Beirut: Minister of Culture Ghassan Salam© participated in a seminar on the book “Soksok parmi les couleurs” (A Journey Through the Worlds of Lebanese Art) at the Sursock Museum. The event was attended by the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Fabrizio Marcelli; former French Minister of Culture Rima Abdel Malak; Director General of Antiquities, Engineer Sarkis Khoury; Head of Antiquities in North Lebanon, Samar Karam; officials from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation; and a number of cultural figures and interested individuals.
According to National News Agency – Lebanon, Salam© at the Sursock Museum began his speech by saying, “Since three languages ??have been used so far, I will add a fourth to say just two words: Grazie Mille… Thank you very much. Thank you for Italian culture, and thank you for everything you do. This country, from north to south, including the excavations in downtown Beirut, bears witness everywhere to two things: First, the strength of cultural and heritage cooperation between Italy and Lebanon, and the joint efforts to preserve this great treasure that Lebanon has accumulated over decades. Second, the deep connection Italians have with culture, both in their homeland and wherever they go.”
He continued, “I am pleased that this cooperation has helped Lebanon overcome its financial crisis and other difficulties, including last year’s war, and that despite these hardships, it has taken on a new and stronger form. We must continue working and further strengthen this partnership.”
He concluded, “The challenges are many, but we are firmly convinced that culture is the path that unites us and builds bridges between us.”
This book aims to introduce young people to modern Lebanese art heritage by highlighting a number of Lebanese artists represented in the museum’s collection and other art collections. It includes an introduction to Lebanon’s archaeological history prepared by the Directorate General of Antiquities, as well as a chronological overview of the history of modern Lebanese art.
The illustrators of the Salamander Association have created a story about the cat character “Saqsaq,” who moves between sixteen artworks, allowing children to discover diverse artistic styles in an engaging and interactive way.
The final section of the book includes biographies of the artists and images of the original works, broadening readers’ understanding of each artist’s career and the historical development of the art movement in Lebanon. The book is accompanied by a coloring book inspired by the works of Willy Aractingi and other artists represented in the Sursock Museum’s collection, providing children with an interactive and educational art experience.
This project was completed with the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.