NiMAC [Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre, Associated with the Pierides Foundation] is housed in the renovated building of the Old Powerhouse, located in the historical centre of Nicosia. NiMAC was inaugurated on 14 January 1994 and it is the oldest and largest Contemporary Art Centre of the island. Its architectural restoration and conversion into a beautiful art and cultural space was awarded the Europa Nostra Award in 1994.
During its twenty plus years of its operation, the Nicosia Arts Centre has organized and presented more than eighty exhibitions of modern and contemporary art with the participation of well-known artists from Cyprus and abroad. Many of these were organized in collaboration with museums, art centres and cultural institutions of Europe and other countries.
Among the objectives of NiMAC is to open up new channels of communication and cooperation between Cyprus and other countries, mainly European; to establish and strengthen partnerships between artists and cultural managers in Cyprus and abroad; to introduce to the public new trends, tendencies and ideas in the fields of art and culture; and to provide ample opportunities to Cypriot artists for fruitful collaboration with artists from other countries.
Together with its exhibition programme, NiMAC offers various multifaceted pedagogical activities. Apart from educational programmes designed to enhance specific exhibitions, the Educational Centre for Children, which is housed in a renovated building of the Old Powerhouse complex and was inaugurated in 2008, offers children and youngsters specialized courses and workshops in Contemporary Art, Engraving, Cinema and the New Media.
Furthermore, NiMAC regularly organizes international conferences, round table discussions, screenings, lectures and presentations with the participation of art professionals from Cyprus and abroad. Since 2012, the Centre has been operating a Residency Programme for artists, scholars and cultural managers. As part of this programme, annual collaborations are established with various institutions, such as with the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom. The Centre also participates in major European programmes.
The building complex of NiMAC also houses the Demetrios Z. Pierides History of Art Library that features an extensive collection of books and rare art publications, such as the full series of Cahiers d’Art, Minotaure, and Flash Art. Since 2014, a Reading Room has been established in the exhibition space with publications related to NiMAC’s exhibitions.