Nikos Sofialakis Cretan painter, Domenikos Theotokopoulos, which was set at Freedom Square (now Domenikos Theotokopoulos Square) in Herakleion, Crete on July 6, 1949. It was not until the 1952 Pan-Hellenic Artists Exhibition at the Zappeion, however, that Sofialakis received his ‘big break’, participating with the pieces "Twins", "Satyr", "Penelope", and "Maternity". His marble bust, "Twins", was already well known owing to its distinction at the 1947 Cairo Biennale, and his heads "Satyr" and "Penelope" received extensive praise, in both, the domestic and foreign press. It was owing to his masterpiece "Maternity", however, that Sofialakis received his great opportunity: the natural-scale statue in
Republic Square (Belgrade) Belgrade. The building is projected by the architect Matija Bleh, but it is better known for its façade ornamentation, which can be divided into the façade plastics and sculptures. Ornamental plastic was done by the Czech sculptor while Serbian scultpor of Italian origin Giuseppe Pino Grassi carved the sculptures in artificial stone. Decorative elements include figures of Atlases with Earth on their shoulders, male heads with "šajkača" caps, female heades with bandanas, half-figures of lions, etc. After World War II, the building was occupied by the state-owned trade company Jugoexport. Jugoexport went bankrupt in 2001 and state tried to sell