SYRIA: Damascus museum showcases paintings by Syrian artists

Record ID: 278718

  • Title: SYRIA: Damascus museum showcases paintings by Syrian artists
  • Date: 24th February 2008
  • Summary: (MER1) DAMASCUS, SYRIA (FEBRUARY 24, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PAINTINGS INCLUDING WORK BY MAMDOUH KACHLAN VARIOUS OF GOLD-FRAMED PAINTING OF A MAN / PAINTING IS OLDEST IN EXHIBITION AND CALLED "MR. ZANANEERI" AND WAS PAINTED BY DAOUD AL-COURME IN 1899 CLOSE UP OF SIGN READING: ''DAOUD AL-COURME, MR. ZANANEERI 1899, OIL 80-BY-117 CENTIMETRES'' VARIOUS OF VISITORS LOOKING
  • Embargoed: 10th March 2008 12:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVA4P2Q2D5EVWK0Z2JU31TFBRGBM
  • Story Text: An exhibition of Syrian fine art has opened at the National Museum of Damascus as part of the city's cultural activities programme celebrating the designation of the Syrian capital as the Arab Capital of Culture for 2008 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife, Asma, toured the exhibition on Saturday (February 23) with Syrian artists Mamdouh Kachlan and Elias Zayat, both of whom have works featured in the exhibition, which is titled ''Revival of Memories of Plastic Art in Syria.'' The exhibition mostly features work from the early 20th century through 1965.
    "The exhibition features work by pioneer artists who established the fine art movement (in Syria) starting from the period between early 20th century and 1965. During that period there were no art institutes in Syria and there was only a handful of artists. That represents a historical stage, so to say, and crucial, because it is the basis on which the fine art movement was established later on,'' said artist Mamdouh Kachlan.
    Work was selected from the early sixties because it is considered a turning point in the history of Syrian art, as the first Syrian art institute was founded in 1965. Most of the oil paintings showcased outline an evolution in Syrian fine art leading up to that period.
    The goal of the exhibition is to highlight the role played by Syria's pioneer artists and to educate its young generation of artists about the history of their craft.
    "We noticed that young artists do not know much about the history of the Syrian fine art movement and the pioneer artists who established it.
    Also, people in Syria love to know the history of contemporary art, particularly that here in Syria, art is in our blood because we have been exposed to it since the sixth century B.C. But (we are here dealing with) contemporary art, the revival of contemporary art which started at the hands of the pioneers we have mentioned,'' said Elias Zayat, one of the artists featured in the exhibition.
    The exhibition opened its doors on February 2 and will run through April 1, 2008.
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