Beirut – 28 October, 2016
During a press conference held at the National Museum of Beirut, the Ministry of Culture and the Association for the Promotion and Exhibition of the Arts in Lebanon (APEAL) signed a loan agreement of the ministry’s artwork collection. The conference was attended by his Excellency the Minister of Culture, Mr. Raymond Araiji, Vice President of APEAL, Mrs. Sandra Abou Nader, along with the association’s board members, representatives of the German Embassy in Lebanon and an array of public figures.
The loan agreement transcends both the ministry’s efforts to promote an exchange of expertise within the active and specialized cultural networks and with APEAL’s launched project Beirut Museum of Art- BeMA. Serving as a cultural platform that sheds the light on contemporary and modern art in Lebanon and the region, the museum will embrace a collection of fine arts and will act as a platform for reconciliation fostering dialogue and an exchange of cultures and civilizations.
The bilateral agreement includes an art collection encompassing a selection of masterpieces by Lebanese artists preserved by the Ministry of Culture for several years. The collection was distributed across the Presidential Palace, The Grand Serail, the Summer Presidential Residence in Beiteddine, the UNESCO Palace and the ministry’s offices. Prior to their public unveiling which will be marked by the official opening of the Beirut Museum of Art-BeMA, the artworks comprising of paintings on canvas, works on paper, sculptures and photographs will be cleaned and restored with the support of the German Embassy who will fund the restoration works equipment.