Nicosia municipality and the visual artists and art theorists association Cyprus, known as ‘Phytorio’, have clashed over access to a historic arts venue in the municipal garden. The dispute centres on an unauthorised change of locks and competing claims to the site.

On Friday, the artists’ association announced that on June 4, without any prior warning, the municipality changed the locks blocking the association’s access to the building and has effectively evicted it leaving it without a home, as well as all it’s equipment, documents and archives kept there.

Municipal officials dispute this saying they had to change the locks after request for the keys was refused by the associations. They say they have made a full inventory of items inside the building. The association was invited to inspect the list and reclaim anything it regards as its own. So far, there has been no response.

In a letter to the president, the speaker of parliament and other senior figures, the artists’ association describes the eviction as sudden and unannounced. It says legal notices from the municipality threatened police action if members re-entered the building without express written permission.

The association claims it has been excluded from meaningful communication and that only legal correspondence has passed between the parties. It asserts that repeated requests to meet mayor Charalambos Prountzos went unanswered. The group now plans legal action and hopes for a fair, formal agreement to recognise its cultural role.

Both sides agree on the building’s value. Designed in 1969 by architect Neoptolemos Michaelides. In 2010 when the association was originally granted use of the building by the minicipality it was in disrepair.

The artists restored the venue at their own cost, with private donations exceeding €55,000 and some support from cultural services. Since then, more than 100 exhibitions, workshops and talks have taken place there.

Tensions rose in 2022 and 2023, when the association reported damp, leaks and decay. It pressed the municipality for repairs but, it says, received no substantive reply. In late 2022, after minor thefts, the group changed the locks on grounds of safety and handed a new key to the municipal gardener, informing both the council and the police.

The municipality now claims the association does not have exclusive use of the building and Nicosia’s mayor insists the council has never closed the door on dialogue. He says the municipality remains ready to negotiate a fresh licence agreement.

Early this year, the inter-municipal development department began assessing maintenance work under a long-term urban plan for the municipal garden. The association says it was told only belatedly. Uncertainty over schedules forced it to cancel spring 2024 events. It also requested alternative space for archives and activities, but none was offered.

The municipality points to its recent Europa Nostra award for the restoration of the old market as proof of its commitment to heritage. It argues that any renovation of the nursery building must proceed under council oversight, not at the licence-holder’s sole discretion.

As the two sides await fresh talks, the wider arts community watches nervously. Phytorio’s supporters warn that prolonged legal wrangling risks silencing a major cultural hub. The municipality stresses its duty to safeguard public assets and insists that creativity and dialogue remain at the heart of its policy.

For now, the venue stands empty. Both parties say they wish to continue a partnership that began 14 years ago. They say they simply disagree on how best to protect and use a shared landmark. The next steps will be crucial for the future of modern art in Nicosia.