Roger in Kuwait, part 3

There are also companies abroad that are resourceful and willing to help, we had the opportunity to meet the managing director of Maersk in Kuwait, Hans Peter Glipman Jørgensen and his helpfulness, sponsorship and support went far beyond anything we could expect. My advice for those doing arrangements abroad is; work as hard as you can, be respectful to those around you and try to meet as many people as you can and you will find that there are people who are only too happy to help – anywhere in the world.

I firmly believe that if you do what you believe in and believe in what you do and treat yourself and others with love and respect, there will be somebody up there looking after you, and, in some mysterious way, will make things happen.
It’s not always I know why things happen or why I meet the people that I do but it’s all for a purpose and nothing makes that clearer than when you uproot yourself and go abroad on an “adventure”.

Saturday afternoon at the SAS Radisson, the exhibition is only a few hours away (19.00) and we experience an anticlimax as we look at the exhibition. We have worked as hard as anybody ever could and I fail to see a single thing that could have been done differently, or for that sake, better.

I go to the pool with my son and media manager for an hour of reflection and cooling down before the big opening; ambassadors from various countries have been invited and are coming, a hoard of journalists are waiting and Kuwait TV 2 will cover.

Changing into suits and shirts, but wearing the proverbial white Reeboks that have become my signature and worn with black sunglasses, I also note that most of my pictures are sold. We are opening with a near sold-out show!

It suddenly dawns on me that sponsors, consuls, trade commissioners and directors of the hotel as well as people walking past and seeing the works of art have snapped up the paintings one by one during the preparations.

One set of paintings has two red stickers and I suddenly remember why; they were sold early and my son promised another set on commission to be done and delivered on our return home and I say to myself that it can’t get better than this.

The opening is grand and the 280 m2 reception area outside the exhibition room is filled to capacity with dignitaries, journalists and art lovers, as well as a large number of people from the Kuwait Art Association.

Three great jazz musicians has been flown in from the Danish Royal Academy of Music in Århus and it is surrealistic seeing them playing next to the B&O stand, surrounded by Kuwaiti’s in the Dish-dash, the customary white robe.

The Danish head of mission in Kuwait cuts the rope to officially start the exhibition and the race begins, the rest of the evening goes in high-speed slow-motion as a thousand balls are kept in the air. This is the moment of truth and tremendous amounts of concentration is needed as we co-ordinate journalists and say hello to everybody that has come to see what we do. It’s rare that you actually sell any works of art in the tumultuous environment that the successful opening of an art show is; you just hold on to the ropes and let the ship ride the storm of people and hope they will come back later, or the next day, when you have more time.

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