Newly-appointed Ambassador of Italy to Qatar, Alessandro Prunas, has vowed to further bolster bilateral ties between Italy and Qatar in all fields.
Ambassador Prunas assumed office on January 5.
“I am really thankful for the warm welcome which I have received from the Qatari authorities upon my arrival in Doha and from the people I have met so far. I feel honoured to serve Italy in such a dynamic country and I am committed to contribute to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation in all fields, including culture. Indeed, cultural relations will continue to be a priority for both Italy and Qatar,” said Prunas in a statement on the upcoming art exhibition “Magnificent Cultures.”
Organised by the Italian Embassy and the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara in cooperation with the Italian Gallery Medina, the exhibition is the first among the cultural activities promoted by the Italian Embassy this year and will be opened in the presence of the ambassador on Saturday at Gallery 2 of Katara Building 18.
The Italian Embassy in Qatar has been actively promoting Italian culture and art among Qataris and residents in Qatar by organising many events and activities.
“By supporting culture and art, Italy and Qatar have taken a path of cooperation and sharing in order to encourage dialogue, increase contacts and promote cultural exchanges. I am confident that many more collaborations in the cultural field can be achieved soon by our countries,” stressed the Ambassador.
“Magnificent Cultures,” which will run until January 29, is a solo exhibition by Italian artist Luigi Ballarin, and is curated by Beste Gürsu International Art Consultancy.
The exhibition will feature 34 paintings which reveal the introspective vision of the artist on the Islamic world by presenting cultural symbols, architectural elements, fascinating landscapes and characters expressed through an abstract artistic language, enriched by bright and vibrant colours.
Based in Istanbul, the artist is an Italian painter from Venice who has extensively travelled the Middle East region, where he found the inspiration to shape his art. “Ballarin recalls the figure of the Italian explorers and itinerant artists of the past, who used to embark on long journeys to far lands in order to discover great civilizations, their values and traditions,” said the Ambassador
“After visiting the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, I just wanted to turn my life upside down and live there. A mysterious world, which goes far beyond what it looks like, as if the lights of the sky carried me beyond the blue,” said Ballarin.
“The knowledge he gained while establishing bridges between East and West — says Beste Gürsu, the art curator of the exhibition — is shown in rich admiration of the nature, which is dominant in his life and art, together with the values of social justice and dialogue between cultures”.
“We really look forward to welcome everybody to the opening of this special exhibition, which will take the visitors on an intense journey to fascinating lands, as seen from the perspective of an Italian travelling painter,” said the Italian Ambassador.