MACEDONIAN TREASURES IN THE NETHERLANDS
Culture.
Some 120 icons of Macedonia, fragments of frescoes, archaeological items from pre-history, the Hellenic and Roman eras and terracotta icons will be exhibited in a museum in the Netherlands in 2010. In return, Macedonian audiences will be able to see an exhibition of works by Rembrandt van Rijn, the 17-century inviolable master of art. Details of the shows were being discussed yesterday by Macedonian Minister of Culture Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska and Director of the Museum Catharijnecovent in Utecht, Hus van den Haut and the Chief Curator Saskia van Harn. It was agreed that icons, valuable liturgical items, costumes, carvings, records and terracotta icons were to be exhibited.
“The objective of the show is to present the religious artistic cultural treasures of Macedonia that have never been exhibited in the Netherlands, the Ministry of Culture says. Both shows will display originals. The Catharijnecovent has tradition in exhibiting icons. Located in a 15-century mediaeval monastery, the museum has a sixth and seventh century setting of 80,000 exhibits. The Dutch guests explained how the idea for a show occurred to them.
“Traditionally, we open shows in collaboration with a range of countries in East Europe – Russia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria. An associate once mentioned that there was magnificent art in Macedonia, which had hardly been seen by anyone, and it was the best you could find in this part of Europe,” Van den Haut says.
They decided to check what they could find here. And they came in April to meet the Minister of Culture and representatives of a few museums. What we saw was so impressive, so beautiful that we decided to make a show,” Van den Haut adds.
Impressed by the terracotta icons the existence of which they were not aware of, archaeological findings and carvings, the mixed culture in Macedonia, they decided to extend the show to include those items as well.
MD: Wonderful! Keep promoting Macedonia's rich culture
[Culture.in.mk]
