Cultural Evening at the Meštrovic Gallery

Split, Croatia, Monday, October 26, 2009

We have just arrived in your city and we already think it is magnificent! 

It gives me and my delegation great pleasure to be here today in Split-Dalmatia, a region of remarkable beauty.

And what can be said about this gallery, erected according to artist Ivan Mestrovic’s own plans; it was his summer residence until he bequeathed it to the Republic of Croatia, and now his works—which Rodin described as phenomenal—have found a home here that is equal to their measure.

In these uncertain times, I believe there is one thing we can always count on: the unique ability that the arts have to express both the most intimate and most universal parts of every one of us.

That is why Canada believes that we must absolutely protect artists’ ability to create and our ability to appreciate their works.

It is through the arts that we create our civilizations and assert and celebrate our personalities on the international stage.

As I said recently before UNESCO’s Executive Board, culture must be taken as more than a mere commodity and understood to be key to encouraging our unique contributions to the heritage of humanity.

It is important that we do not sell it to the highest bidder, that we give every country the means with which to assert and emancipate the ways in which they express themselves, not to the exclusion of others, but in tune with them.

We need culture because it conveys our values and creates a vital link between us.

This may be especially true in a country like yours with such rich cultural traditions, traditions that have suffered so terribly recently because of the madness of war.

And because it is an act of creation, culture puts us on the path towards construction, compassion and elucidation.

Culture’s role is to put life at the heart of all that we do, and at the heart of all systems—especially those that are furthest away from it—sometimes as something beautiful, sometimes a question, with the constant desire to expand our understanding of the human experience.

Dear friends, it is in that same spirit of solidarity that we have come here today to meet with you.

To listen to you and to learn from you. 

To share perspectives on the challenges we are all facing.

To strengthen the dialogue that opens the path that brings people closer.

To add up everything that brings us together and to explore the countless opportunities for cooperation between Canada and Croatia.

And to celebrate the beautiful friendship between our peoples.

Dear friends, that is why we are here tonight and the reason we consider this State visit to be very important.

I would like to thank all those who, from near and far, helped organize this visit; when we return home, we will tell our fellow Canadians about the warm welcome we received here.

Long live the friendship between Canada and Croatia! And now, let’s turn things over to the artists, whose words and rhythms will fill our hearts with a spirit of celebration.