President Felix Houphouet-Boigny of the Ivory Coast on Saturday (October 14) officially opened the first-ever international art exhibition to be held in Africa.

One hundred and fifteen paintings, sculptures, photographs and ceramics are on show, by artists from Algeria, Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Japan, the Malagasy Republic, Norway and Spain. Rounding out the exhibition--works by Ivorien artists.

The exhibition lasts until October 29th. During the course of the Exhibition, a selected jury will award the 15th International Grand Prix for Paintings, sponsored by the Association of Journalists, Writers and Artists of France and Overseas.

SYNOPSIS: The Town Hall in Abidjan is the venus for the first ever international art exhibition to be held in Africa. Ivory Coast President Felix Houphouet-Boigny officially opened the exhibition which has attracted one-hundred-and-fifteen paintings and sculptures, photographs, and ceramics by artists from thirteen countries, as well as the Ivory Coast.

The exhibition lasts until October the twenty-ninth. While it lasts, a selected jury will award the fifteenth international Grand Prix for paintings, sponsored by the Association of Journalists, Writers and Artists of France and Overseas. The annual exhibition is considered an important one, both for the artists who enter, and for the organisers. Critics said that the standard this year was high.

At this exhibition, the organisers are also asking the Ivory Coast public to decide which exhibit they think should be awarded a prize, to be called the "Public Award".