Debuting in the beautiful city of Limassol, VIMA focuses on placing contemporary art from Cyprus – as well as the wider Mediterranean region – into the spotlight. Co-founded by Edgar Gadzhiev, Lara Kotreleva and Nadezhda Zinovskaya, the fair is presented as a space for both new and established artists alike, and set within an intimate, relaxed environment where visitors can discover the rich tapestry of the Cypriot art scene for themselves.

“We perceive Cyprus as being at the crossroads of the Mediterranean,” Gadzhiev tells us. “Cyprus has a lot of established artists worldwide – represented by some very famous international galleries – and there are a lot of different institutions and private patrons who support the art scene here, but there is a gap within the artistic ecosystem; a need for a platform.”

“We believe that VIMA can become a regional focal point,” he continues. “This is why we made our concept regional. We’re working not only with the audience who are here, but with different advisors from different Mediterranean countries, bringing in art followers and collectors from outside as well. There’s a lot of interest in Cypriot art, and we want to cultivate that interest and audience further.”

Housed within a former industrial complex that was originally part of one of Cyprus’s oldest wineries, it commands spectacular views of the Mediterranean from its multiple halls, which bring together a diverse selection of works by contemporary artists from all over this part of the world. Such an approach fosters an inclusive, accessible atmosphere in which dialogue and cross-cultural exchanges are encouraged, while of course keeping Cyprus itself at the heart of the discussion.

Interestingly, rather than having an open call for participants, the VIMA team opted for an invitation-only model, prioritising quality over quantity. The fair’s first edition welcomed almost 30 galleries, nonprofits and artist-run spaces representing around 100 artists from Cyprus and over 20 from other countries, reflecting the island’s unique position at a historical cultural and geographical meeting point.

“I feel like it was really easy; other trips have been much harder,” adds Lithuanian-Lebanese curator and artist Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi, who came to exhibit for the Lebanese gallery Takeover. “I love the venue. I love being next to the sea. I like what they’re striving for, showing a Mediterranean that is united. It feels like a great place to be. I’m really curious to discover more.”

The fair was also supported by broader public and parallel programmes of local tours, panel talks, live music, site-specific performances and off-site exhibitions around both Limassol and the capital, Nicosia.

The programme included VIMA’s first Special Project exhibition, ‘The Posterity of the Sun’, overseen by French curator Ludovic Delalande, which brought together pieces by 17 unique artists (from Cyprus and across the Mediterranean) – including Valentinos Charalambous, Christodoulos Panayiotou, Majd Abdel Hamid, Monia Ben Hamouda and Karim Kattan – outside the fair’s main hall, displayed among the ruins of the former industrial site.

The title was inspired by Rene Char and Albert Camus’s 1950s novel ‘La Postérité du Soleil,’ which centres on the friendship the two authors shared under the summer sun. Envisioning the sun as a universal symbol of human connection, but also transition and ephemerality, Delalande embraced VIMA’s short three-day run to create a unique outdoor showcase in which the artists’ works stand in dialogue with architecture, nature and each other.

“‘The Posterity of the Sun’ unfolds like the memory of a luminous recollection; a dazzle in which the imprint of the visible lingers,” explains Delalande. “Beyond this tension, it is also an ode to human resistance. In its cosmic indifference, the sun places us all equally before its light, reminding us that human life is inscribed in the transient, not the eternal.”

“I knew some of these artists from before, but not all,” he continues. “When I came for the first time, in October, I was amazed by the quality and the level of the artistic practice here.”

VIMA’s first edition (held from May 15th to 18th, 2025) was a bold statement of intent, illuminating the burgeoning Cypriot artistic scene on home ground, and cementing Cyprus’ creative ties to the wider region. Although brief, the fair has laid the foundations for something truly unique and exciting.

“We have very ambitious goals for our second edition,” promised Gadzhiev. “The local institutions, municipalities and other partners have all given us so much support, so we are going to expand the public programme. We still want to maintain our curated and focussed approach – to ensure the same level of quality that we have started with – but we also want to show off Cyprus itself, and the Cypriot culture.”

Photography: Daria Makurina