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Unisa Library celebrates the spirit of collaboration

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Some of Ukrainian naïve artist Maria Prymachenko's works on display at the Unisa Library

The Unisa Library took part in the annual South African Library Week celebrations during March 2019 by hosting an exhibition of world-renowned Ukrainian naïve artist Maria Prymachenko.

This year’s celebrations, themed Collaborate @YourLibrary gave the library an opportunity to think of ways to establish and maintain sustainable relations with other organisations. In hosting the exhibition, entitled Ukrainian Safari, the Unisa Library collaborated with the Embassy of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Association of South Africa. It was also an opportunity to network with the diplomatic community, which included the ambassadors of India, Belarus, Palestine, Norway and Jordan, among others.

In her welcome address, Unisa Library’s Executive Director, Dr Daisy Selematsela, praised the work of Prymachenko and other women artists of her era as those who laid foundations for women artists and intellectuals to thrive today. She highlighted the importance of collaborations and invited the representatives from different countries to use the Unisa Library as a space for academic and cultural engagement. The Ukrainian Embassy’s cultural attaché, Oksana Rozumna, also spoke on the role of cultural diplomacy in enriching relationships between different countries and institutions. She thanked Dr Selematsela and her team for making the event a success.

Unisa Library’s Executive Director, Dr Daisy Selematsela, greeting His Excellency Taras Kuzmych, Ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa

The keynote address was presented by His Excellency Taras Kuzmych, Ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa. "This event on Ukrainian art at Unisa Library speaks about the prospects for future cooperation of our countries," said Kuzmych, adding that Ukrainians are proud of Maria Prymachenko's creativity that continues to gain praise around the world. "I hope today’s celebration is the beginning of a long and fruitful conversation between Ukraine and South Africa. I am honoured to be part of it as an ambassador, and as a Ukrainian," he said.

The event was flavoured with art and music. Painter Tatiana Hurn did a live painting during the entire event and musician Jackey Masekela (nephew of Hugh Masekela) played a musical piece on violin.

South African Library Week is one of the most important dates on the calendar of the Library and the Information Association of South Africa, and the Unisa Library’s participation is always aimed at reinventing relevant ways for our library to engage with its users and the surrounding community.

* Submitted by Natalia Molebatsi, Marketing Coordinator, Unisa Library

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Publish date: 2019-04-09 00:00:00.0

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