"The Staircase of Life", a retrospective exhibition of paintings authored by a Naïve artist from Serbia Jan Bacur, sponsored by Serbian Ambassador Sani Dermaku, opened on 15 January 2018 at the Gallery of the Ministry of Culture of Slovakia. The exhibition will run until the end of January.

Ambassador Dermaku addressed an audience composed of representatives of the diplomatic corps and figures from Slovakia's cultural and political life, as well as of art-lovers, pointing to the importance that the Naïve painting school from Kovacica has for the preservation and promotion of both cultural and artistic identity of Slovaks in Serbia.

"Achievements of artists representing this art school and of Jan Bacur as the oldest Slovakian naïve artist in particular, best contribute to strengthening the cultural ties and building bridges of friendship between the two peoples and countries", Ambassador Dermaku underlined.

Director of the Office for Slovaks Living Abroad Ambassador Ján Varšo, Director of International House of Art for Children BIBIANA Peter Tvrdoň, owner of Babka Gallery Kovacica Pavel Babka and author of the exhibition himself also addressed those present.