Rabat – The President of Morocco’s Foundation of Museums (FNM) Mehdi Qotbi visited Lisbon, Portugal on November 11 to strengthen cooperation between FNM and various international institutions and museums.
Qotbi met with Portuguese Minister of Culture Graca Fonseca alongside Morocco’s Ambassador in Lisbon Othmane Bahnini.
During the meeting, representatives discussed various methods to establish partnership agreements between FNM and museum institutions in Portugal.
Qotbi presented Minister Fonseca with an ambitious program that his Foundation is developing. The program works to implement the vision of King Mohammed VI which aims to make culture a vector of development and a universal bridge for a better understanding between people of different nations.
The Portuguese Minister recalled the strong and deep historical and cultural ties that tie Morocco and her country, and pledged to further consolidate bilateral cooperation through culture as it is “the best way to perpetuate the common heritage of Morocco-Portugal.”
Qotbi further met with Guilherme d’Oliveira Martins, Director of Calouste Gulbenkian museum, one of Europe’s most important cultural foundations with the largest private collection of international art.
During the meeting, Martins conveyed his commitment to support Morocco’s FNM in different fields, as well as his organization’s intent to provide scientific and scenography support for the future Museum of the Art of Islam in Fez by.
The Gulbenkian Foundation has a unique collection of Islamic art.
Qotbi also met with the president of the Arpad Szenes-Vieira da Silva Foundation (FASVS) Marina Bairrao Ruivo. Both parties agreed to organize an exhibition in 2023 at the Mohammed VI Museum of Contemporary Art in Rabat.
The 2023 exhibition aims to display the work of 20th century artists.
The FNM president concluded his tour through talks with Emilia Ferreira, Director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Lisbon, aimed at organizing an exhibition of contemporary Moroccan artists.
