Benghazi – The Awad Obaida Club for Fine Arts in Benghazi celebrated the visit of two delegations from Italy and France over the past few days, as part of its continuous efforts to strengthen the bridges of cultural and artistic cooperation between Libya and friendly nations, and to support communication between creators and international cultural institutions.
The club received a delegation from the Venice Association for Italian-Arab Friendship, headed by Paolo Capuzzo, which included researcher, journalist, and international cooperation officer Sanaa Shami, and Italian journalist Luca Staiman. The visit aimed to strengthen cultural relations between the two countries and to explore prospects for joint artistic and creative cooperation.
The club was also visited by a delegation from the French Embassy in Libya, which included the Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Action and Director of the French Institute in Libya, Jean-Bernard Bouvin, and the Political Section Counselor for Press and Media, Kenza Ounir. The two sides discussed ways to support artistic initiatives and cultural exchange between Libyan artists and French institutions.
In a special statement to the Libyan News Agency, the club’s Executive Director, Hanaa Nabbous, affirmed that these visits “represent an important milestone in the path of international cooperation, and an opportunity to build sustainable cultural bridges that offer Libyan artists broader prospects for exhibition and artistic exchange abroad.” She added that “art is a universal language capable of promoting understanding between peoples and highlighting the bright, creative face of the city of Benghazi.”
The club concluded the two meetings by expressing its gratitude to the Italian and French delegations, stressing that the opening of the Libyan art scene to the world constitutes a significant step towards an interactive and internationally developing cultural landscape.