Banque BEMO organized at the Italian Embassy’s premises the Rotating Art exhibition in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Lebanon and in partnership with “Gabriel Rizkallah Art Consultancy” and “Commercial Insurance”. The opening ceremony witnessed the presence of a large audience; the artists and their guests, the art galleries, private collectors, professionals, Rotating Art Friends and the media.
With this initiative, Banque BEMO aims to create an oasis of hope and beauty in the midst of the current economic crisis and to put Lebanon at the forefront of art and creativity.
The exhibition, curated by Gabriel Rizkallah, featured 47 emerging and renowned artists who presented different artistic styles.
During the event, Her Excellency Nicoletta Bombardiere, Ambassador of Italy in Lebanon said “This collective exhibition features a selection of around 70 art pieces included in the “Rotating Art” collection of Banque BEMO, an initiative that we support because it makes contemporary art more accessible to everyone, while promoting Lebanese artists. Italy is committed to continue supporting art and culture in Lebanon. We do this because we believe that, even in very complicated times, culture should never be seen as a luxury and should never be neglected. The richer is the culture, the stronger is the identity of a nation. In the framework of this exhibition, we will also host other social and cultural events in the following days, including the concert of an Italian artist tomorrow, opening our doors to Italian, Lebanese and international friends.”
Then, Dr. Riad Obegi, Chairman and General Manager of Banque BEMO, who could not attend the event due to unforeseen circumstances, had his speech read by Mr. Gabriel Rizkallah. Dr Obegi thanked the Ambassador and the Embassy of Italy for hosting the exhibition, the artists, collectors and art galleries who made available their works on display and whom through art they resist the moral and psychological collapse of Lebanon. He said “I am proud that this first intrusion of Rotating Art into an embassy is made here. The idea of Rotating Art is indeed to spread artistic culture among the Lebanese population and beyond borders. What better place to accelerate it than this small island of Italy, which has done so much to combine the artistic, cultural and philosophical geniuses of countless people. Today, with the current political, economic, scientific, and social changes, I am confident that the future language will be the art, the language through which the minds and hearts of the whole world will communicate”.
Finally, the Curator of the exhibition, Mr. Gabriel Rizkallah expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador and the Embassy team. He said that “we chose the Embassy of Italy to host the exhibition because Italy has been renowned for the world’s most famous works of art and culture for hundred of years”. He wished that this experience is renewed and expanded to keep on spreading the art and culture as a way of resistance.
The Rotating Art exhibition kicked off on Wednesday 26 April and runs until 4 May 2023 at the Hall of the Embassy of Italy – Baabda. For more information, kindly visit @rotatingart on Instagram for the detailed schedule of events.
