Greek Curator Charged With Brit Art Theft

British artists and curators are charging a Greek entrepreneur behind a new cultural festival stole most of their works. The inaugural Santorini Biennale on the idyllic Aegean island was meant to be a cultural celebration to combat Greece’s economic gloom by attracting wealthy, art-loving tourists.

But two months since its close, curators claiming they have been left unpaid and landlords chasing rent. The festival’s founder, a self-styled artist, economist and “professor of cultural diplomacy” called Kikos Papadopoulos, disappeared, along with many of the pieces featured in the exhibition.

Tomas Poblete, a 40-year-old Camden-based artist, was one of 14 curators approached by  Papadopoulos this year. “I was interested in where the money was coming from, given the economic situation, but he just waved his hand. ‘It is all secured,’ he told me. He gave us every reason to believe,” Poblete told the British newspaper The Independent.

When the show finally opened in July, it was a success. But as the weeks passed, contributors anxious for the return of their works became concerned that Papadopoulos had not tried to contact them at all. He posted a message on a Facebook page set up by the artists affected, blaming bad weather for a lack of contact. But the artists and curators said no one can find him, or their works.

When The Independent attempted to contact the director, it was informed the number listed has barred all incoming calls.

(Source: The Independent)