"Shamal"- 9 countries – 16 artists – 32 artworks from Middle East

21st February - 19th March 2015

Saturday 21st February 2015, 6:30 pm, the opening ceremony of the new Porta Coeli International Art Gallery’s premises will be held, in the XVI-century “Palazzo Rapolla”, in Vico San Domenico, Venosa (PZ). In the heart of the historic centre of the small town, a new space has come to light, featuring a precious Sacred Art section and a Contemporary Art one, which will be constantly hosting important artists, famous both on a national and international level. The inauguration of the new premises will be celebrated with the opening of the exhibition “Shamal. 9 countries, 16 Artists, 32 artworks from Middle East”. Artists from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, will be hosted all together for this interesting group exhibition. A number of talks will take place during the opening:  dr. Tommaso Gammone, Mayor of Venosa, dr. Aniello Ertico, director of Porta Coeli, engineer Vito Santarsiero, president of the First Commission of the Basilicata region, dr. Fiorella Fiore, art historian and critic. Artists Adhel Alrayis from Kuwait and Rima Almozayyen from Palestina will attend the opening.

In 2011, Porta Coeli saw the light as an art gallery, and nowadays it is a multi-faceted private museum experience offering a high-level cultural and artistic selection. The Study Centre for Mediterranean culture promotes ancient and contemporary culture focus on “Southern Countries”, specifically on Middle eastern cultural realities.

A number of international partnership agreements have been signed, in order to allow laboratories having also a therapeutic goal. Confirmed the agreement with the Monastery of Lepanto as for the world-exclusive of Porta Coeli in displaying the byzantine icons. The group exhibition featured: Heba Amin (EGYPT), Hossam Sakr( EGYPT), Mohammad Samhouri (PALESTINE), Rima Almozayyen (PALESTINE), Rasmi Jarrah (JORDAN), Shadi Ghwanmeh (JORDAN), Ali Hussain Merza (BAHREIN), Yusuf Ibraheem (SAUDI ARABIA), Ahmed Hussain (SAUDI ARABIA), Jameela Ibrahim N Al- Shraim (QATAR), Abdulrahman Aldorani (QATAR), Daab Abi Saab (LEBANON), Mahmoud Abbod (IRAQ), Salah Alhasan (IRAQ).