 The
Foundation is housed in premises which once hosted the bakeries of
Nicosia’s Agii Omologites parish, hence the inspiration for its name:
“artos” or “bread”, the product of the bakeries, a staple dietary item
for the people of Cyprus through the ages; at the same time, there’s
“ARTos” (ARTs Operating System), which places us directly in the modern
era of the apotheosis of Technology which, incidentally, we should never
forget, etymologically means “the systematic treatment of an art”, and
that Art, according to Zenios, “…is the Bread (artos) which gladdens the
soul”!The very premises
themselves constitute another unique experience to the visitor. The
traditional architecture of the 1901 building converses with the
industrial edifice of 1950 which once housed the bakeries, while at the
same time we see incorporated into the entire complex a modern extension
completed in 2003, thus creating an autonomous work of art marked by
artful plasticity and rhythm. One could say that this is a space
inspiring and challenging creativity, a situation, in any case,
constituting that which is desired.
Furthermore, during the refurbishment
process and by opportune coincidence, we discovered and reconstructed a
complex comprising nine unique ancient tombs dating back to the
Hellenistic or, according to others, archaic period. In this way, the
Foundation, with a solid foothold in the past, has, at the same time,
its sights turned towards the future; it is inspired by ancient art and,
through the use of modern technology, serves Cyprus’ timeless
civilization, providing a platform for artistic and scientific
creativity on a local and at the same time international level.
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