Best illustrating the power of the language of art to create connections and understanding in the region is the fact that it not only survived but grew stronger at a time when all other connections had been severed.
Art and art exchanges deserve the most credit for preserving the common heritage of the shared past, and thus for laying the foundations to imagine and move towards a common future. We could say that these links were maintained for decades thanks primarily to the region’s independent art scene and dedicated artists and individuals, but also to high-quality exchanges between institutions, though they have often found themselves in uncertain situations due to culture’s marginalised position in the political programmes of the countries of the region.
The governments of the region ascribe little importance to culture, thus showing that they are unaware of the importance of culture and its potential
Even though the language of art is powerful in its ability to use communication to overcome barriers and differences, but also to endure under extremely unfavourable conditions, a major problem in the region is represented by the poor position that culture occupies in the priorities of the governments of the region, which in their neocolonial positions are incapable of forming visions of a society with the kind of highly developed culture that serves as an indicator of the seriousness and maturity of a modern state.
