A selection of 25 lithographical artworks donated to South Africa by Gerrit Kempeneers and received by the South African Department of Arts and Culture on 8 September 2012 has arrived in South Africa.

South Africa is particularly honoured to have been chosen to be the first country to receive this donation. The project came to fruition when the Honourable S.P. Mashatile MP, Minister of Arts and Culture formally accepted the donation on 6 March 2012.

The art collection is intended to be exhibited in one of the Ditsong Museums in South Africa.

It was no coincidence that the Hope and Optimism collection, which sends out a positive international message, was handed over to a diplomatic representative of the South Africa Embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg and the Mission to the European Union at Sint Truiden on 21 September 2012 which was the International Day for Global Peace.

Gerrit Kempeneers, the driving force behind Hope and Optimism, has a long standing bond with South Africa. He started the collection in the 1990’s and built the collection of one hundred art works, representing 25 international artists. All the works address the theme of hope and optimism as seen through the eyes of each particular artist.

Ambassador Nkosi, on behalf of the South African Government and People, expressed his profound gratitude to Mr. Kempeneers for the passion he has demonstrated over a period of more than two decades in portraying to the world a message of hope and optimism about South Africa. Ambassador Nkosi said, “You are a true Africanist and Global Citizen, who has dedicated his life to humanity.”

The collection, that has received the high patronage of UNESCO, has been exhibited in Europe and United States of America.
 
You are invited to visit the Hope and Optimism website: www.hopeandoptimism.com to learn more about this unique collection and to view the artworks. Pictures of the artworks can be seen in our photo gallery http://www.southafrica.be/photogaleries?album=3&gallery=18