Sculpture of legendary Georgian composer Kancheli may be placed in Antwerp Middelheim Park
Responding to the death of Giya Kancheli the US Embassy to Georgia said that “the world [had] lost a legendary composer. His music transcended time and culture and it will live on forever.”
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A sculpture of legendary Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, who died on October 2 2019, may be placed in Middelheim Park of Antwerp, Belgium, which was one of the late composer’s favourite places.
Kancheli had lived in Belgium since 1995. However, he spent his last years in his homeland and died in Tbilisi last month.
A Georgian musician living in Belgium, Dachi Khasaia, says that he appealed the mayor of Antwerp to place Kancheli’s sculpture in the park, which is an open-sky museum receiving 300,000 visitors annually.
Khasaia has released a letter he sent to the mayor of Antwerp.
Khasaia says that the mayor expressed his “deep-sorrow” regarding the death of the composer and forwarded the letter to those responsible for cultural issues.
The issue has been settled positively. They [the mayor’s office in Antwerp] are ready to start negotiations,” Khasaia says.
He writes that despite the approval on the launch of negotiations there are many issues ahead which must be settled.
The project is being processed. It concerns the museum and many details must be considered. The negotiations should lead [I hope so] to an official approval for the placement of the sculpture. When there is the official approval I hope that the Georgian Ministry of Culture will get involved,” Khasaia told Agenda.ge.
Middelheim Park. Photo: expedia.com.au.
He stated that he would be able to settle the issues with the help of Belgians, “who love Kancheli much, but I want Georgia to get involved as it is a job which should be done by Georgia.”
The sculpture collection consisting of about 400 artworks are spread over 30 hectares of green space in the park in Antwerp.