AAW international artists workshop 2006

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Initiatives and Founded by

Artistic directors REEM HASSAN and MOATAZ EL SAFTY Founding director of AAW projects Founding director of EAN for arts and Culture Founding director of EAN Egyptian artists network

Special THANKS to

FORD FOUNDATION

Al Mawred Al Thaqafy Culture Resource

IIE Institute of International Education

Artistic Syndicate Alexandria

Atelier of Alexandria Assembly of Artists and Writers

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Acknowledgment

The international workshop at Alexandria Atelier is a workshop in the field of visual arts for two weeks of intensive artistic work by a group of Arab, Egyptian and foreign formative artists. The event was held in Alexandria's atelier, the ancient- rooted building among Alexandria cultural edifices. The objective of holding it is to create an experimental artistic creative climate which activates and motivates new thinking through invention and experimentation in different fields of contemporary visual arts so as to create a new artistic climate from the collective work inspired by a number of professional artists in this field. The event will end by holding an open artistic demonstration for the public for a day only. During this event, the artists of the workshop will meet with critics, artists and writers. Each artist will present an artistic demonstration of his artistic experiment or art in his country through a discussion forum that will be held every evening in the atelier's rooms after completing the work.

Work strategy in the international workshop starting

with

its

initiation

and

since

expressing ideas:

Advertising the workshop has started through the electronic website of the atelier on the internet since March 2006. all the required conditions for the workshop was stated in this advertisement and the method of application. It was determined that 30July2006 was the last date of receiving all the applications of the participants. In addition, the advertisement was also put on the site as well as informing the final participants in the workshop of the deadline, 15th August, 2006. Actually, this was all made on time. The special requirements of the workshop were as follows:

The artist will carry all his travel expenses from and to Alexandria and the workshop will cover the expenses for accommodation and meals of the artists. We started seeking a contributory fund since the initiation of the idea. We searched all sites on the internet for the bodies offering funds in Egypt and abroad. Firstly, we received a reply from the Japanese organization in Cairo which praised the idea; however, with many complimentary statements, it apologized for the fund Page 3 of 20

as the program for funding workshops will be opened in 2007 for events to be carried out in 2008.

Moreover, we sent many letters to official bodies in Egypt. For example, the ministry of culture represented by the formative arts sector in the ministry was among these bodies. We made an agreement with Mr. Mohsen Shaalan, head of the sector that he would fund 5 artists from Cairo through accommodation to participate in the workshop during the period of the event. Furthermore, the idea appealed to him and he expressed his own participation as well by making all the literature for the workshop through the ministry of culture. However, the ministry withdrew this offer for the lack of sufficient financial fund for the accommodation expenses of 5 artists all the workshop period as well as the literature. Then through a meeting made between us and Mrs. Basma El-Housiny, director of the cultural resource organization in Cairo, in Alexandria Library; we explained the idea to her and asked her assistance. She indicated that the cultural resource organization can fund artists in the Arab region by covering the travel expenses and transporting works from and to Alexandria. This will be conducted within the schedule and it is a program that fund special transport of Arab artists within the Arab region. Indeed, we made an agreement among us, and they agreed to fund five Arab artist, one from Jordon and four from Palestine. This was the first bright light in the course of the workshop. After choosing the artists and sending official invitations to them. We started proceeding for the method of obtaining the actual financial fund while studying each case individually. For example, the artists living in Alexandria, their most ideal objective was to provide the financial fund covering the expenses for the required materials. We have taken the necessary efforts till the formative artists syndicate in Alexandria expressed its wish to make this fund through serious attempts made by our late colleague, artist Medhat El-Karyouni, the treasurer and one of the participating artists in the workshop. Actually, we had a meeting with Prof. Dr. Darwish El-Barawy- representative of formative artists in Alexandria and artist Moustafa Husien representative of formative artist in Cairo and we had an approval of the fund. Attempts continued between us and the artists, each according to his case and the attempts to obtain a fund for each until each communicated with the concerned body in his/her country to get a fund or benefit by the programs offered on the internet to finance travel such as CIMMETA Fund and ART MOVES AFRICA.

We received an e-mail from Ms. Samr Wahab from Ford Organization in Cairo stating that the organization agreed to fund the workshop in the special accommodations for all the participants.

Our happiness was great when we ascertained this and we started working together in the actual arrangements of the workshop through looking for convenient comfortable accommodation in hotels. The hotel was chosen on the basis that it was downtown and near the atelier so that artists can come without a need for taxies. In addition, we arranged for the meals and made sure that they can be brought to them while they are working at noon everyday so that they could perform their work without any obstacles. Indeed, this was made exactly by the hotel management.

Moreover, we made arrangement for the time of dinner with the hotel and it was settled that dinner Page 4 of 20

would be served at 9.00 pm daily. The hotel had a great deal of order and punctuality. I would like to take the opportunity to express my greeting and appreciation to New Capri Hotel in Alexandria for the effort exerted by its management which was illustrated in the reports presented by the artists at the end of their wok and the praise they have given for the quality of the food especially the main meal, dinner.

As for the actual work in the workshop, the results were really excellent not only through the creative works

alone

but

also,

perhaps this was the most important

thing

in

the

workshop, through group and team

work and the

cultures dialogues which was wonderfully conducted since the first day we started work in the atelier which

was

the

"Presentation " made at the beginning of the workshop and took the whole first and second days from five till ten in the evening. Artists demonstrated all their previous artistic experiments through a video projector show of their works. This meeting was made in the Atelier halls and was attended by a good number of the students and the professors of the faculty of Fine Arts.

All artists competed to demonstrate their works one after one until the climate became a beautiful dialogue convention presenting new information for all the audience whether in identifying the new artistic experiments or acquiring varied experiences that correspond to current age through their former works and a demonstration of the contemporary Egyptian art experiments at present through the Egyptian artists participating in the workshop.

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Artistic experiments of some participants in the workshop: After completing the first and second days of the workshop and after the interesting presentation made by the artists to express their ideas and creative views, work was initiated in the workshop by them. Each artist began individually to choose the appropriate setting to work whether directly within the showrooms, in the ateliers which belong to the painting department, in the garden attached to the Atelier, or in the computer lab. Some made a tour in the city to familiarize themselves with its streets and different areas. They photographed what happens in its main roads, streets and old alleys. The most beautiful forms of expression caused by the workshop was that cooperation among the artists from the first meeting and expressing ideas. For example, work started in the workshop with a number of artists who together presented joint-works with no former acquaintance of each other. The artistic product was behind this cooperation which was produce through actual dialogue

and communication between each other; thus, the outcome was

wonderful.

Magdy Moussa- Eva Caridi Egypt/Canada - Greece They presented together work through an artistic cooperation from among them (joint work) expressing a current situation now in the world through the artistic expression represented in the statue completed by the artist Eva as well as the surrounding environment of the statue presented by Magdy Mosa which consists of a three-cornered room, a good number of pieces of foreign newspapers were hung on its walls.

These fragments of newspapers strictly condemn what happens all over the world. On the inside walls of the room, a number of pieces of papers were hung which carry particular words such as "Death – Destruction – Starvation – Poverty – Coldness ". in addition to the beautiful expression presented by artist Eva through her embodied work of gypsum showing a woman in a sitting position expressing a lot of disappointment, despondency and despair. Thus, this work came out so strongly expressive of what in the mind of each one of them that made them participate in a single work and showed a production of the workshop works.

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Smooth C. Nzewi – Jana Hunterova

Nigeria - Czech Republic

They presented one of the space installation works. It is an embodiment of the three pyramids (Giza pyramids) in black paper on one of the Atelier's walls as well as on the floor. Yana presented a group of pictures of the Egyptian environment shown in the oasis bodwin after she spent four days in it during the workshop to take pictures of a number of shots expressing the form of life there. Both artists made the installation in the last two days of the workshop through light installations presented by the artist Simos by placing a an amount of the Egyptian desert sand and writing a number of sentences and poems which were translated

into

Arabic by a group of

assisting

young artists in the workshop. Both Simos and Yana drew these words on the sand. They are words expressing the Egyptian environment through artists interaction. The whole work was highlighted by six spot lights in order to express a full feeling of the desert environment that express roots of Egypt and ancient Pharaoh environment.

Teresa Capasso Italy The work presented by artist Teresa Cabsoa (Italy) is considered among the most distinguished works as well in the workshop. It consists of photographs taken by the artist for a group of the same shots in the

form

of

a

dancing

expressive

motor

performance in a neglected place in the Atelier's building which is one of the old toilets attached to the building. The artist employed lighting sources which come into the setting through narrow holes in the place in order to achieve this dramatic climatic atmosphere. The artist used a group of candles distributed among the place so as to increase the space of the dramatic sense of the work.

She put the photographs on the toilet walls in a regular manner. Furthermore, she projected a movie on one of walls for the live performance she had presented before in the place. The work

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took about 10 minutes. This work shows the extent of the artist mastery of her elements in using the photography camera.

Barbara Gurrieri - Emanuele Tumminelli Italy Both Barbara and Emanuel presented two works in photography which are a recurrence through the difference in the visual design by variation in the motor posture of the human figure through the body of a man moving in a blocked-ended passage. This expresses the form of time maze through the dialogue between the moving figure (human body) and the fixed form represented in (the stairs and the passage) in which the moving figure exists and the attempt of artists to use the camera to effect varied and changeable recurrence through the change occurring in the area of the figure within the artistic framework through one of the multiple computer programs. This expresses a concise visual analysis and is very expressive through the visual parallel of the artistic work and the beholder's vision.

Milan Bosnic & Milica Milicevic Serbia They came to Alexandria to continue the joint project (Face To Face) which they executed in their previous works. It is the project which they began a period ago in several European cities. This work consists of a group of photographs by artists and behind them lies the spacious emptiness symbolizing the city. They choose for this the highest heights in order to take

these

pictures.

In

addition, in order to achieve this idea, they showed some pictures taken of the city on a computer monitor in a limited area

while

showing

two

photographs

of

two

places

representing this spacious emptiness from a high building in Alexandria.

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International Workshop- Alexandria Atelier (Feedback)

The very first days of the workshop, precisely the first two days in which the shows of artists' works took place had the most profound effect on the artists as they were acquainted with each other through the artistic work. Through this artistic work ideas and coordination for the production of joint works were generated. This led also to the identification of art trends from a country to another. This produced some of the above-mentioned works for joint co-operation among some artists. As for the young artists or art students who were invited to help in this workshop and to attend some of these shows, they

were

greatly

impressed as they firstly got to know the extent of artists' thinking and the extent of the art achieved in each country.

Secondly, they were able to identify who they would accompany during the workshop period as they could exchange constructive dialogues and know the beginnings of ideas' generation and the attempt of their achievement. Thirdly, they could search with the participating artists for the materials they needed in order to achieve the idea. All this had a positive role in increasing experience and knowledge and eliminating differences between artists and young assistants.

This was just the beginning, with the passage of the workshop days and the continual work day and night many experiences as well as dialogues between the participating artists themselves,

the

young

artists

and

art

students were added up to them. Indeed, this was the most supreme objective of setting such artistic events. Days went on till we got to the end of the workshop and the opening celebration was hold by giving thanking letters to the participating artist and a collective meeting at the end of the day with all participants in order to get to learn from them personally the positive and negative points of the workshop so that they could be avoided in the future.

The cultural artistic events such as this workshop is what is called now in all cultural fields the dialogue of cultures and the dialogue of civilizations and the proximity of the thinking language and the acceptance of the other and dealing with the other‌etc of new terms in the field of cultural knowledge. As culture enjoys a special importance in what it stirs of discussion in developing Page 9 of 20

communities and as the society does not develop or preserve the continuity except through culture.

Hence, it plays a basic and vital role in the life of an individual and group in all communities with their different kinds. In addition,

it

distinguishing

forms

a

between

vital a

branch person

in and

another.

Thus, we see that the artistic workshop here serves as a wide dialogue of multiple branches and benefits in a lot of variables for the participants at the occupational and psychological level of each artist individually. Since man acquires or produces his culture in his own way and gains his privacy through his own environment and as man by his nature has a readiness and ability for variation and change and dealing with the other; thus, the real output of this event in question is the readiness, capability of change and variation.

This

readiness

is

what

means

here

sustaining social efficiency and development criterion. Therefore, we could say that the International Workshop in Alexandria Atelier achieved perfectly its objective which is the capability for variation, change and dealing with the other. This was carried out through the dialogues of artists and their relations with each other as well as assisting art students, all this and their relation with the directors of the event and the output of this in actual dialogue with the receiver of the performance experiment which is the show presented through their artistic works. This is the real standard of work, not the quality. This time we mean the importance of its existence through its actual presence derived from its subjective origins and working with its reference through the artists themselves by their actual presence among us as an environmental society aspiring for such actual interaction which has been missing for a long time.

Moreover, Alexandria as a city with a strong pioneering source through its deep-rooted history in cultural work for a time not far misses such actual interaction. However, it disappeared within an unclear-featured crowd of silence after great uproar in the field of cultural pioneering and years Page 10 of 20

after years of enlightenment in all fields of culture. Then this workshop appeared and it eradicated a lot of dust accumulated on the painted walls to show the beauty that remained despite the great amount of dust accumulated on it which hinders it from advancement which was its trait before.On our part as organizers and artists, we observe each moment generated inside each artist whom we participated with the moment of producing his artistic work or idea through his dialogue with everything surrounding him. We can say that the idea of collective international workshops is a brand new idea or an excellent idea and they must be arranged every two years or each year in order to present things. They actually move every stagnant and silent thing

whether

inside

us

as

creative

persons or as students searching for information or renewed ideas away from academic chains and limits and liberate ourselves from them or as participating artists or directors running financial and nominal matters and provide all means of comfort fro those around them. Thus, we say that international workshops at Alexandria Atelier made a great success with the testimony of everybody that made all the attendants in the cultural work and artists talk and whisper and wish participation whether from close or far to be within this change which was not formulated in the art or the artistic product but it was formed inside the self i.e. the output had a pure moral return.

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Hence, we can summarize what took place in the workshop as follows:



20th - 21st November 2006 from 10.00 a.m. : 9.00 p.m. shows concerned with artists presenting their artistic works for the audience or to each other.



22nd - 28th November 2006 from 10.00 a.m. : 9.00 p.m. working hours of the workshop.



29th November from 11.00 am : 7.00 p.m. inauguration party during which there is a lunch invitation by the Atelier as a celebration of completing the workshop work.



29th November from 8.00 p.m. : 10.00 p.m. a work round table was arranged for all artists in order to learn the positive and negative points and comments on the workshop in order to avoid these points in future.



It was agreed upon among the participating artists to send their reports concerning the workshop within a week after their return to their countries.

Therefore, we would like to thank the sponsors and assistants who contributed with all support whether financial or moral. We would like to express our gratitude to all artists for their belief in us in the achievement of the idea. We look forward to hold this event again and that FORD Foundation – Institute of International Education can support us again in order to repeat such event in a new scope.

Artistic directors

Dr. Reem Hassan Artist. Moataz El Safty www.egyptartists.com/aawprojects FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/moatazface www.facebook.com/EANnetwork www.facebook.com/AAWprojects www.facebook.com/EANgroup YOUTUBE www.youtube.com/AAWproject www.youtube.com/EANnetwork www.youtube.com/EANgroup TWITTER www.twitter.com/AAWprojects www.twitter.com/EANnetwork www.twitter.com/EANartculture www.twitter.com/MoatazElSafty WOOLOO.org www.wooloo.org/moatazelsafty ISSUU.com channel http://issuu.com/moatazel-safty Page 12 of 20

THE PARTICIPANTS NAMES AAW INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP 2006

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Ahmed Abdel Aziz / Egypt

Ahmed El Samra / Egypt

Ahmed Nabil / Egypt

Aida Khalil/ Egypt

Akanksha Dhepe / India

Ali Al-Mehdar / Oman

Alia Al-Faresi / Oman

Ann Everton / USA

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Ardan Özmenoğlu / Turkey

Aslimay Altay / Turkey

Assma El-Keriony / Egypt

Barbara Gurrieri / Italy Emanuele Tumminelli / Italy

EF Ablinger / Austria

Ellis A.Oyekola / Nigeria

Entissar Saad / Egypt

Eva Caridi / Greece

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Ibrahim El-Tanbouli / Egypt

Hazem Abdel Khalea / Egypt

Issa Al-Mefargi / Oman

Jana Hunterova / Czech Republic

Janice Rider / UK

Kianga Ford / USA

Magdy Mussa / Egypt-Canada

Miha Boljka / Slovenia

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Milan Bosnic / Serbia

Mohamed Nabil / Egypt

Milica Milicevic / Serbia

Mirna Bamieh / Palestine

Mona Abdel Fattah / Egypt

Rima Almozin / Palestine

Monika Pichler / Austria

Richard Negre / France

Ronex Ahimbisibwe / Uganda

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Smooth C.Nzewi / Nigeria

Teresa Capasso / Italy

Walid Jahin / Egypt

Sana Al-Sabri / Oman

The Organizers:

Artist. Moataz El Safty

Dr. Reem Hassan

Curator of AAW workshop

Director of AAW workshop

www.egyptartists.com/aawprojects

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