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According to Ambassador Stefano Bianchi, this exhibition is a key event of the cultural program of the Italian Embassy in Minsk in the Year of Italian Culture in Belarus, marking the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Collaboration between Italy and Belarus in culture has been developing for many years, the ambassador said. When preparing the project, the organizers from Italy searched for an author who would be new for the Belarusian public that is largely familiar with Italian art, he noted.

The choice fell on the futurist artist of the first half of the 20th century, Gerardo Dottori. The artist very clearly embodies the culture of the Umbria region and is one of the key figures of Italian art, Ambassador Stefano Bianchi said. However, such a presentation of avant-garde art seemed incomplete, and experts began searching for works of Belarusian artists to create a dialogue that was common for the avant-garde art of the 20th century, he added. Once we found the partners, the National Art Museum of Belarus and Belgazprombank, the mosaic of the exhibitions acquired a finished form, the Italian ambassador said.

For his part, Chairman of the Belgazprombank Board Viktor Babariko said that for the Bank, which is known for its cultural projects, this is another interesting experience. In his view, the project is a dialogue, a comparison which shows that Belarus has always been a part of European culture. At the exhibition, visitors will see the bright landscapes by Dottori, the childishly naive view of Marc Chagall, the paintings with a high emotional pitch by Soutine, and the puzzling works by Nadia Khodasevich Leger. All together they make an interesting project that will surely draw many visitors, Viktor Babariko said.

The exhibition will stay open till 4 July.