The exhibition opening was on 12 May 2022 in Bulgarian Cultural Center, 13 Vestlets Str. The exhibition remains open for visitors until 19 May 2022.

The opening event was attended by H.E. Ms Baya Bensmail, Ambassador of People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in Bulgaria, H.E. Mr Ahmed Al Madbuh, the Ambassador of the Palestinian Territories in Bulgaria, Ms Snezhana Yoveva, Director of the State Cultural Institute under the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Bulgaria, many colleagues, and friends of art.

The Head of Office of IOM Mission in Bulgaria – Mr Radoslav Stamenkov made an emotional opening speech: “… We are here today to launch this exhibition dedicated to Life… life could always surprise us – with its colors, even at a place where we least expect – at the dessert. Amira reminds us, that Life is indomitable. The desert give birth to new life too – there are colors and sounds...”

Mr Stamenkov, further on, spoke about the integration support, provided by IOM in frame of this Project: ” … Moving to another country, a country with different customs and traditions, a language that has unknow melody and nature with distinct aroma, is a large scale displacement of all layers of everyday life and habits. Every migrant goes through it. The integration support, provided by IOM is also multilayered. In the past 4 years in the framework of the project “Training and Counselling of Legal Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Beneficiaries of International Protection” we have provided integration support to more than 2000 legal migrants, organised 5 exhibitions of authors from the migrant communities in Sofia and Burgas, carried out 30 information and cultural events for legal migrants including concerts by amateur participants from migrant communities, joint celebrations with migrant communities, culinary events and many more. Our mission at IOM is to provide support –- not only direct aid, but also support that bolsters the self-confidence and talent, introduces the Bulgarian community to the migrants’ culture and traditions and fosters the bilateral process of information transfer between the host society and the migrants. We believe that art is the tool that creates this invisible connection between people, which removes language barriers and differences in gender, age, skin color, faith…”.

Amira’s watercolours fascinated the guests of the exhibition and many of them were purchased within the first hour of the opening.  All funds from the sale of the artworks go directly to the author of the exhibition – Amira.

The event was realized within the framework of the project "Training and counselling of legal migrants and persons seeking or having received the international protection" funded by the National Program of Bulgaria under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2014-2020.