From Friday, September 5 - 10, 2014, people from all over Addis Ababa, different age groups, religious backgrounds and ethnicities flocked to Guramayle Art Center in Piazza for Metelalef, a gospel photography & short film exhibition, organized by RedeeMedia Ministries. The exhibition was inaugurated on the evening of Friday, September 5, 2014 where 60 – 70 people from the photography, media and art community were present, invited under an alias organization named ‘The Questers.’
On the inauguration day, guests were welcomed by the owner of the gallery, Miftah Zeleke, followed by welcoming speech by the director of RedeeMedia, Genaye Eshetu. She spoke briefly about the ministry and the theme of the Photography and Short Films exhibition which was the 10 Commandments. Then the guest of honor, Pastor Zerubabel Mengistu gave an opening speech. He spoke about media being a powerful tool to share truth in this generation and preached the gospel from the perspective of the law.
In the following days of the exhibition, September 6 – 10, 2014 the art center was open from 10:00AM to 8:00 PM to guests. Volunteers were also present around the clock to converse to the unwary visitors giving a detail account of the commandments and that one cannot be justified through keeping the law but only through faith in Christ Jesus. They also handed out tracts with a gospel message in the same theme, the 10 commandments.
Though the exhibition generally targeted young people, it was also mostly viewed by the art community who are unreachable in other way. In addition, on September 9, 2014, there was a monthly meeting of 30 artists and authors at the art center in the early evening, where all of them received the tract with the gospel message.
Mifta Zeleke, the curator and founding director of the art center said, “As I see it, Metelalef exhibition was one of a kind! It connected to the audience in a deeper level. It is more spiritual than religious. It communicated a concept that created awareness in the society. I believed in and loved the idea.”
“I was happy in every side of it, I believe they started a new thinking, a new way, a new pattern, new style, new walk, new passion, new ideas, new movement, all in all they awakened a giant that was not seen in the society”, said Abenezer Zenebe giving his comment about the gospel exhibition.
During the 6 days of the exhibit, 3 people gave their lives to the Lord and about 356 people were reached through the photographs, gospel short films, face to face communication and tracts.
On September 10, 2014, which was also Ethiopian New Year’s Eve, the closing of the exhibition was celebrated in bonfire “chibo” and snacks.
Because of this exhibition a great seed has been sowed in the hearts of many people. According to the team leaders of RedeeMedia, it is their prayer that the seed of the gospel can grow and the visitors of the exhibition come to giving their hearts to the Lord.
The gospel exhibition was made possible by the partners and friends of RedeeMedia ministries who support in giving their time, talent, money and energy for the gospel event.
RedeeMedia plans to take this exhibition to major towns all over the country like Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, etc.
Metelalef was the first exhibition, and project under RedeeMedia. RedeeMedia is a network of communicators, film makers, photographers, writers, designers and strategists on creative evangelism. It is a recently founded non-profit initiative that makes use of mainly visual media to spread the gospel and raise awareness regarding spirituality. It especially targets the younger generation.
Learn more about Redemedia by going to www.redeemedia.org https://twitter.com/RedeeMedia
