The Windows (Nawafidh) Exhibition will highlight the bridge of interaction and creativity between Saudi and Italian women. Eighteen Saudi and 30 Italian women artists are participating in the exhibition which opens on Wednesday and continues until June 18 at the Museum of Rome in Trastevere. The exhibition aims at finding common ground and opening new channels of interaction at the level of individual skills and experiences that women enjoy in different fields of life and in both cultures. The exhibition will depict three kinds of skills – handicrafts of different kinds which are part of the cultural heritage as represented by textiles, jewelry, ornaments, pottery, ceramics, glass, traditional fashions and clothes; literary skills represented by writing, poetry, biography, individual experiences and folklore; and traditional cuisine and recipes. The exhibition's focus is on two themes – common ground and diversity – comparing the past with the present and building bridges between Western and Oriental civilizations. The exhibition is being organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information in collaboration with Al-Nahdha Women's Charitable Society and the Italian Embassy in Riyadh. Eugenio d'Auria, the Italian Ambassador to the Kingdom, said the exhibition reflects the strong ties between the Kingdom and Italy. He considers it an important part of the dialogue between cultures and a way to increase the understanding of each other. He lauded the great potentials of Saudi women artists in the cultural, arts, photography and literary fields. In this connection, he pointed out that three Saudi women have been awarded the Italian Republic Medal – Salwa Al-Jabri in architecture and design, Firyal Bassam in the field of poetry and literature and Suzann Ba-Aqeel in photography. Fawzia Al-Rashed, Deputy Chairperson of Al-Nahdha Society and Supervisor of Al-Nahdha Center for Social Services, said the exhibition proves that women always take the initiative in dialogue and the call for peace. She said, “We meet to hold a dialogue and exchange information on our cultures and civilizations using a language that we all understand – the language of art and love.” Al-Rashed expressed her thanks to the wife of the Italian ambassador for her idea and enthusiasm in organizing a similar exhibition that proved a great success when it was held in 2007 at the National Museum in Riyadh. She also thanked Dr. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, for approving the current exhibition and supporting it. For their part, the women artists participating in the exhibition expressed their pleasure in having an opportunity to acquaint the Italian public with Saudi and Islamic culture, to speak on women's issues in general and to highlight the architectural aspects of each of the Kingdom's regions.
