The nine year island mystery of the artist who disappeared

The documentary *The Artist Who Disappeared* traces the story of Sergei Ivanov, an unconventional artist who founded a winter arts festival on the remote Scottish island of Papa Westray. Originally intended to showcase the island’s revived cultural tradition, the film’s narrative took a poignant turn after Sergei’s sudden disappearance in April 2017. The festival, known as Papay Gyro Nights, was re-established by Sergei and his partner Tszman Chan, who brought together creatives from around the globe to celebrate the first full moon of February with light, art, and torchlit processions. This tradition had not been observed on the island since 1914.

Filmmaker David Kew traveled to Papa Westray in early 2017 to document the festival. At that time, Sergei and Tszman’s efforts had already transformed the tiny island, attracting artists from as far away as Japan, Hong Kong, and America. Sergei, a Russian immigrant, had gained international recognition for his artwork, with exhibitions spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The couple settled on Papa Westray after selling one of Sergei’s pieces and used the proceeds to purchase a small farmstead on the compact island, where they raised their daughter, Snaedis. The island’s isolation was a defining feature: as David explained, “Sergei used to joke that it was easier to get to Hong Kong from London than it is to go from London to Papa Westray.”

The sudden vanishing of Sergei sparked a comprehensive search involving Police Scotland and the tight-knit community of around 75 residents. Huw Williams, a BBC reporter who had started working in Orkney just before the disappearance, emphasized the difficulty of leaving the island unnoticed, noting that “if he’d gone from the island like that he would have been noticed.” Despite exhaustive efforts, no sign of Sergei was ever found. David Kew, grappling with the shock, considered halting the film, but Tszman urged him to continue, believing the story’s importance had only grown.

Insights shared in the film also touch on Sergei’s fascination with the island’s natural phenomena, such as the sea caves and a mysterious rumbling vibration known locally as the “music” of the island—elements recalled in Amy Liptrott

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