BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries

It was agreed to establish the BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries at the annual BRICS culture ministers’ meeting in Tianjin, People’s Republic of China in July 2017.

On 10th April 2018 the First Forum of the Alliance was held in Beijing. Declaration on the founding of the BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries and the Alliance’s Charter were adopted there. The documents were signed by representatives of the Museums of BRICS state-members: Director General of the State Museum of Oriental Art (Russia) Alexander Sedov, Director of the National Art Museum of China Wu Weishan, Acting Director of Iziko Museums of South Africa Susan Glanville-Zini, President of the Brazilian Institute of Museums Marcelo Mattos Araujo, Director General of the National Gallery of Modern Art (India) Adwaita Charan Garanayak.

Director of the National Art Museum of China Wu Weishan was elected Secretary General of the Alliance for two years while the National Art Museum of China (Beijing) was chosen as the official location of the Secretariat of the BRICS Alliance of Art Museums and Galleries.

Along with the First Forum of the Alliance a one-day conference and the special exhibition «Uniqueness and Convergence» (10-23 April 2018) were held at the National Art Museum of China. The artifacts from all 5 museums – members of the Alliance were displayed at the exhibition. The State Museum of Oriental Art presented 11 objects from its funds, among them paintings by N.Roerich, P.Benkov, G.Shukhaev, graphic works by V.Favorsky and R.Mazel, sculptures by L.Gadaev and S.Soskiev.

The Second Forum and Exhibition of the Alliance were planned to be hosted by the National Gallery of Modern Art in India in early 2020. But under the circumstances the events couldn’t take place as scheduled.