Brussels, Belgium: Yesterday, on May 2, 2023, the exhibition
Brussels, Belgium: Yesterday, on May 2, 2023, the exhibition "Together II" was opened in the European Parliament Building in Brussels, which is organized in cooperation by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Northern Macedonia (Image Courtesy-Facebook)

Brussels, Belgium: Yesterday, on May 2, 2023, the exhibition “Together II” was opened in the European Parliament Building in Brussels, which is organized in cooperation by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Northern Macedonia.

The organizer of the exhibition was the Bulgarian Cultural and Information Center in Skopje, with the support of the MEP from the Renew Europe Group and a Reporter in the European Parliament for the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Ilhan Kyucyuk.

A special guest at the exhibition’s opening was EP Chairman Roberta Metzola. She said, “The European Union and this Parliament are engaged in promoting long-term relations between Bulgaria and the Republic of Northern Macedonia.

Mrs Metzola said, “We will continue encouraging the two sides to dialogue and work towards a common European future. This exhibition celebrates the togetherness between Bulgaria, the Republic of Northern Macedonia and the European Parliament.”

MEP Ilhan Kyucyuk thanked BGKITS-Skopje Director Antonia Veleva, who took the initiative for the exhibition and added, ””It is this time that should be the way forward for Bulgaria and the Republic of Northern Macedonia.”

”The two countries should deepen their neighbourly relations and strive to integrate the region into the European Union. This is an example that culture is a bridge that unites and knows no boundaries, that culture has the power to rise above all differences”.

Among those present were Bulgaria’s permanent representative to the EU, Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Northern Macedonia to the European Union, Zulfi Ismaili. The two stressed that the exhibition demonstrated a mutual will to maintain a positive agenda between the two sides.

“The importance of intercultural dialogue and cooperation between Bulgaria and the Republic of Northern Macedonia has become more apparent in recent years.” Today’s event is proof in this regard. Shared values and heritage are an integral part of our future,” said Ambassador Alexandrov.

“I also thank the culture ministries of both countries. Art is a universal language, and we need to promote it more. “Visiting this exhibition just before this opening, I saw the boundless potential of art to inspire, challenge and transform our perspectives,” Ambassador Ismaili added.

Curators Anna Frangovska of the Republic of Northern Macedonia and Atanas Andasarov of Bulgaria presented the first joint exhibition of the two countries to guests at the opening ceremony in the European Parliament building.

Together II was presented for the first time in Skopje on November 25, 2022. , when the new premises of the Bulgarian Cultural and Information Center in Skopje were officially opened and was part of the institution’s annual program.

The exposition includes 18 works, and Bulgarian artists participate: Snezhanka Simeonova – “Form” – black marble, bronze, (sculpture); Svilen Blazhev “Rabosh” – diptych – mixed technique, canvas; Vihroni Popnedelev – “Triptych” – oil on canvas; Gedi Assa – “History” – oil paints on canvas, “Inner Space” – oil on canvas; Nadezhda Kuteva “The Monastery I” – oil paints, canvas, “City landscape” – oil paints on canvas; Atanas Andasarov – “St. Naum – mixed technique, manual paper, Apple of Paradise – collage, manual paper.

Together II includes works by artists from the Republic of Northern Macedonia: Jeaneta Gelevska-Velyanoska – Landscape, 1990 – oil paints, canvas; Simonida Filipova-Kitanovska – “Composition”, 1990 – oil paints on canvas; Ilia Kochovski – “Landscape 2”, 1994, – oil paints on Canvas; Alexander Stankoski – “90,000 sheep”, 1999, – oil paints on canvas; Jacqueline Gligorievska-Kochovska – “Treptet, or for the Origin”, 2004 – oil paints, canvas; Marina Tsvetanovska-Martinovska- “Neither in Heaven nor on Earth”, 2004 – oil paintings, canvas; Diana Tomich – Radevska – “Colors of Galichnik 1”, 1996 – oil paints on canvas; Marina Leshkova – “Galichnik”, 1998 – mixed technique on the canvas.”