Opening remarks from Ambassador Hjálmar W. Hannesson
Opening remarks from Ambassador Hjálmar W. Hannesson
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
Welcome to this exhibition called " The Beautiful Game - Images from the Football Continent", which we are opening on the "Youth Day" - holiday of South Africa.
Football (or soccer as it is called in this country) is by far the most popular sport in this world and is truly a global human unifier . We are witnessing these days the positive enthusiasm, energy and friendly competition in the European Cup and we are looking forward to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
The phrase "The Beautiful Game" was first coined by Didi, one of the Brazilian superstars and in 1977 Pele, perhaps the greatest footballplayer ever, named his autobiography " My Life and the Beautiful Game". He dedicated his book, and I quote..." to all the people who have made this great game the Beautiful Game" (Wickipedia).
This exhibition of 30 photos taken by Iceland´s Páll Stefánsson, a renowned photographer with many photography books to his name, is his ode to the joy at the grassroots of football he witnessed in Benin, Cameroun, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania and Togo. These photos and others from other African countries also, namely South Africa, Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Mali will appear in a book of a collection of photographs from Africa which will be published towards the end of next year, in time for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
I think that these photos are stunningly beautiful and emanate a lot of joy and it is clear that the artist from the high north has found new and warm colours to work with in the south.
We congratulate him and wish him and the publisher, Mr. Halldór Lárusson, who travelled with Páll Stefánsson in Africa and is standing there together with the artist, great success in their wonderful book project.
Thank you !
