Lisbon – Strengthening cooperation in the field of museums was at the heart of intense activities carried out by president of the National Museums Foundation (FNM), Mehdi Qotbi, on Tuesday in Lisbon.
Qotbi held talks with Portugal’s Minister of Culture, Dalila Rodrigues, on ways of consolidating cooperation between Portugal and Morocco in the museum field. The meeting, attended by Morocco’s ambassador to Portugal, Othmane Bahnini, and Portugal’s ambassador in Rabat, Carlos Pereira Marques, provided an opportunity to explore the possibility of holding a joint exhibition between Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
The meeting was an opportunity to stress the importance of such an initiative in ‘highlighting the rich cultural heritage of the three countries, in the context of hosting the 2030 World Cup, an event which will be held for the first time on two different continents’.
The FNM president also took part in an international symposium held in the Portuguese capital to mark the 30th anniversary of the opening o
f the ‘Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and Árpád Szenes’ museum. An event dedicated to the pre-eminence and relevance of the works of the great Portuguese artist Vieira da Silva.
Speaking on this occasion, Qotbi highlighted ‘the importance of the works of this eminent artist and her exceptional contribution to enriching the contemporary artistic landscape of the 20th century’, recalling in this sense the organization of the successful exhibition ‘Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and Árpád Szenes: a love and art story’ at the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, from October 18, 2023 to February 15, 2024.
On the sidelines of the symposium, Qotbi presented the photo album of the exhibition held in Morocco to president of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who praised the cultural cooperation between Rabat and Lisbon.
The Portuguese Head of State commended the holding of an exhibition dedicated to a Portuguese artist of particular significance, who enjoys an exceptional place among the P
ortuguese in Morocco, ‘friendly and brotherly country of Portugal’.
Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse