Reception at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa
The event program, entitled “Inexhaustible Light,” was dedicated to the promotion of the cultural, scientific, and innovative heritage of the Republic of Serbia, with special emphasis on the life and work of Nikola Tesla. Within the exhibition space, archival materials dedicated to the anniversary of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Canada were also presented, testifying to the long-standing friendship, cooperation, and historical ties between the two countries.
The ceremony opened with the national anthems of the Republic of Serbia and Canada, performed by the choir of the Church of St. Archdeacon Stefan from Ottawa.
Addressing the audience were the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Canada, Stefan Tomašević, Director General for Arctic, Eurasian and European Affairs at Global Affairs Canada, Gallit Dobner, and the Artistic Director of the National Gallery of Canada, Serge Belet.
In cooperation with the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, a documentary film about the great Serbian scientist was screened, while special attention from the guests was drawn to installations and reproductions of Tesla’s patents and inventions provided by Veroslav Đorđević (“Tesla Coil – Plasma Ball,” Nikola Tesla Education Corporation), Dragan Račić (“Tesla’s Egg,” Tesla Energy Institute Proposal), and Borislav Živković, founder and director of the long-standing Tesla Festival in Niagara.
The cultural and artistic program also featured a performance by the Gusle Association “Filip Višnjić” from Kitchener, including a gusle performance by Dragan Vladičić, an exhibition of works by Marina Gavanski Zisis, Ljubomir Ivanković, and Miodrag Došl, as well as a fashion show inspired by Tesla’s creative legacy and the history of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Canada, realized based on motifs by academic painter M. Gavanski Zisis. The musical segment of the program was performed by the “Balkan Harmony Band.”
The ceremony once again confirmed the strong friendly and cultural ties between Serbia and Canada, while also promoting the re-establishment of the direct Belgrade–Toronto air route and presenting the world exhibition EXPO 2027 in Belgrade.
