Denver – Cuba affirmed its friendship with Morocco on Sunday, June 27, through the exchange of a sentimental piece of art that connects the cultures of both countries.
A painting named “Novia de Tanger” (Girlfriend of Tangier) was officially given to Morocco during a ceremony hosted by the Associations of Friendship and Solidarity between Morocco and Latin America, and of Friendship and Solidarity of Cubans and Moroccans of France.
According to Spanish news sources, the event was attended by the Cuban ambassador to Morocco, Javier Domokos Ruiz, and “cultural and intellectual personalities.” Among attendees were painter Luis Alberto Ruiz Saavedra, as well as the director of the Mohammed VI Museum of Contemporary Art in Rabat Abdelaziz El Idrissi.
Aida Haydeline Diaz and Randa Jebrouni, respectively the presidents of the Association of Friendship and Solidarity of Cubans and Moroccans of France and the Association of Friendship and Solidarity between Morocco and Latin America, led the formal ceremony exchanging the artwork between the two countries.
During the event, Jebrouni highlighted Luis Saavedra’s unification of the two cultures through the inclusion of the lute as a centerpiece in the painting. According to Jebrouni, the lute is an instrument that is an important part of both Cuban and Moroccan cultures. She called the work a “tribute to the city, and a tribute to the friendship” between the Spanish and Moroccan people.
Cuban ambassador Ruiz stated the ceremony was a “gesture of solidarity,” while also describing the painting as a “very symbolic work because it represents all the potential cultural relations” to be shared between both countries.
He concluded by stating the work was “a first step” to the closing of cultural gaps between the Cuban and Moroccan people. The remarkable painting is set to be displayed at the Villa Harris Museum in Tangier.
