04 September 2009
Exhibition Project „ORIENTATION“
- with Female Artists from Egypt, The Lebanon, Poland and Germany -
Kuenstlerforum Bonn, 14 November - 06 December 2009
The exhibition ORIENTATION will present contemporary works of art - painting, photography, graphic, video, and sculpture - by female artists from Egypt, Lebanon, Poland and Germany. The project is conceived as contribution to the intercultural dialogue (art-dialogue) between the Orient and Europe. The works uncover aspects of the contemporary art scene and the status of women as artists in the participating countries. Together with partner organizations, these themes will be communicated through further cultural events.
Planned events include:
- Art education workshop with Bonn area school children, conducted by art educator Katharina Otte-Varolgil (www.katharina-otte.com), beginning 14 November 2009, 16:00
- Cultural-political lecture by Nazli Madkour, Cairo, about “Egyptian Modern Art: Women Artists” on 15 November 2009
- Dance performance "BeWEGen / bild - tanz - klang ", by TheatronToKosmo (www.theatrontokosmo.de) on 21 November 2009
- Concert “Frédéric Chopin - Poetry & Passion”, music collage with two guitars, organized by the Polish Institute - Duesseldorf (www.polnisches-institut.de) on 22 November 2009
The exhibition and additional cultural events will be presented at the “Kuenstlerforum” in Bonn (www.kuenstlerforum-bonn.de) from 14 November to 06 December 2009.
Curator of the exhibition is Dr. Uta Friederike Miksche, MA, co-curator is Ms. Vera Christ.
The project attempts to achieve the following objectives. It shall
- convey to the interested public a new orientation between Europe and the Orient though new aesthetic experiences of fine arts (the exhibition discussion and tours will be organized around this),
- demonstrate to visitors the variety of artistic accomplishments by individual female artists belonging to different generations and having different cultural backgrounds, socialization and life experiences,
- offer to participating female artists the possibility to create new networks,
- enable an intercultural dialogue between the participating artists and the public,
- during a workshop of several days in co-operation with the artists, familiarize young people, with or without a migration background, with the ideas of the exhibition, and encourage them to attempt independent cultural actions (Workshop K. Otte Varolgil),,
- communicate in cultural-political discussions and lectures (e.g. Madkour, “Eyptian Modern Art: Women Artists”) in co-operation with the participating artists the specific conditions of the art-production,
- enlarge the spectrum of intercultural experiences by incorporating a Chopin-concert with two guitars and a dance-performance (Partner: TheatronToKosmo and the Polish Institute-Duesseldorf).
By example of the four participating countries, this project intends to expand cultural communication between Europe and the countries of the new Orient. Knowledge about the countries of the new Orient is limited in Germany and in Europe and often characterized by prejudices. The media often only portrays certain aspects of life in countries such as Lebanon and Egypt.
The exhibition title “ORIENTATION” refers programmatically to the chance of encountering works by female artists from the four countries indicated during an era of global change. In the foreground stands the modernity of these countries with their lively contemporary art scenes, as well as the common cultural traditions between the Orient and Europe. The project shall be a contribution towards communicative openness and towards overcoming euro-centric views.