to get £20 million for the centre from?
`Absolutely, money is very important,’ answers Keheyan. `And fees for
musicians vary considerably between a few thousand euros and ten to
fifteen thousand, depending on an artist. And if you are paying an
ensemble of 10 people it is obviously a lot more. Our budget last
year was £300,000. We managed to gather £200,000, which is not bad,
and I added the rest from my own pocket but such a situation is not
sustainable. I won’t be able to do it indefinitely. The banks are
breathing down our necks and I still don’t know how much we will get
from the government this year and when.
`I must admit we did reduce our programme this year a bit in order to
balance our books, but on the whole, I am an optimist. I hope I will
create a momentum, the resources will expand, and wealthy individuals
and corporate organisations will understand that sponsoring cultural
activities is good for Cyprus and their image as well.’
`I think long-term,’ he continues. `An undertaking like the Pharos
Trist is not about immediate gain. It is about what we want to see in
Cyprus in 30-40 years.
`When you think about this art centre we are planning, we have never
built in Cyprus anything of this level. It will be internationally
recognised and seen as connected with the landscape of the island
forever. This will be something that will create profile and image of
Cyprus both on international and domestic level. It will be designed
by a world-class architect like Renzo Piano or Frank Gehry although I
don’t want to build something like Guggenheim. Rather something like
the Beyeler Collection in Switzerland – very minimal, very cubist,
set in a rural landscape.’
But wouldn’t it be easier to work within the budget that the trust
manages to accumulate every year? And within `the reasonable, small
island limits’?
`I am greedy and a little bit crazy,’ Keheyan laughs. `I want more
and more events. And I strongly feel that during these first years,
we have to create a momentum. I want to build an enthusiasm in
society for what the Pharos Trust stands for and does.
`For me, it is like planting a tree. I am in business of spreading
education and this is exactly what the foundation does on many
levels. Now, for example, we are trying to get to people in their
early teens to develop in them a serious appreciation for classical
music. We have just started an extensive programme for about 3,000
secondary schools, during which children will be exposed to the
educational concerts given by some of the musicians who come here to
perform for the trust.
`I hope that this culture of appreciation will penetrate the society
over a period of time. I have told you, `long-term vision’ – I am
creating my own audience, and the future sponsors.’
Keheyan gives the United States as example of a society where a
majority of cultural institutions are sponsored by wealthy
individuals.
`In the US, all major cultural institutions have been created by
individual donors. MOMO has been renovated recently at cost of $800
million donated by individuals. People should give to the country
where they live. And there are some extremely wealthy Cypriots. Here
it is an opportunity for them to give something to the country and
get immortality in return.’
He becomes pensive.
`You know,’ he says, `I really believe that art, culture and music
contribute to the health of the society. If we have more of it in
Cyprus, we will be better equipped to deal with our problems. Plato
said you could transform a society through art, culture and music.
You could destroy it or you can create harmony, equilibrium and
balance. I want the Pharos Trust to do the same.’
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