ASEF’S PROJECT PHOTO EXHIBITION “ON THE GO” IN BULGARIA
On the 1st of December 2016 ASEM 20th Anniversary Photo Exhibition “On the Go” has been presented in Bulgaria alongside 5th ASEM Sustainable Development Dialogue in Ruse. The event organized by the State Institute for Culture with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Bulgaria in partnership with the University of Ruse.
Presenting this exhibition in Ruse – one of Bulgaria’s most beautiful ancient cities along the Danube river symbolizes the importance of this river basin not only as an economic and trade artery but as a cultural corridor, would contributed to the mission, aims and strategy of ASEF to foster better understanding between Europe and Asia through people-to-people contacts and to encourage better synergy within the ASEM process and its visibility among the general public. Displaying these photos in Ruse within the framework of the main event dedicated to the sustainable development of the river basins is deeply symbolic. Just as the exhibition captured some moments of the daily life of people and their lifestyle across the borders of the countries in Europe and Asia, the rivers bind together and sweep along their course the culture and traditions of the countries through which they flow.
Thus Bulgaria successfully joined ASEF project invented to celebrate two decades of ASEM existence with a collection of photographs to visualize European and Asian perceptions of people on the move.
This project commenced in 2015 as an open competition for both professional and amateur photographers to portray on-the-go scenes in the daily life in Europe and Asia. A panel of experts selected the photos among 1500 entries from 50 countries. The exhibition “On the Go”, composed of the shortlisted pictures, was first inaugurated at the 12th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Luxembourg in November 2015 and has subsequently toured 12 countries in Europe and Asia, including Mongolia’s capital UlaanBaatar, when the exhibition had a prominent place at the 11th ASEM Summit in July 2016.
The display of the exhibition in Bulgaria proves its activity within ASEM process and ASEF projects in the last couple of years. In November 2015 Sofia hosted the 12th ASEF Class Network Conference- "Coding for Education”, in December -2015 the 5th ASEM Labour and Employment Ministers' Conference (ASEM LEMC5) was held. In November 2017 Bulgaria shall host the 17th ASEM Informal Seminar on human rights.
The exhibition will stay at the University of Ruse so that the young people of Bulgaria could learn more about the mission of ASEF. State Institute for Cultureis planning to display it also in other Bulgarian cities. “On the Go” will continue to tour Europe and Asia in 2017 when is the ASEF’s 20th anniversary.