Damascus, Sept. 13 (SANA)Nearly 200 artists are examining Syria’s revolution, collective memory and emerging identity in a major visual arts exhibition that signals the revival of the country’s cultural scene.

“Art Makes an Impact 2026” which opened Saturday at theNational Center for Visual Artsin Damascus, brings together painting, sculpture, ceramics, engraving, calligraphy, photography, digital and sound art, and new media.

Organized by theMinistry of Cultureand Damascus University, the four-day exhibition traces the development of Syrian visual art through the years of the revolution while offering artists from different generations and disciplines a platform for free expression.

Culture MinisterMohammad Yassin Salehsaid the diversity of the works reflected a wide range of human and cultural experiences, collectively forming a rich portrait of Syrian memory.

“For years, Syrians were meant to see only one scene, one image and the same recurring figures,” Saleh told SANA. “Today, they have removed the image of the tyrant and torn down his statues.”

He described the exhibition as the beginning of a cultural and intellectual revival, allowing Syrians to reimagine their country in all its cultural, civilizational and artistic diversity.

Saleh said culture would play an important role in building Syria’s future, particularly by giving young people the freedom and support to create.

A platform for artistic freedom

Wassim Abdul Hamid, director of the Fine Arts Department at the Culture Ministry, said the exhibition was designed to support Syria’s visual arts movement and reconnect artists with the public.

Its broad title reflects the idea that art can leave a mark on every aspect of life, he said, while giving each artist the freedom to explore the ideas, emotions and issues they wish to share.

Anne-Claire Legendre, director of the Arab World Institute in Paris, said the exhibition revealed the diversity of Syria’s contemporary art scene and the emergence of new spaces for artistic freedom.

“This is precisely the change we want to support: freedom of artistic expression,” she said.

Legendre added that Syrian artists deserved opportunities to present their work internationally after years without meaningful access to wider audiences.

Curator Khaled Barakeh said the exhibition came at a pivotal moment as Syrian artists and cultural spaces began reclaiming their role in the country’s public life.

Art, he said, could fill some of the voids left by previous years and open new channels of dialogue within society. The exhibition is part of a new national project to document Syrian visual art and bring together artists from different generations and schools. Organizers aim to establish it as an annual event and strengthen the place of visual arts in Syria’s cultural landscape.