Press releases

MINSK, 11 February (BelTA) - In the Year of Hospitality the National Art Museum of Belarus will host an unusual exhibition project called as Ten Centuries of Art in Belarus. The project will be running from 27 March to 10 July, BelTA learned from the museum.

The aim of the exhibition is to show the Belarusian art as a living and continuous process integrated in the global art space. For four months Minsk residents and guests will be able to see the outstanding specimens of Belarusian art. Many of the exhibits will be on display for the first time.

This is the first time that the Belarusian art from Byzantine times up to the present has been brought together into one place. The number of exhibits is close to five hundred. They all have been selected by art experts, many needed some restoration work. One way or another, the project has brought together almost all museums of the country, including regional museums, private collectors and corporate collections.

The real draw of the project will be the new acquisitions by Belgazprombank – the works by the world famous artists who were born in Belarus.

For the first time the public will see the Rod of Governance by Simeon of Polotsk published in 1667, two paintings by Marc Chagall, paintings by Chaim Soutine, and "The Portrait of poet Tomasz Zan” by Walenty Wankowicz. This is the only painting of the artist that has been brought home. The talented artist made most of his works in Belarus. But there was no painting made by the artist in the country until now. The House of the Wankowicz Family museum has been operating for 13 years. The Wankowicz family house reopened after restoration last year. The art heritage of the Wankowicz family was taken out to other countries or lost during the two world wars.

Fifteen art experts from all the regions of Belarus have taken part in the project. The best designers from Belarus, Lithuania and Russia worked on the exhibition.

The catalogue in three languages will be published by the start of the project. Its multimedia version and audio guides will be available for all visitors of the museum.

Every visitor will receive a free booklet with the exposition plan and its description. The explications in Belarusian, Russian and English for each section of the exhibition, and also the self-service kiosks will help visitors learn more about every exhibit. The project will also feature various concerts and film screenings.

The project organizers are Belgazprombank, Gazprom transgaz Belarus, the Culture Ministry and the National Art Museum of Belarus.