The opening ceremony of “Pleasure of France” art exhibition in Baku

“Plaisirs de France” art exhibition was opened at Azerbaijan State Museum of Art with the intention and support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation  on March 10th.

The First Lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, the Minister of Culture and Communication of France, currently on his visit to Azerbaijan Frederick Mitterrand, social and political figures, art representatives, intellectuals, diplomatic corpus leaders accredited to our country took part in the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

The First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva held a speech at the ceremony.

Speech by Mehriban Aliyeva:

-      Ladies and gentleman, distinguished guests!

I would like to greet you all and express my deep gratitude for being with us today.

“Plaisirs de France” exhibition was organized with the cooperation between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Ministry of Culture and Communication of France, Union of National Museums of France, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan and other organizations. I would like to thank  everyone who put efforts organizing this exhibition. I also want deliver a special thank to Mr.Mitterrand and would like to note that “Plaisirs de France” art exhibition will be held in other capital cities as well. However, first it is being held in our capital – Baku and this has been realized with personal initative of Mr.Mitterrand.

Mr.Mitteran has played great role in developing the cultural relations between France and Azerbaijan during the recent years and we always feel his attention and support in all cultural events we hold in France by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Today, I welcome Mr.Mitterrand in Azerbaijan with great pleasure.

I express my deep gratitude to Mr. Phillippe Costamagna, director of Fesch Museum, as well as employees of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Dear friends, today State Museum of Art of Azerbaijan has opened its doors to the French art – to the creative traditions of a country with fragile taste and rich cultural heritage. Samples of carpet-making and fine art,  gravures and photos, decorative pieces are all brought from the collections of the most famous museums of France.

More than 400 exponats of the Palace of Versailles, Louvre and Orsay museums, State Library of France and other very famous cultural centers will be exhibited in our capital during 2 months. This is a great opportinuty to get to know the works of genius artists and sculptors like Poussin, Degas, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Sisley, Roden, etc.

French art has always been appreciated in our counry and sympathy to french language, literature and music has always been in high level. Looking back, it is possible to observe historical France-Azerbaijan cultural ties. We can mention the visit of the great writer Alexandre Dumas  back in the 19th century and during his stay in Azerbaijan meeting Khurshidbanu Natevan, the daughter of the Khan, staging Uzeir Hajibeyov’s famous operetta“Arshin Mal Alan” in french language in “Femina” theatre of Paris in 1995, editor of the “Gafgaz” magazine published in France Jeyhun Hajibeyli and our first french language-based writer Umulbanu Asadullayeva as examples to these ties. All these persons have given indelible contributions to the France-Azerbaijan cultural relations.

Today independent Azerbaijan is strengthening its ties with France in cultural sphere, just in all other fields and we appreciates this very much.  Azerbaijan culture days, various exhibitions, festivals and concerts are held in the capital and regions of France. Azerbaijan language faculties functions at a number of French Universities and hundreds of Azerbaijani students study in France. By the end of this year Azerbaijan Culture Center will be opened in Paris. In April an exhibition called “Fly to Baku” will take its start in Paris. Last year, with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, we started building the first French school in Baku. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation also took part in repairing the Palace of Versaille, Louvre Museum and historical church of Strasbourg.

I am sure that the number of such meetings and events will increase in the future and this will help our nations to know each other closer.

Dear friends, world culture unites the most valuable samples of different nations in itself. French nation has given indelible masterpieces to the world culture; it has left indelible traces in the culture of the universe. I am positive that this exhibition will help us feel the art, beauty, pleasure, great craftmanship, in one word, great culture once again.

Once more I congratulate you on this occasion. Thank you for your attention.

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