KARACHI: To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Italy, Italian consul Gianluca Rubagotti hosted a reception at a hotel here on Thursday evening.

Apart from the formal get-together, the event had a preview of a photographic exhibition titled ‘Tri-Veneto: Pictures from the North East of Italy’ curated by Alessandro Rosani, which will be held on Sunday at FOMMA DHA Art Centre.

The images represent the historicity of the region by virtue of its architectural magnificence and charming hinterlands.

The colour photographs mostly capture the full view of the historic structures, but the pleasing sight of the rivers and some artistic shots of certain parts of a few buildings lend variety to it. For example, even if you are not familiar with the Italian language and can’t read the captions accompanying the photos, there’s an image of a work of architecture which reminds you of the famous balcony scene in one of William Shakespeare’s plays. The story of that drama, as we all know, takes place in Verona. The caption, by the way, reads: ‘Juliet’s home of 1200 as remembered by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet’.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rubagotti stressed the ‘strong re-launch’ of bilateral relations between Italy and Pakistan in all fields. In that regard he first touched upon the field of economics, saying that a trade commission office in Karachi would soon be operational. Then he talked about culture. He said in the last half a year the consulate had brought to the city musicians, professors, publishers, art dealers and painters, who all fell in love with Karachi and its people.

He said they were now in Italy, ‘disseminating a different image of your country from what you see in the international media’. He also mentioned an

MoU signed between the Consulate of Italy and the Mohatta Palace Museum according to which, next August the first solo exhibition of a contemporary Italian painter Maurizio Boscheri would be organised inside the heritage building’s halls.

Adviser to the chief minister Sharmila Farooqi, who was the chief guest, said there were cordial relations between Italy and Pakistan. She also highlighted the projects being undertaken in the field of culture.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2016