In the presence of the Ambassador of Italy in Kenya Alberto Pieri, in the historical and fascinating setting of Fort Jesus, symbol of the city of Mombasa and one of the historical and cultural landmarks of Kenya, was inaugurated Saturday afternoon the photographic exhibition of Leni Frau (born Maddalena Stefanelli, partner in every sense of malindikenya.net) on the old cities of Genoa and Mombasa.
"Zeinab-Zena", this is the title of the exhibition is a "twinning" between similarities and contrasts that has attracted especially the residents of Mombasa, who enjoyed discovering details of the two cities and identify them, but also an exhibition of important significance, as Pieri himself recalled, presenting it.
"Both Genoa and Mombasa, because of their characteristics as seaside cities with a particular history - said the Italian Ambassador - are considered World Heritage by UNESCO and their "old towns" are the symbol. For this reason, the decision to set up an exhibition in one of the symbols of Kenyan culture. A place also visited weekly by hundreds of tourists who will have the opportunity to understand the meaning of this path of images.
An exhibition that was illustrated by the photographer herself, who went into the alleys, into the remote corners and took details of the two old cities, comparing them almost as if to confuse the viewer. "They are two realities that I particularly love - said Leni - and that I have always considered similar in many aspects. But I was also struck by the contrasts between ancient and modern, which have lived in an almost specular way, and certain realities that seem to have been reversed, with ethnic, religious and even architectural mixtures".
The director of the Museums of Mombasa, Fatma Twahir, happily greeted the inauguration and the exhibition that will remain visible throughout the month of October.
"It is an interesting and in many ways surprising exhibition. I hope that this will be the first of many initiatives in common between the Museums of Mombasa and the Italian institutions.