"Red Ahmar Surkh Kirmizi" by Marianna Shreve Simpson

"I love red" says Dr. Marianna Shreve Simpson, specialist in Islamic art, during her lecture at Dar al Athar al Islamiyah, Kuwait, on Oct 19th.

As she wore a red suit for the occasion, she could have gone beyond the kitsch. But she took the audience into the realm and the essence of red, where it came from, how it was used and a fascinating historic approach to Islamic art through a color.

Two ways to use red:  - pigment ( a source of color and ink suspended in a liquid used a layer of color)  - dye (color dissolved in leather or fabric to penetrate and form a bond at the molecular level)

An insect, the cochineal gave many civilizations the deepest red. Vernice was another insect producing the red. Cinnabar mineral provided the vermilion red...

In a condensed visual and informative listing, she went through many technical details, historical events. Across the economics and industry of the red, she traveled in the 11th century from the crops in Armenia, to merchants in caravans, to calligraphers in Baghdad, to silk weavers in Agra to the bazaars of Grenada, Cairo, Isfahan, Lahore.

"It is the color of power" she said, displaying on the screen "Suleiman the magnificent" in a red kaftan, surrounded by red.

"It is the color of love and desire" while she analyzed a Persian miniature.

"It is the color of violence, blood, war": she expanded on the duality of the color and its symbolism.

"It is the color to vocalize and punctuate the holy book" and she presented calligraphy pages of the Koran.

In the introduction, she referred to "The Perfect Red" written by Amy Butler Greenfield, an exhaustive tale of the origins and the evolution of the color throughout history.

In the conclusion, she quoted Orhan Pamuk in his book " My name is Red" :"God is the perfect red".

As a culmination point to reduce the color to its simplicity, she says:"We all share the same color of blood and it is red. In its universal association, Red represents life."

Harley Davison Ride in Lebanon

For 3 days, Harley Davidson riders from the Arab world prevailed over boundaries, frontiers, cultural gap, religious restrictions, social limitations. They came from Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, from overseas, across many deserts.

On the mountains of Lebanon, 330 bikes roared in one tone, they moved as one hybrid element, they communicated in  the same hand signals.

    Together in their shinning armor, they carried the ideas of camaraderie, friendship and adventure. Although a ride is solely for the ride itself; the symbiosis with the elements, wind,  earth, moon, fire gives it a transcending dimension.

Forget one's worries or fears, hold your bike as an extension of your body, feel the vibes, and let the passion inflame your guts...

Did anyone propose to give posthumously a Nobel prize to Harley and Davidson? In the legend of "the Eagle soars alone" these bikers have gone beyond wars and conflict, they have distilled a sense of peace and togetherness...

(photos by Waleed Shalaan)

Education world day (5th oct)

A silent celebration: teachers' day, education, quality of impact, sustainability, progress, build the future, invest in teachers now...
The UNESCO has invested so much in the education at all level, around the world. But why, in their website, on this day, do they include a guidebook to tackle violence in schools? What is happening to the world of education? In France, headlines talk about a proposition to pay students as an incentive to attend and a way to reduce absenteeism. Those who have the possibility to learn might not want to take the chance and those who want to learn might not have the access.

In the Arab world, many reports have been published by the UN arms or other NGOs on the illiteracy with comparative results: the main issues remain: gender literacy, young children out of school, adult education, wars and conflicts, financial crisis, evaluation of academic achievement, rural population, poverty... What numbers reveal is in accordance to what they are compared to. In terms of world wide literacy and proficiency, the Arab world cannot compare itself to some western nations. But the effort is palpable whether in government policies or NGO's working on the ground or private initiative turning into associations. Universities are mushrooming in the Gulf area to cater to the growing demographics. The discrepancies within the Arab world uncovers the lack of its uniformity. Some countries have more means and will to promote and propose proper education to their citizens. Others nor the will nor the means. And some lost in trying.
Educational systems around the world are in constant challenge to adapt to a changing world and changing guidelines. Information is available at the speed of light with new technologies. It stays a sensitive issue yet so necessary to reflect upon.


click here for the Unesco site

Shanghai - Jia Aili in Platform China gallery

Platform China gallery presented in Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair the latest works of Jia Aili. Powerful lines, dynamic, with an intriguing fascination to the Mickey Mouse symbol. This works comes of interest beyond the common use of icons in Chinese art which seem to flock around the Mao era, the pre mao era, the transformations of cities, the new order, the modern China. The grey and white canvas convey an inner expression of a futuristic projection of solitude wearing the Mickey ears. The next canvas in black in white shows the artist's technical ability; is the Mickey a mockery or a reality in today's China?

Amin Maalouf - the blog

Amin Maalouf, the renown author, is experimenting the new web tool: blogs, blogging, to blog, to be blogged about, I'll post it on the blog...
An author who lives in recluse, writes alone, page after page to produce a 150, 200, 500 pages books, plans to share his thought process in short notes. It's a thrill to see an established writer in his medium ready for exploration within new dimensions. Come to think about it, it's not so surprising as Maalouf has often used his own perspective and point of view to present a different perception of History. The book "The Crusades through Arab eyes", for example, has given laymen the capacity to contemplate their own history and think about their present. In a simple fluent language, he has opened doors to help many understand the intricate labyrinth of origins. "In the name of Identity" touches upon the essence: who are you? who am I?
This blog will add a layer of sweetness to the information flood on the web.

his blog in English or French: with amin maalouf

Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair

Art fair from the 10 to the 13 th of september in Shanghai. Many galleries from Asia and some from the west. Art in a massive way. It gave a good sense of the Chinese art and how it is unfolding in the world of expression. At the entry, a curated display of the finest works.
The one that stood among others was this red carpet installation by Shinji Ohmaki from Japan: He used an ephemeral patterns of flowers to be walked on and destroyed to create a new life to the carpet. Elegance and futility under each step.

(more to come on this art fair and events around it, in future posts)

Green Caravan film festival

Save the date: 28 -29th October 2009
to save the earth eventually.
Green Caravan is coming your way in Kuwait at the Dar al Athar theater in Midan Hawally. A Film Festival to show world renowned movies on Earth matters: wild animals, water, pollution...
Please check their web site for more information. Take your kids or your grandma.
In the program: "Home" a movie released early summer by Yann Arthus Bertrand, the man best known as "the photographer from above".

The effort is a non profit endeavor, by Equilibrium to pull energies into better informed opinions that might someday do something.

Link to the film festival: http://www.thegreencaravan.com

Lebanese National Library Foundation

The Lebanese National Library Foundation saw a need to fulfill: restore and bring to the public the archive of books and newspapers with a history of more than hundreds of years. The effort is tedious and straining. Exhibitions are arranged often to keep the spirit alive. Beyond their wars, Lebanese are often aware of their written heritage and their freedom of speech across ages.
In the world today, many are questioning the existing necessity of National Libraries. With the age of technologies and unwired web of information, does anyone flip through books or dictionaries or even encyclopaedias?
The National Public Library in France (Bibliotheque Nationale de France) is under a severe strain of “take over” from the gigantic info monster: Google. Under the cover of digitizing all documents, the French are propelled into the digital faster track. They have already covered 800 000 documents, and wonder if Google's intentions are beyond the profit when proposing a full coverage of the archives.
The Lebanese National Library is far from that fear. They are still desperately fundraising to restore first, and then erect a space. They are certain that a memory brought back to life could encourage the younger generations of researchers into a far broader capacity of understanding.
And these youngster need an access to the past to built a better future.

link: http://www.flbn.org/en/

Zeina Maasri "Off the Wall"

A book published in feb 2009 on posters during the WAR in Lebanon, researched and written by Zeina Maasri. The forward by Fawwaz Traboulsi is quite eloquent in the issues at stake:

" Question: Why should we remember a civil war? Answer: so as not to have it repeated (...) Forgetting is one thing, amnesia is another. Amnesia, both officialized and popular, has been rampant in post war Lebanon (...) Collective amnesia is pathological while it pretends to be curative. (...) it condemns the patient and re-enact the traumatic past as a permanent present. That is why the post war years have been lived as a 'cold civil war' awaiting for the 'return' of the hotter version.
With patience, perseverance and a lot of talent Maasri has managed to collect document and archive hundreds of posters produced by the different protagonists during the wars of Lebanon. (...) she has offered us another way of looking at posters: posters as weapons.

Fouad el Khoury

On War and Love.
Espace Kettaneh-Kunigk, Beirut, took down the traces of this photo/dairy/collage exhibition by Fouad el Khoury. Have you missed that event?
Anyhow, you needed time to explore it, and in Beirut, hardly anyone has the time for such a subtle, deep reflections on these explosive topics: WAR and LOVE
First, you have a general look and wonder to start, then realize there are dates on each photo. You search for a beginning then face the inevitable 13th July 2006. You read the caption closer: "flying to Athens the next day for the opening of my photo exhibition (...) title: 1982 named after the last invasion of Lebanon by Israel".
His daily life is displayed with photos and words to give his impression of the summer 2006, but they also mimic so many wars in Lebanon in the past 30 years. Such contrasts and aberrations simply put. He introduces his love life as a center anchor to a world disintegrating in a warfare. Unknown parameters and variables. Love becomes unknown and unstable.

Are you still in Love Fouad el Khoury or have you found peace?

His website: www.fouadelkhoury.com

Baalbek Festival

Baalbeck Festival ended their season with Verdi's "La Traviata" performed by the "Choregraphies d'Orange" in partnership with their festival in Orange, France.
Pleasant and powerful execution: voices, music, costumes surrounded by enchanting columns and stones.

The classic drama of love and death is a recurrent subject to be tackled by many Lebanese during their recent history of wars, deaths, politics, religion and in contrast the invincible effect of love.
The Lebanese's love of exquisite and refined art struck once again.

Weddings

The wedding entrance by Jill and Kevin youtube video had 18,877,982 viewers and Press attention when even NBC tv has asked to perform again in the Today show. Analysis and questions on the matter: are they acting up for a video clip, are they promoting a song? or are they just a plain creative couple putting up their wedding entrance on youtube for family and friends? and why is there such a buzz? how did they make the buzz?
They have nothing to do with any promotion of songs. They are ordinary people ready to use the latest technology and promote themselves.
In the Arab world, there are many youtube videos on weddings, such as Chantal and Elie's dance in Lebanon. With it, comes overwhelming attempts to fit the social norm in an escalating business. The location, the bride's dress, the flowers, the zaffeh, the music, the food, the service, the lighting ... on and on and on...
What matters is: are they having fun?
In the Arab culture, improvisations in weddings has yet to emerge. Until then enjoy the party.

(NBC's Link)

Walter Moers

Does anyone know a good translator from German to Arabic? If you do, please give him this book "Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher" by Walter Moers to savor words, images, plots, suspense, races, clashes in the world of books. Electrifying. Stunning. When he reads it, it might give him the urge to propagate that love of books to the young Arab readers, through Moers' eyes.
The writer is known in Germany for his comics and his books. It is usually given to young adults as dreaming is best done when still young...

Or is it already translated? That would be the jackpot!

Legal and illegal art

Street dance in Paris is not legal. Feisal, Ibrahim and friends, some from Tunisia, others from different part of the world, perform in the tourists' zones. Under thirty years, they decide to get together to earn a few coins in the summer, entertain the crowds, and sometimes they get police intervention on the spot.
What is the sanction in France to dance in the street? probably not as much as in other countries where public dancing is punished highly, music and singing must be state controlled.
Does it stop the dancing?

On the same note, Flash Mob dancing has become a fad in many countries. In an anonymous manner, a group of dancers get on the floor of high traffic area, usually a train station, a big mall etc.. and perform together during a song to give the impression of a random event. The use of a web camera, youtube, twitter, facebook etc.. promotes the success of the pre and post event. In the past month, around the world, spontaneous flash mob dances have been organized as a tribute to Micheal Jackson.
In Kuwait, it was reported by fellow bloggers that a silent non dancing tribute to Micheal Jackson on the beach ended up being dispersed by the police.
Does it stop listening to Jackson's words :
"We are the World, we are the children ... We'll make a better day, just you and me..."
and let's start dancing!

link to flash mob dance : Montreal
Stockholm

Up

The Disney, Pixar movie "UP" in 3 D is not a movie for kids... It must be for grandparents or adults who care for the younger ones, thinking that a movie will be quiet time without running, screaming or yelling...
It is a trap, beware...
The story is about an old man, with a foot in his grave, who is thrust to the ultimate: totally give up his dream or do something about it.
The trap is hidden, disguised, dangerous with extremely critical ideas in a unbelievable story. And the worst is to believe that the bad man is really a bad man... He is nothing else but the same as the hero turned sour, sad and aggressive.
Adults are surely more gullible than kids, accustomed and trained to accept that the "Peter Pan world" is not real
(For adults, it has to be written that coffee in paper cups is extremely hot, beware... cigarettes and smoking will kill etc... Otherwise they will not take the time to pause and think...)
In this movie, you cannot accomplish anything the old man is seen doing. There is no sign anywhere saying: " you should not try this with your own home..."