On June 9th, the 2nd Forum of BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries was held online. Wu Weishan, Secretary General of the BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries, Director of the National Art Museum of China, Daniela Matera, Director of the Brazilian National Museum of Fine Arts, Alexander Sedov, Director of the State Museum of Oriental Art of Russia, Adwaita Garanayak, Director of the National Gallery of Modern Art in India delivered keynote speeches, and Rooksana Omar, Chief Executive Officer: Iziko Museums of South Africa delivered her message in written form. The forum focuses on two topics: “Exchanges and development of art museums in post-COVID-19 era” and “Artistic creation under the same sky”.

Wu Weishan emphasized in his speech that Communication and mutual learning enrich civilizations and make them coexist harmoniously. The essence of cultural exchange lies in one face, one heart, and one soul. “One face” refers to the cultural characteristics of a nation or country. “One heart” shall be frank, sincere, and kind. “One soul” means the soul that cherishes and safeguards world peace. As long as we face each other and are of one mind, we will be able to rely on each other, connect our veins, and share weal and woe.

In order to develop and expand the BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries and further improve the mechanism of the Alliance, all the members voted unanimously to adopt the Regulations on the Entry of New Members of the BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries, and reached a consensus on the initiative of “building a framework for small collection exchange exhibition” under the situation of the epidemic and the issue of soliciting contributions from the Alliance members in the newsletter of the BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries.

The participants fully affirmed the significance of this forum, and looked forward to strengthening contacts and exchanges, actively implementing the results of the forum, making good use of resources from all parties, creating a new mode of inter-museum exchanges, showing the cultural features of different nationalities, and promoting the future cooperation and development of global art museums under the new situation.

In recent years, the national art museums of BRICS countries have continuously deepened cultural exchanges and cooperation and achieved fruitful results. Art museums and galleries around the world need to further strengthen people to people and cultural exchanges and cooperation, tell the story of the BRICS countries that moves people's hearts, leads values and promotes the spirit, and convey the spiritual strength of the BRICS countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

(Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China)