Wednesday 11 March 2009

kecha pucha





And you would have to pronounce it right... kechapucha was organised in Kuwait for the first time under Dr Asseel alRagam, assistant professor at the architecture departement of Kuwait University. She said she had experienced similar activities during her graduate work and wanted to establish it in the Deera.
Well done Dr Asseel, it is now launched, audience was packed full, all were silent to see the 20 photos each in 20 seconds, to listen to ideas of each presenter. The choice of presenters was excellent. Diversity of backgrounds, difference of opinions, products, arts, design, creativity, questioning, linking the past to the future, comparing to other cultures, bringing out similarities. Ideas were thrown at the public and it needs time to process.
Each in his own way and his own capacity to address a crowd, talked and defended his idea in 6min40, threw in some humor, some dramatic tension, some blank space because he talked too fast and the slide will take 20 seconds to get to the other one...
For example:
May al Naquib started with a philosopher Gilles Deleuze who said people are missing, people no longer exist. She longs for the memory, the past and wonders were are all the subtile things not available today.
Thomas Modeen takes an active part and plans a manifesto with eight part as guidelines to set stage and make Kuwait the design center of the region.
Khalid al Hamad, young student wanted to justify simplicity in his approach and how it involves a lot of complexity.
Waleed Shalaan offered in visual impact a comparison between fashion architecture bling bling, economical crisis and eventually the need to go back to basics and do what kuwait has always done: green eco friendly buildings where people live in, rather than dancing towers or burj looking at the end of the desert.
Ghada al Kandari, artist, showed her in work in progress on a drawing. She stated clearly what she likes and what she dislikes. In the earnest manner, she interpreted the evolution of the drawing, gave names to the subjects, a role, an emotional life, pain, concern, curiosity, objects had a symbolism. She then pushed her story to the ultimate end and made each part fade in the darkness and the death of it all.
Lubna Abbas introduced the need to acknowledge craftsmanship, skills and repetition in the work to produce quality. She works on beads, ancient stitches and embroidery for necklaces. She has a full reflection on her work and how a simple ornamentation made her believe that :"if you allow the craft, it will open up the dream."
and a few more...

The standard was set high tonight, promises of three more kechapucha this year and the public will become fans. They are thirsty for more.

7 comments:

Lubna said...

Kudos for highlighting the event. It is a confusing name in spelling and pronunciation. However it is Pecha Kucha and is pronounced:

pechak cha !!!

Even we were surprised.

Lubna Saif Abbas
Beader

sarah said...

thank you lubna for correcting the title and my fantasies of flipping letters around... and I like the way you sign: beader...

sarah said...

if you read the Pecha Kucha bog entry of : http://artvark.me
the author seemed to be disappointed and deflated as part of the audience that was not engaged in the process of discourse and debate. How can the event planner take responsibility on how the public should or should not react... The floor was open and only one question was asked and answered...

sarah said...

Extracts from Waleed Shaalan's response to "artvark" blog entry on pecha kucha:

"I read Simon’s blog and I must agree that I was expecting a discussion after the Pecha Kucha night, I had actually some points I wanted to raise to my fellow presenters specifically the two young feisty rebellious architects who were asking why Kuwaiti architects are becoming project managers. Although I liked their courage and rebellion, yet I have a fundamental disagreement on why Kuwaiti designers turn to project managers, I have nothing against project managers, if that is what you want to do, but if you sold out on pursuing your dream as a designer that is another story. JFK once said ‘don’t ask what your country will do for you ask what you will do for your country’. Zaha Hadid, a woman, an Iraqi Arab with an undergraduate degree in Mathematics did not sell out on her dream and become a project manager on the contrary she was the first woman in the world to get the most prestigious award in architecture the Pritzker prize and neither her nor Nancy Ajram have received awards from Saddam Hussein nor pats on the back from the Iraqi Government. My fellow presenters, you ridiculed the Kuwaiti government for not doing enough, whilst forgetting that Kuwait sends its citizens on scholarships to the best universities in the world, gives those exaggerated salaries in the Public sector and compensation if they work in the private sector. Not many Governments in the world do that for their people, on the contrary I disagree I don’t think they are not doing enough, I think they doing too much.(...)
I will quote JFK again: “WE ARE NOT HERE TO CURSE THE DARKNESS, WE ARE HERE TO LIGHT A CANDLE” (...)"

Lubna said...

Bead signing: In reiteration of some of the dialogue that hopefully will take place, with the focus as a beader on the activity, more so than a planned outcome. The actual process of making something through the tactile facilities and with the flow of energy, thoughts and random flashes of insight through the tips of our fingers. We have the highest percentage of nerve endings on the digits... I wonder why?

sarah said...

it sure is window for dialogue. highest nerve ending on our digits. and what are we doing with our hands...
it's great you have found a way to channel it all with beading...

Selma said...

Pecha Kucha?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Sounds like avocado mash... you know, they should start being a little better at that naming thing, it's pretty bad. Pecha kucha... pffff. Avocado mash... yum.

Critic-to-be, Selma Khalil.