Arab countries have long shown a keen interest in exhibitions of Russian fine art, which are set up in these countries in accordance with their cultural and religious traditions, the director of the Russian State Museum, Vladimir Gusev, told Sputnik on Thursday
ST. PETERSBURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th November, 2019) Arab countries have long shown a keen interest in exhibitions of Russian fine art, which are set up in these countries in accordance with their cultural and religious traditions, the director of the Russian State Museum, Vladimir Gusev, told Sputnik on Thursday.
"The first Arab country where we set up an exhibition was Qatar. In Doha, more than 150 works of avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich were displayed; in October, the Russian Museum showcased its collection of works by Wassily Kandinsky at an exhibition in Riyadh's King Fahd Cultural Center," Gusev said.
According to him, in preparing these exhibitions, the museum considered the traditions of Muslim culture and their role in how Muslims would perceive Russian classical fine art, so only works that "do not need translation" and speak through visual elements were selected.
"Gradually, we will expand contacts and show the people in Arab countries the traditional works of fine art as well. The interest is very high, and one can feel these countries pursuing to alter those of traditions, which become stereotypes and start hindering the development of modern societies," Gusev said.
The Russian Museum houses the world's largest collection of Russian fine art, with more than 400,000 items from all historic periods from the 10th to the 21st centuries. It was established in 1895 by order of Emperor Nicholas II and is located in St.Petersburg.
