PRESS RELEASE
From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Haigazian University
Mexique Street, Kantari, Beirut
P.O.Box. 11-1748
Riad El Solh 1107 2090
Tel: 01-353010/1/2
01-349230/1

Haigazian University Presents "Let the Earth Breathe": A Collective
Exhibition on the Endangered Environment

Beirut, 07/04/2008- On Friday the 4th of April, 2008, with the
collaboration of the Ministry of Environment, and the financial
sponsorship of MTC TOUCH, the leading mobile telecommunications company
in Lebanon, opened the collective painting exhibition entitled "Let the
Earth Breathe", at the Haigazian University Art Center, Matossian
Gallery, amidst a big crowd of diplomats, religious leaders, artists,
media representatives and art appreciators.

The exhibition groups nine prominent Lebanese artists, Ghassan Ghazal,
Joseph Honein, Mona Jabbour, Charles Khoury, Jacqueline Ohanian, Raouf
Rifai, Arwa Seifeddine, Missak Terzian and Anita Toutikian who joined
their hands together in advocating for the care of the endangered
environment. The exhibition aims at highlighting on the University’s
concern vis a vis the most important ecological issues in the world in
general, and our country Lebanon in particular.

The inauguration started with a welcoming word of the University
President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian who expressed Haigazian University’s
mission and leading role in caring for and protecting the environment.

"Environmental sustainability and responsibility is always a joint
effort of all stakeholders… So is the success of today’s event, which
came into fruition with the joint efforts of the University for its
vision, the Ministry of Environment for their support, MTC Touch for
their financial backing, the artists for their creative works, the media
for their coverage and public attention, and the audience for their art
appreciation and culture", stated Haidostian.

The Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Berge Hadjian
preferred to express his word by playing the song "La Terre Meurt" (The
Earth Dies), of Charles Aznavour’s latest release, "Colore ma Vie"
(Color my Life).

The audience was emotionally touched by listening to the verses, "The
earth dies and man is careless, he lives his life at his wish and his
taste…If the Erath dies where do we go?…The promised land the
inheritance of our children is agonizing little by little…The ugliness
proclaims victory…In finance and Business, Oil is the Master word, and
no one worries about the water…."

Around 30 paintings of different media and techniques decorate the walls
of the Matossian Gallery, in addition to a few installations at the main
entrance.

The works show that the artists are highly affected by their surrounding
environment; they want to give satisfaction to their inner spirit,
retaining at the same time the symbol of things.

The exhibition invites us to go deep in ourselves, searching for the
mystery in the works, and overcoming the superficiality of things by
interpreting each work according to our own sensibility.

P.S. The exhibition runs till Friday the 18th of April 2008, from 10:00
a.m. till 7:00 p.m. except for Sundays.