Censorship and Journalism

Thierry Leclère, a French journalist at Télérama, is specialized in medias, ideas. He monitors around the world and in France the evolution of medias and what futures lies ahead for them. In his reports, he interviews the editor in chief of "Medias", another french magazine, on the issue of auto-censorship and the difficulty to use words, phrases and ideas, now part of the common belief of politically correct. They seem to concur that they would like to see a freedom of press that goes beyond the "yes, but..."

Mr Leclère was saying:"Information is not a commodity or a merchandise. The press cannot only publish what the reader wants, it then becomes entertainment." Or what the authorities want, it then becomes propaganda. "It has to go beyond marketing and sales. It has a value of openness to others, to move centers of the world, allow the world to know more about others, their problems and difficulties" It is a pursuit to answer questions and allow all to express their opinions.

He mentioned that in the Arab world, freedom of speech and liberties have a different meaning from what can be expected in the West.
The best example is the "Doha center for Media Freedom" opened in 2007 with Robert Menard, previously the founder of "Reporters without borders". Mr Menard recently resigned from his job because it was "suffocating". He could not go beyond the limitations of culture, politics and funding. Perceived as a threat to existing foundations, the Center was consistently blocked by the other pole of journalism and press in Doha, "al Jazeera" as Mr Menard states.

One essential part of freedom and liberty is to encourage journalists to reflect on the nature of their jobs, missions and limitations, with a value of ethics and responsibilities.
What do journalists in the arab world really vouch for? What is their hidden agenda or which ideas do they support and endorse? What are they afraid of?

Sources: Links
Telerama: Interview By Mr Leclere
The Gulf blog

ICRC

"Restoring Family ties" a positive title for an endless work on displacement, refugees, families torn apart, children in war zones.. Dar Al Funoon hosts an exhibition by artists in Kuwait and the full proceeds will go to fund the International comittee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on monday 29th of june 09.

The photo here (extract from a book: "Humanitarian in war" by ICRC) is titled "Famine in Russia in 1922", where children are the first victims as they are everywhere else.
Open your fridge and take a second to think about what you have and what you can spare for others.
Hold your loved ones and send a warm wish for those who are in refugees camp.

ICRC is celebrating 150 years of the Solferino battle, in the north of Italy (1863) when a young Swiss businessman Henri Dunant, started with the idea of immediate response in war, a spontaneous gesture to help wounded soldiers. He received the Nobel prize in 1901 and his organization became an establishment in reaching out to millions of war victims around the world for 140 years. The main intention is an independent, impartial and neutral help.

The Man in charge of the ICRC Kuwait delegation, Mr Jean-Michel Monod has experience of war zones in the most awkward and the most incredible situations. After many years of terrain, he can actually see beyond the horror of wars, brutal death and destruction; he has a quick eye for the humanity in each and the search of joy at all moment. He might not foresee the end of global wars, but he seeks peace with a helping hand at a time.

New talents

Today in Dubai (UAE) is the opening of the show: "New talents from Kuwait" at the Opera Gallery. The catalog is of equal quality as the one printed for Picasso or other master painters. The effort to promote art and talent is of equal value.
It is an interesting journey to see what cannot be seen by the others. It is a risk to take with full enthusiasm and confidence to push talent in the big arena of collectors.

music and art

On the 21st of June in Paris, the city becomes music at every corner and every space. "Fete de la Musique" has certainly lost some of its spontaneity but still retains a good level of choice. It was initiated first in 1982 by Jack Lang, minister of Culture, in Paris. The year after, it was naturally extended to France in many cities, to become today a national event. A government decision can push expression in one direction or the other, and in France it has allowed a public joyful response to what has become an institution.

At the new Museum "Quai Branly", two guitarist from Cape Verde, Vaar and Tuia, were playing some fusion batuk jazz rock in the library. Surrounded by melodies and books, heaven must be somewhere on earth...
An interesting exhibition on Jazz and its history is located at the ground level of the Museum. Created by the philosopher and art critic Daniel Soutif, it presented the relationship between jazz and the graphic arts chronologically throughout the entire 20th century with sound, extracts and images.

Listings for official musical performances were available for any type of music, from Lyric choir, to army tunes, to Offenbach and classical, to World, Rock, Oriental, Latinos, Salsa... You could have started your musical day at noon in organized locations and end it after midnight at major boulevards.
You name it, you would have found it.

Tickle Me Obama: Lessons from Sesame Street

Tickle Me Obama: Lessons from Sesame Street

The Arab world has watched closely Obama's speech in Cairo, some glued to their home TV, some in public teahouses, some believed his openess, some were skeptical to what presidents say and actually cannot achieve, some fatalists couldn't care less, some are convinced that nothing will change the course of what is written.
But who would have thought that Sesame Street, the kids TV show, could have ever influenced a president?
He grew up watching Elmo dance and sing with his furry multicolored friends. It must have been a first step into his fulgurous career.
Nancy Gibbs of TIME magazine writes "Sesame Street is now the longest street on the planet. It runs from Harlem to Honolulu; on to Obama's childhood home in Indonesia, where Jalan Sesama celebrates unity through diversity; through South Africa, where one Muppet is HIV positive; through Israel and Palestine and Egypt, where girls are told how important it is that they keep reading and learning. It creates citizens of a highly globalized, post-racial world."

A trivial show gives "children around the world the power of learning, it pushes them to reach their highest potential." (sesame street link).
That's real program with a sustainable grassroot foundation for the future generations...

Venice Biennale, Palestinian art

Are you heading for the Venice Biennale this year? Opening on june 7th to sept 30th 09.
Palestine is not yet on the map as an official country, so it did not have the same treatment as the others. Political implication doesn't stop art from existing, but it can hinder recognition and exposure.
This year, by a stroke of luck, for the first time in the history of the 53 Biennales, artists from Palestine will show their productions in a collateral event.
check out the Palestinian event website
or La biennale di Venezia website

William Andersen

China has many historical icons and the most recent one, on june 4th 1989, was the Tiananmen square image: a man defying tanks. The army was unleashed to tame a democratic movement where hundreds of students, workers and ordinary citizens died.
"Soaked in sweat, his heart racing, Chen Guang descended the steps of China’s Great Hall of the People and aimed his automatic rifle at the sea of student protesters occupying Tiananmen square.(...) Now an artist and a bit of a provocateur living on the outskirts of Beijing, Mr. Chen said he spent the next 20 years suppressing memories of that day" International Herald Tribune June 4th 2009, by Andrew Jacobs. (IHT article).
Memories cannot be erased from people's mind whatever the state wishes to do. It is a question of time.
William Andersen, professor of art at American University of Kuwait, was in China before landing in the Arab world. He had worked as an artist and was intrigued by the same incident and its effects on the west. He was also surprised to see how Chinese could not relate to the matter, he organized in the most secretive way a covert street art assault. With the help of his family, he found a kitschy wall paper in the US, representing "Chinoiserie" an idea of China installed only in the western mind. With the blue background, he imprinted the tank v/s man image as history superimposed. He then went to the streets fo Beijing and put his art on walls.
"My prints, installed guerrilla style without permission, not only engendered much discussion with local residents but surprisingly stayed up for more than a week before all traces were removed. The prints conflated two divergent images of China. On top of highly romanticized images of China from anachronistic chinoiserie wallpaper, I silk screened photographic images tof the "Tank Man," an image banned in China" William writes.
(unauthorized art exhibition at gallery RFD, in Georgia, USA (link)

Radical political opinion has no room with both these artists. Art could be interpreted as progressive and dangerous but it is often a way to explore the past, visions and interpretations. As Mr Chen insisted in his interview, "paintings are just artistic depiction of history not expression of right or wrong"

william's works: blog + works

Tareq al Kandari

Sans STYLE: An archetype is a generic idealized model of an object or basic element from which similar instances are derived, copied, patterned, oremulated. The basic elements in this case are wall, floor, column, and a very special cube…” 26 may 2009
Tareq al Kandari, architect, presented a complex intricate visual installation on a research about the begining and evolution of a symbol in the region: the Kaaba. He starts with the simple idea of the cube and its historical progression in architecture, he worked on giving a sense of space at the core of the black cube, He used several medias for his presentation: paintings, video, marks on the floor, built plexi and wood representation of the space and the movement around the Kabaa. The most striking painting was the white cube in a black background. He maneuvered in the Sultan Gallery in Kuwait as experimentally as possible.
Nothing was for sale, nothing to buy, quite a refreshing attitude to arts nowadays. Just a will to share an idea, pull it through, research thoroughly and present it in his own vision.
Although quite different, this historical research was of a scholarly value similar to a lecture given in April 09 by Dr Juan Antonio Souto, at Dar al athar al islamiyah on another theme: the mosque of Cordova in Spain and the influence of history and impact of the Umayads on the building itself.
Souto showed slides in a traditional manner, whereas al Kandari had an interactive challenging understanding of the Kaaba. What will be his next theme?

(photos by Tareq)

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture

Do you have an art or cultural project, are you creative, full of ideas but don't have means to execute?
Deadline: 31 August 09. Submit a proposal for a grant to the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture.

a detailed web site http://www.arabculturefund.org/
and a fantastic FAQ (frequently asked questions), good simple Q&A
" 1-Can I submit my application in English?
No, applications are to be submitted in Arabic only.
2-Are non-Arab applicants eligible to submit applications?
Yes, applicants holding non-Arab nationality are eligible to submit a request for fund. However, the project must be targeting Arab audience in the Arab region.
3-Does AFAC support cultural/artistic/literature projects outside the Arab region?
Venue of sponsored projects should be the Arab Region, and the targeted audience should be the Arab audience in the Arab Region.
4-What is the Maximum limit and Minimum limit for the grants?
There are no limits for the grants supported by AFAC. Applications will be assessed by a specialized panel that will develop an estimate of the amount that should be granted for the project. etc..."


The Arab Fund had their bi-annual board meeting in Egypt to grant funds for cultural projects in the Arab World or by Arab artists in the world.
It is a remarkable venture to see talent being encouraged without discrimination, labeling or geographical limits.
They have prestigious members on their board dedicated to promote cultural activities in four fields: Independent film, performing arts, visual arts and literature, plus: capacity building, training and research; collaboration in regional events, cultural exchange or tours in the region. Their scope seems wide, but it gives the fund capacity to insure a larger approach on fostering emerging talent.
They started in 2007 with a budget of 500 000 usd mainly from the Open Society Institute, Ford Foundation and many others. In 2009, their budget will hit 900 000 usd on which grants will be allocated from usd 1000 to 25 000 or more per proposals requests.
This year, their most visible contribution is the film selected in the Cannes festival 09: "The time that remains" by Elia Suleiman, Palestinian. On a less noticeable impact but yet as powerful leverage is a small grant for a cinematheque in Kerbala, Iraq.
The real achievement would be to show "The times that remains" in Kerbala and thus allowing a full cross cultural interaction between grantees and viewers. Go beyond frontiers and limitations with what art is all about. But first, let's get the projects rolling, submit your ideas and give it a try.

Hassan Chelebi, Farah Behbehani, Calligraphy

May 09 in Kuwait was a month of calligraphy.
"Islamic Calligraphy is more than handwriting. It is a “spiritual technique” that beaches out with grace and elegance to engage the eye, mind and soul.”…
Master Hassan Chelebi is one of the contemporary Turkish calligrapher, that can trace back his lineage of teachers to the 16th century. In the Formative Art Association (Hawally) an exhibition of his work on paper. Traditional thuluth, jali and jali diwani works showed a great command and outstanding virtuosity of an art that defies time. It is done in the same way as it has been done for centuries. In a separate room, walls were filled with transclucent paper with the inscription to be transferred on monuments or mosques' walls.


Farah Behbehani launched her book at Dar al Funoon. Young graphic designer, she engaged in a modern combination, published by Thames and Hudson (London 2009).
She says:" My thesis work, a book I designed is based on Farid Ud-Din Attar’s "The Conference of the Birds". Illustrated in Jali Diwani calligraphy, this project revisits classic Sufi literature and creates a decoding system designed to make Arabic calligraphy more accessible for non-Arabic readers. I am also working on several other projects including a book and exhibition on ‘Umra, the “lesser pilgrimage” to Mecca."
Attar's masterpiece is the Mantic at Tayr (The conference of the birds) where he describes a group of birds under the leadership of a hoopoe who determine to search for the legendary Simurgh bird. The birds must confront their own individual limitations and fears while journeying through seven valleys before the complete their quest, giving us an esoteric teaching on the presence of the divine in us
Attar's poetry inspired Rumi and many other Sufi poets.
Behbehani must have also been inspired by the beauty of the quest and the journey to a spiritual exploration. She produced a refined and complete work of art.

Ghadah Al Kandari blog

"Look Ma, I can draw",
"Look Ma, I can write, Look I can share, I can show the world how it works..."
Ghadah is blogging...
Quite fascinating to watch an artist's work in progress, with comments following crucial steps in the making: "an apple is here, the apple is gone and there is a horse "
Producing art is an isolated, solitary activity. For non-artists creativity is a mystery. The obscure and ambiguous allusions will never be totally revealed but thanks to Ghadah, the enigma unfolds the veil, few inches at a time, few words at a picture and gives a thrill to art.

http://ghadahalkandari.blogspot.com/
(photo by Ghadah)

B307 AUK students

Students at the art departement of AUK are exhibiting a sample of their works at the Cercle Francophone de Kuwait (French Embassy) Sat 9th of May 09 at 11 am
Talent in embryo, with potential, some with confidence, some with effort, some others with the need to be pushed and projected into a scene of recognition and appreciation. In this first exhibition, the support given by the French ambassador’s wife, Mme Sophie Gehan, herself an artist, is of great value.
This seed of Kuwaiti creativity will be taken into a further step when the “Opera Gallery” in Dubai will host an exhibition for their works. It will project the budding artist into a wider scene than the local venues. As Thuraya al Baqsami, the doyenne of Kuwaiti contemporary artists, had said one day: “All local encouragements and competitions are geared to portray a camel, a coffee pot or a dhow boat otherwise it is not appreciated here”.
There was no sand dunes at sight in this exhibition, but a vibrant expression of struggle, pain, duality, identity...

NOUN YA

Noun for Naissam Jalal et Ya for Yan Pittard

They play music, She is on the Flute and the Ney, He's on the Guitare and Oud. 

They have walked different paths from classical studies to improvisation, from many countries interacting, learning the local sound. They have performed in Lebanon in March 09.

Reviews have labeled it: "Hiwar hamim" (intimate conversations) with a free mind in duo with a technical mastery. 

They consider their music to be in evolution as a way to move around the world.  A song is titled "resistance" thinking outside the box and expressing thoughts and feelings beyond weapons and mass destruction.  Music without borders. 

Their logo reveals a sensitivity to visual arts as well. 

check them on my space link

Heavy Metal Islam

Marc LeVine wrote his book on "Heavy Metal Islam", music converging arabic, east, west and a mish mash of style.
As quoted on his web site "Cutting through the governmental censors and religious restrictions, LeVine reveals a youth culture hungry for change and willing to risk freedom and even life for it (...). Through interviews with musicians and fans, LeVine reveals young Muslims struggling to reconcile their religion with a passion for music and a desire for change. These are the risk-takers and revolutionaries, as much on the front lines of the culture war as the suicide bombers and Al-Qaeda martyrs.
The internet is considered the driving force of the emerging Muslim public sphere, but it is the real communities created by young musicians, fans and activists that are most fiercely pushing the boundaries of free expression and association across the Muslim world, despite the risks of arrest, imprisonment, and worse..."
The Moroccan band (on YouTube) uncovers creativity in the animated characters and the music is good. The schizophernia depicted can be widely understood.
Although it is commendable to see anyone in the west interested in the real life of Muslims, beside al Quaeda and extremism, it has to be presented in a binary mode of good and bad. It is not surprising for arabs to see risk takers, revolutionaries, passionate for their own way of expression. Could it be that the forms of hip hop, heavy metal, rap are closer to Western understanding, in a way to be looked at with a fresh eye?

The essence of change is in diversity and the region is full of potential, so heavy metal has something to say, let's hear some more.

Chanel No 5

al Sabah Gallery show on Icon meets Icons, East meets West, in Kuwait until the 26th of April 09.
The product is a small size perfume bottle transformed into an art object.
The exercise can look futile until you wonder who is behind each bottle.
It then opens up (thanks to the web window to the world) to a series of designers who might be far away from Ms Chanel, but has accomplished notable works in their fields and their search.

Check out a few names:

Based upon: (takes the time to question the root of a creative idea and goes beyond pretending by giving tribute to where all it came from) http://www.basedupon.co.uk/
Arik Levy: http://www.ariklevy.fr/
Martin Baas: (the plastic chair in wood is by far the best use of that popular design that pollutes the world) http://www.maartenbaas.com/
Tom Dixon: http://www.tomdixon.net/
Pieke Bergmans: (uses crystal melted on objects, foam melted on things, design virus...) http://www.piekebergmans.com/
Pepe Heykoop: (His graduation lamp, an interactive unusual object is named "lightness of being") http://www.pepeheykoop.nl/index.html

The list is not exhaustive.. if you ever go to the gallery, pick another name and fly on the design web...