“Arts & AI Hiwar Sessions” Registration is now open!
Talk & Open Discussion: Promising Voices in contemporary Jordanian Art: ( Drawing & Painting)
Talk and open discussion entitled “Connecting with Roots and Heritage”
Open Discussion: “The Dolmens of Jordan: A Human Legacy Through the Ages “
Open discussion with artist Raed Ibrahim: “Our Lived World Through the Eyes of Art”
Talk and open discussion with Dr. Ohoud Kamal, titled “Counter-Mapping: A Creative Tool for Reclaiming Narratives in Art”
Screening and Discussion On the Works of Artists Anish Kapoor & Wangechi Mutu
Tour and Discussion With Jordanian Artist Ghassan Mafadleh Through His Solo Exhibition: “Trace upon Trace”
Tour and Discussion With Palestinian Artist Hani Zurob Through His Solo Exhibition: “Elixir of Memory”
Join us at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, building #2 (2nd Floor).
Talk and open discussion titled: “Resisting the Occupation in Palestinian and Arab Art”
Talk and open discussion titled: “Preserving the Legacy of Artist Mahmoud Hammad”
Talk and open discussion titled: “The Role of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts Locally, Regionally, and Internationally”
Dr. Khalid Khreis, titled:
Join our meetup at Wijdan Artspace – located at the park of Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts.
Through Hanaa Malallah Exhibition: The Rs:Ruins & Rubbles
Through Hanaa Malallah’s Exhibition:
“The 2Rs: Ruins & Rubbles”
6 PM Amman time
Online Talk:“Reforestation: a major challenge for breathing in the world of tomorrow”
Online Talk: Humanity in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.
Online Talk: “Reforestation: a major challenge for breathing in the world of tomorrow”
Online Talk: “Arts & Sustainable Urban Futures”
Online Talk: “Youth Through the Lens of Education”- Second Meetup: “Is Education accessible, safe & inclusive in our community?”
https://drive.google.com/…/1J8g0k…
Online Talk: “Youth Through the Lens of Education”- First Meetup – Education: an opportunity to transform lives
Takoua Ben Mohamed, Italian-Tunisian graphic journalist and Co-founder of the Cinema production company BM Entertainment Ltd. She is specialized in animation cinema in the Nemo Academy of digital arts in Florence and the author of numerous books. She collaborates with various magazines and is the art director of many Italian and European awareness campaigns. She received many awards for her work in Europe and abroad.
tive:
Online Talk: “The Role of Art and Culture in Shaping the Future”
https://drive.google.com/…/17W…
https://eunic.eu/news/europe-readr-selected-projects
Online Talk: Introduction of: “Shaping our Future Communities”
We are pleased to announce the new reader and dialogue program by Hiwar Art Club: “Shaping our Future Communities. This project is organized by the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, EUNIC, Società Dante Alighieri-Amman, Goethe-Institut Jordan and the Institut français de Jordanie.
https://eunic.eu/news/europe-readr-selected-projects
Online Talk: “Landmarks of Arab Art – Morocco”
Online Talk: “Mohanna Durra: Creative Pioneer and Humane Artist”
Join us in the next meetup of “Hiwar Art Club” via Zoom, in this special event about the late artist Mohanna Durra, with the participation of HRH Princess Wijdan Al Hashemi, Mr. Yasar Durra, Dr. Khalid Khreis, Dr. Mazen Asfour and Ms. Zeina Saket, with a time dedicated to our joined audience to participate.
Online Talk: Art documentary “Place”
In our next meetup of “Hiwar Art Club”, you’re invited to attend the screening and open discussion on “Identity” art documentary from “Art21” film series.
Online Talk: “The Connection of Syrian Art with Arab and European Arts”
Online Talk: Art documentary “Identity”
Online Talk: Art documentary “Compassion”
Online Talk: “Landmarks of Modern & Contemporary Egyptian Art”
Online Talk: Through Exhibition “Black Swan”

Webinar: “Museums and galleries in the face of global changes and challenges”
Talk Around “Objects of Imagination” Exhibition
We are pleased to invite you in the next meet up of “Hiwar Art Club” to join us on a tour and discussion through the exhibition “Objects of Imagination”: Contemporary Arab Ceramics, currently on view at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. ًWe are honored to host in this event artists Delair Saad Shaker Walid Rashid from the exhibition organizers along with artists Dina Haddadin, Hazem AlZubi and and others who will speak to us about their experience through this unique exhibition.
About the exhibition: by an initiative of Kinda Foundation for Contemporary Arab Art, a group of Arab artists from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and the Emirates were invited to participate in a unique and leading occasion in the history of Arab art, to execute and exhibit ceramic artworks for more than forty artists, so that each of them makes four ceramic works in the form of a circular plate. They are a variety of works combining outstanding artistic design, drawing, and sculpture, which were implemented with techniques other than drawing on the surface of the usual painting. These works were carried out over a year and a half in the studio of artist Dalair Saad Shaker, in cooperation with the artist Walid Rashid in Amman – Jordan.
Join us at 6:30 PM, Saturday 7/3/2020 At the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts – Building #2.
Online Talk: Discussion of the Project “Separate Togetherness”
Online Talk: Art documentary “Change”
In our next meetup of “Hiwar Art Club”, you’re invited to attend the screening and open discussion on “Identity” art documentary from “Art21” film series.
Online Talk: Art Documentary “Balance”
In what ways can art convey equilibrium or disequilibrium? What is reality? How do artists perceive and express it? This episode features artists whose works explore the distinctions between balance and imbalance, and demonstrate that the smallest change in a line, a formal element, or a structure can be a radical proposition. This documentary features close examples of the practices of three contemporary artists working in various styles and media: Rackstraw Downes, Robert Mangold and Sarah Sze.
Talk with “Dr. Moawiyah Ibrahim”
“We, the residents and visitors of Jabal Al-Weibdeh, organized ourselves to act and move the Jordanians to protect old Amman. We recently learned about signs of entry of major international companies to Jabal Al-Weibdeh neighborhood and the city center, Among these companies that are so far confirmed are the American “Starbucks” cafe, the French “Carrefour” store and a McDonald’s franchise. We have lost enough of the nature and identity of ancient Amman, and if we are silent about the construction of global brands and companies in old Amman neighborhoods like Jabal Al-Weibdeh, this will contribute to destroying our local products and the visual and social identity of the place and its residents.”
Talk Around “Prince Omer Fawzi Effendi” Exhibition
We are pleased to invite you in the next meet up of Hiwar Art Club to join an open discussion session hosting professor of aesthetics and art criticism, Dr. Mazen Asfour, who will share with us his reading on the art exhibition held at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, titled “Prince Omer Fawzi Effendi”. The exhibition which bears the name of the artist, aims to introduce the artworks of this important artist in the two countries, Jordan and Turkey, and the importance of his works between the past and present. This exhibition comes as part of the programs and activities of Yunus Emre Institute in Amman in cooperation with the Royal Society of Fine Arts, where for the first time the artists works will be on display in Amman.
About the artist: Prince Omer Fawzi was born on October 13, 1914 in Haider Pasha Palace in Istanbul, his father, Prince Muhammad Ziauddin al-Din Effendi, son of Sultan Muhammad Rashad, the last sultans of the Ottoman Empire. Prince Omar Fawzi studied painting in France, and moved to the Bouzar University – Faculty of Fine Arts – in Paris. He was 19 years old at the time. During his stay in the French capital, he made strong friendships with the Spanish artists, Salvador Dali and Picasso, during which he had extensive conversations and discussions about philosophy and art in the famous Café de Flore in Paris. Prince Omar Fawzi has lived a bohemian life, as evidenced in his painting through the surrealistic look and his employing of myths in his artwork.
“Fadia Ahmad” Artist Talk
In the next meetup of “Hiwar Art Club” we are pleased to welcome Lebanese artist Fadia Ahmad for a talk and tour around her exhibition “Beyrouth | Beirut” held at The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts where the exhibition includes a large collection of photographs in a large size devoted to the city of Beirut and its residents the artist has portrayed her since 2003 as an ongoing dialogue with the city of Beirut, which she wanders daily with her camera to photograph in a way that reflects her artistic and human adventures with a city where she finds fragmentation, difference and feeling.
Fadia Ahmad was born in 1975 in Alicante, Spain. She returns to Lebanon in 1991, after a long exile and undertakes studies at IESAV in Beirut. Studying film production and cinematography, she also masters the art of photography moving subsequently to Sub-saharian Africa, where she worked at the family business, she simultaneously pursues her artistic endeavors. She later returns to Lebanon in 2002, and undertakes in the following year the Beyrouth | Beirut series. Fadia Ahmad resorts to photography in her artistic practice. She creates series of portraits and landscapes particularly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Engaged in humanitarian issues, she releases two series, photography & video, about refugees in Lebanon (Camps; It could be you). The artist currently lives and works between Beirut and Paris.
“Roy Ascott” Reading
We are pleased to invite you in the next meeting of “Technopocene: Event-Series” a collaboration between Hiwar Art Club and Themen Raum to participate in the interactive art experience and discussion on the subject of cybernetic and telematic art through the appointed reading “Is there love in the telematic embrace? ”By British artist and theorist in the fields of technology and art Roy Ascott.
You’ll find the assigned reading in the comment box. The discussion will be in both Arabic and English.
New technologies shape almost all aspects of our lives: They expand our possibilities of communication, simplify our work processes and allow for new forms of artistic expression. At the same time, they do not cease to confront us with questions and challenges that call for unconventional approaches. The event-series “Technopecene” covers different aspects of this “post-normal”
condition. It combines artistic with scientific perspectives as well as a variety of formats and encourages experimentation and innovative thinking in dealing with the challenges and opportunities of our time.
* This program is Organized by Goethe Institute and the Jordan National Gallery of fine Arts.
Join our meetup at building #2 of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Al Montazah roundabout, Al Weibdeh.
in collaboration with
Goethe-Institut Jordanien
“Hi, Ai -Love stories from the future”- Film Screening
“Part of the movie’s magic is that it seems to be science fiction yet it obviously is not.” (Dunker in the Modern Times Review 19/3/19)
Humanoid robots are like new creatures on our planet. They work at reception desks, in shopping malls or as chefs. And they are coming into our private lives…
„With an A.I., you have to keep your sentences short and to the point.“ This piece of advice is given to Chuck as he’s picking up his new robot partner Harmony fresh from the factory. Together they go on a road trip through California. As it turns out at a second glancing, the sex robot Harmony likes books and can ad lib quote Ray Kurzweil.
While Harmony and Chuck are searching for love questions arise: How will robots and artificial intelligence change our lives? What will we win, what will we lose? And, who will be the main protagonists of the future world? The documentary shows us tomorrow’s world today.
Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xkgk4ZkGUU
At the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts
Entrance: Free
Organized by: Goethe-Institut & Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts
Through the exhibition :About Archive in Jordan
We invite you at the beginning of the new season of “Hiwar Art Club” meetings this month to attend a tour and discussion with the artists participating in the exhibition “About Archives in Jordan” currently held at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. This exhibition comes as the culmination of Hiwar workshop: “On Art Archives in Jordan” where the joined participants were invited to choose artworks from the permanent collection of the National Gallery, and take it as a starting point for investigating histories, lineages and narratives that emerge(d) within the art scene in Jordan. Through the process, participants have analyzed and responded to their selections using various artistic, critical, contextual, and archival materials.
The workshops and exhibition were organized by Ala Younis, Raed Ibrahim, and Khaldoun Hijazin.
Participation artists: Dana Abu Khalil, Yasmine Alnabulsi, Mo’awia Bajis, Hiba Farhat, Khaldoun Hijazin, Karina Rbeihat, Omnia Sabry, Sama Shahrouri, and Raya Shanawani; In conversation with artworks from the National Gallery’s collection, featuring artists: Ahmed Mustafa, Asaad Arabi, Ufemia Rizk, Suhail Bisharat, Shaker Hassan Al Said, Riham Ghassib, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Fouad Hattar, Mona Saudi, Nasma Nimry, Ali Jabri, Hani Alqam, Wijdan, Yasser Dweik and others.
Join us at 6 PM, Saturday 28/9/2019 at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, building #2.
“About Archives In Jordan” Exhibition
The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts is delighted to invite you the opening of exhibition: “About Archives In Jordan” on Wednesday, 21 August 2019 at 6:30 pm
ith the participation of: Dana Abu Khalil, Yasmine Alnabulsi, Mo’awia Bajis, Hiba Farhat, Khaldoun Hijazin, Karina Rbeihat, Omnia Sabry, Sama Shahrouri, and Raya Shanawani; In conversation with artworks from the National Gallery’s collection, featuring artists: Ahmed Mustafa, Asaad Arabi, Ufemia Rizk, Suhail Bisharat, Shaker Hassan Al Said, Riham Ghassib, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Fouad Hattar, Mona Saudi, Nasma Nimry, Ali Jabri, Hani Alqam, Wijdan, Yasser Dweik and others.
This exhibition comes as the culmination of Hiwar workshop: “On Art Archives in Jordan” where the joined participants were invited to choose artworks from the permanent collection of the National Gallery, and take it as a starting point for investigating histories, lineages and narratives that emerge(d) within the art scene in Jordan. Through the process, participants have analyzed and responded to their selections using various artistic, critical, contextual, and archival materials.
Organized by: Ala Younis, Raed Ibrahim, and Khaldoun Hijazin.
ِِAt The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Building 2 – Ground Floor. The exhibition runs until Saturday, 21 September 2019.
“Dreamings” Film Screening
We are delighted to invite you next Wednesday on a film screening and discussion about Australian Aboriginal arts where Barbara Rowell, founder and managing partner of Jacaranda Images, will talk to us about this kind of art and take us after watching the film on a tour and discussion through the ongoing exhibition “A Sense of Place” at The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts – in collaboration with the Australian Embassy and Jacaranda Images.
The art of Aboriginal Australia is celebrated in this screening: “Dreamings” as we journey into the sacred heartland of Australia to see traditional artists at work. The artists talk of their work, its association with the land and its spiritual connection with their people, the animals and plants. The film explores the meanings behind the works, from acrylic dot paintings of the Central Desert to cross-hatched bark paintings and burial poles of northern Australia, as it allows the viewer access to the oldest continuous art tradition in the world. A Film Australia production, the film is 30 mins long and will be played in English.
Join us at 7 PM, Saturday 17/7/2019 at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts – Building #2.
OPEN CALL: Hiwar Workshop
“Hiwar Workshops” is an annual program by The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts that provides mentor-ship and a space for innovative cultural discussion and creative production for emerging artists in Jordan and the region. With a focus on the collection of artworks at the National Gallery, this year, art practitioners from all backgrounds and experiences are invited to join a 4-week program of readings, discussions, and technical experimentation, followed by an exhibition.
Selected participants will work closely with art mentors in a series of workshops that will allow them a space to realize their projects and share them with the general public. During the workshops participants will learn how to present, discuss and negotiate their field and leave with new ideas, skills and connections that will hopefully add to the breadth of their practices.
Artists Ala Younis, Raed Ibrahim and Khaldoun Hijazin will be facilitating the workshops and will work as mentors for a select group of emerging artists.
– The workshops will be in Arabic and English. Translation will be available during the workshops.
– The workshop is free of charge.
TOPIC:
In this year’s program, with an emphasis on the permanent collection of the National Gallery, participating artists are invited to choose an artwork that has been produced in Jordan. Their chosen artwork will be taken as a starting point for investigating histories, lineages and tropes that emerge(d) within the art scene in Jordan. Ways into researching these works are supported by the workshop mentor-ship, as well as reading materials, discussions, and studio work. Through the process, participants analyze and respond to their selections using various critical, contextual, and archival materials.
The program culminates in a final exhibition at the National Gallery that presents the participants studies, writings and archival findings juxtaposed with the original work they chose to study, as well as the artwork they develop in response.
SELECTED PARTICIPANTS:
Art practitioners from all backgrounds are welcome to apply.
Applications should be emailed to hiwarartclub@gmail.com with the title: “On Art Archives in Jordan”, including the following requirements:
– Name and contact information.
– Short bio.
– Short text explaining your possible approach to the topic.
– Portfolio of 5 to 10 works on PDF format and should include work titles, dates and media.
Selected participants will be informed via email by July 8, 2019
“Linda Khoury” Artist Talk
In the next meetup of “Hiwar Art Club” we are pleased to welcome artist Linda Khoury, director of Darat Al Tasweer for a talk and a walk through the programs and events of the Eighth Image Festival in Amman – 2019 “Wandering”, which includes numerous art exhibitions and events in various galleries and venues in Amman.
Organized by Darat Al Tasweer and in partnership with many local and international institutes The Image Festival Amman aims to gather more professionals together, attract a wider audience and create opportunities for sustainable cultural exchanges. The Festival – single major event dedicated to photography in the region – has notably programmed in the past, locally and internationally renowned photographers from all over the world. In addition to the many exhibitions related to the theme of this year “wandering”, the Festival offers workshops/meetings with professional photography guests.
Born in 1979, In Amman – Jordan, Linda Khoury was fascinated by photography as a child. In 1998 Linda took her first course in black and white photography followed by special studies in 2002 at The Saint Spirit University / Kaslik, in Lebanon. in 2007, with her accumulated experience, Linda establish Darat Al Tasweer. Linda has been teaching photography since 2005, she works as a professional photographer specialized in architecture. She also dedicates time for her passion to the art of documentary photography.
Join us at 6 PM, Saturday 27/4/2019 at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, building #2.
“Edward Said” Reading
We are pleased to invite you in the upcoming meetup of Hiwar Art Club on a discussion around the theories of Palestinian intellectual Edward Said and his contributions to the concepts of Orientalism and Post-colonialism and their impact on forms of art and culture, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jay Emerling.
The discussion will be in both Arabic and English.
Join our meetup at building #2 of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Al Montazah roundabout, Al Weibdeh, on Saturday 13/4/2019.
For more information please contact us at the gallery’s number or email us at hiwar.artclub@gmail.com
“The Color of Pomegranates” Film Screening
In our next meetup of Hiwar Art Club we are pleased to invite you to the film screening of “The Color of Pomegranates”. This film is considered as one of the masterpieces of writer and director Sergei Parajanov as he depicts the life of revered the 18th-century Armenian poet and musician Sayat-Nova. Portraying events in the life of the artist from childhood up to his death, the movie addresses in particular his relationships with women, including his muse Sofiko Chiaureli. The production tells Sayat-Nova’s dramatic story by using both his poems and largely still camerawork, creating an impressionistic work.
The film has appeared in some scholarly polls of the greatest films ever made. It has also been recognized for its great influence on the fields of video art, performance and other forms of contemporary visual arts.
The film screening is in Armenian and will be played with English subtitles. The duration of the film it is 1:15 hr, to be followed by a group discussion. Join us at 6 PM, Saturday 30/3/2019 At the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts – Building #2.
Artist talk with “Anees Maani”
In the next meetup of “Hiwar Art Club” we are pleased to welcome Jordanian artist ِAnees Maani to speak to us about his artistic journey with sculpture and the evolution of forms in nature and in human culture. Maani travels around the world and explores common elements that appear in forms in different environments and with different materials, organic and non-organic, artificial and natural, ancient and modern.
In Jordan, he was exploring the art of the Nabataeans and other ancient Middle Eastern historical periods. He moved to Malaysia and lived there for around three years, where he explored natural forms in rain forests and the world underwater. He later moved to Kuwait for a year, there he was exploring forms that are abstract, organic but more geometrical, inspired by the art of the Nabataeans in Petra and the art of South Arabia and Yemen from the pre-Islamic period.
Anees Maani was born in Jordan in 1973, and had received his degree in Architecture from the Building Academy in Russia in 1994. He has five solo exhibitions in his exhibition record, in addition to his participation in several group exhibitions and art symposiums in and outside of Jordan. Our guest has also represented Jordanian contemporary art in several artist residencies and workshops around the world. His artworks are part of numerous national and international collections at institutions, galleries and art museums.
Join us at 6 PM, Saturday 16/3/2019 at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, building #2.
“Geometrical Structures & their Application in Visual Arts” Worksohp
We invite you in the next meeting of Hiwar Art Club to participate in the open workshop on geometrical structures and their application in visual arts. The workshop will be conducted by our guest designer and artist Moh’d Musa. This activity comes as part of our February program: “Geometry in Visual Arts”.
Note: For those who wish to participate in the workshop please bring the following: pencil compass, a pencil and a ruler.
The club will provide the rest of tools and materials necessary.
Join our activity at 6 pm on Saturday 23/2/2019 at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts Building # 2.
Talk with “Mohammad Musa” (2)
Moh’d Musa is a visual communicator with a Masters Degree in Media Arts from Coventry University in England, he is currently finishing his Ph.D in Metamedia and Design from Evora University in Portugal. His visual practice spans across different the disciplines of design, painting and photography.
Join us at 6:00 pm on Saturday 16/2/2019 at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Alwebdeh Building 2.
Talk with “Mohammad Musa” (1)
In our next Hiwar Art Club meetup we invite you on a talk by our guest designer and artist Moh’d Musa about the presence of geometrical structures in the natural world and their application in classic and contemporary visual art, architecture, design and photography. This talk comes as part of our February program under the title“Geometry in Visual Arts”.
Moh’d Musa is a visual communicator with a Masters Degree in Media Arts from Coventry University in England, he is currently finishing his Ph.D in Metamedia and Design from Evora University in Portugal. His visual practice spans across different the disciplines of design, painting and photography.
Join us at 6:00 pm on Saturday 9/2/2019 at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Alwebdeh Building 2.
“Final Portrait” Film Screening
In our next Hiwar Art Club meetup we invite you to the conclusion of our January program, titled: “Primitive Traces in Modern and Contemporary Art”. We will be watching a screening of the drama film “Final Portrait” about the life and works of world renowned artist Alberto Giacometti.
Film plot: year 1964 in Paris, artist Alberto Giacometti asks American critic James Lord to be a model for his latest portrait. This begins their off-beat friendship where the artist gives his friend an insight into the profundity and chaos of the artistic process while finishing one of his latest masterpieces.
The screening is in English and it is 1:30 hr long, to be followed by a group discussion. Join us at 6 PM, Saturday 26/1/2019 At the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts – building #2.
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From the meet-up at the gallery where Hiwar Art Club in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland organized the screening of the film “Final Portrait” about the life and works of renowned artist Alberto Giacometti. A beautiful and interesting film depicting the depth and chaos of the creative process of the artist as he finishes one of his last masterpieces.
The Ambassador of Switzerland in Jordan Mr. Lukas Gasser attended the event and seized the occasion to hand over a book about the life and work of Alberto Giacometti intended for the Gallery’s library to Director General Dr. Khalid Khreis. The screening was followed with discussions between Jordanian artists, art students, Swiss citizens and other participants.
Special thanks to the Swiss Embassy for their beautiful participation and to everyone who joined us
Artist talk with “Ghassan Mafadleh”
We invite you in the coming meetup of Hiwar Art Club to join our open discussion with guest artist Ghassan Mafadleh where we will talk about the influence of primitive and ancient art on modern and contemporary sculpture. We will be discussing our guest artist’s current pop-up exhibition “Statues of Ain Ghazal: Radiation from the womb of History” in addition to other examples of sculpture from the region and the world. The discussion will be in Arabic.
This meetup comes as part of our January program, titled: “Primitive Traces in Modern and Contemporary Art”.
Join us at 6 PM, Saturday 19/1/2019 at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, building #2.
Ghassan Mafadleh: Statues of Ain Ghazal
We invite you in the next meetup of Hiwar Art Club to attend the exhibition opening of our guest artist Ghassan Mafadleh, to see a collection of his sculptural artworks: “Statues of Ain Ghazal – Radiation from the womb of History”. These artworks have been produced by the artist through his creative full-time grant by the Ministry of Culture in 2018.
This meetup comes as part of our January program, titled: “Primitive Traces in Modern and Contemporary Art”.
Join us at 6 PM, Saturday 12/1/2019 at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, building #2.
“Metamorphosis” Novel Discussion
JNGFA Friends Club have selected the novel “Metamorphosis” by novelist Franz Kafa for discussion on our next meeting. The meeting will also feature a group critique session around artworks presented by two of the club members, in addition to other material from international contemporary art. The novel is available in two languages.
“Iyad Kanaan” Artist Talk
Jordanian artist and critic Iyad Kanaan worked in his research to monitor the developments of the plastic art movement in Jordan and its impact on the postmodern context in the region and the world as a whole. This lecture will bring us to the conclusion of his latest book, “Transformations of Plastic Art in Jordan”, which was issued in 2014 in the context of revolutions and social and political upheavals in the region. In addition, he will take us to a presentation of examples of his personal experience in art.
“Raed Ibrahim” Artist Talk and “Jacques Lacan” Reading
Our next JNFGA Friends Club meeting will honorably host as guest speaker, the prominent Jordanian artist Raed Ibrahim (in the last hour of our meeting / at 5pm). As for the group discussion, we have chosen as our subject of study: thinker and psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan and his theories on the ‘Real’ ‘Imaginary’ and ‘Symbolic’ orders.
In addition, there will be a group critique session around artworks produced by two of the club members.
“Suje Garcia” Artist Talk -P.1
Members and friends, you’re invited to join us on a lecture by artist Suje Garcia who will speak to us about the emergence of performance, installation and video art which are often enclosed under the term ‘new media art’
These new forms of artistic expression have been viewed during the past century as avant-garde instances carried by various artists who have been thought to have pushed the limits of culture and aesthetic experience. The lecture will introduce material that has been pulled from several sources and will briefly describe part of the general discourse surrounding topics of new media art. We will begin by imagining not only representations of the figure in art but rather, the figure and the space it occupies as, a potential for art
This will be the first of three public lectures hosted at the National Gallery as part of the activities of ‘Metascape’ workshop, which is now gathering 14 artists, who will work collectively on creating artworks for ‘Metascape’ exhibition.
“Suje Garcia” Artist Talk -P.2
Members and friends, you’re invited to join us on the second lecture of Metascape discussions in the form of an open dialogue conducted by the artist Suje Garcia.
As new conventions of art practice developed, the artist’s persona and their social encounters became highly fundamental in the development of how we understand new media in art. There, traditional sculpture transforms into social sculpture whose formative contributors will be explored
This will be the second of three public lectures hosted at the National Gallery as part of the activities of “Metascape” workshop, which is now gathering 14 artists, who will work collectively on creating artworks for “Metascape” exhibition.
“Suje Garcia” Artist Talk -P.3
Members and friends, you are invited to join us for the third lecture of Metascape discussions in the form of an open dialogue. Here we will discuss the work of the artist Suje Garcia and the influences that engage his creative practice
This will be the third and final lecture as part of the activities of ‘MetaScape’ exhibition workshop. Featured are the culmination of 15 artists working collectively to create artwork for the ‘MetaScape’ exhibition.
“Metascape”
The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts invites you to attend the opening of Metascape: ِِan inclusive collaborative exhibition of local, regional and international artists who investigate the current “landscape” from diverse perspectives. Our hope is to cultivate dialogue between national communities through metaphorical, poetic and literal manifestations.
Featured artists
Ali Yass – Mais Al Azab – Dina Daboub – Suje Garcia – Khaldoun Hijazin – Asia Shishani – Dina Douqa – Taglib Oweis – Nadia Makdah – Bashar Khries – Ahmad Salameh – Asil Jabr – Yazan Sitabouha – Raghad Otaibi – SalahEddin Qawasmi
Curated by Suje Garcia and Khaldoun Hijazin
“Examined Life” Film Screening
Film screening of the 2008 Canadian documentary “Examined Life” directed by Astra Taylor. The film features eight influential modern philosophers walking around New York and other metropolises, discussing the practical application of their ideas in modern culture. The meeting will feature a group discussion on the documentary, in addition to a presentation on a local and contemporary artist.
The documentary will be played in English along with English subtitles. The documentary is an hour and a half long.
“Ala Younis” Artist Talk
Our next JNFGA Friends Club meeting will honorably host the prominent artist Ala Younis to speak to us about her art practice.
Younis represented Jordan at the International Art Exhibition in Venice in 2015, in addition to her numerous local and international awards, fellowships and participations.
Ala Younis is a research-based artist and curator, based in Amman. Younis initiates journeys in archives and narratives, and reinterprets collective experiences that have collapsed into personal ones. Through research, she builds collections of objects, images, information, narratives, and notes on why/how people tell their stories. Her practice is based on found material, and on creating materials when they cannot be found or when they do not exist.
“Hanaa Malallah” Artist Talk
As part of Caravan’s events in Amman during the week of the official opening of I AM Exhibition at Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Iraqi artist Dr Hanaa Malallah will give a talk about the role of Art in Empowering women.
Hanaa Malallah (born 1958) is an Iraqi artist and educator living in London.
She was born in Theeqar, Iraq and received a diploma in Graphic Art from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad where she studied with Shakir Hassan Al Said, a BA in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad, a MA in painting and a PhD in the philosophy of painting from the University of Baghdad and a post-graduate certificate in Islamic and Modern Art from SOAS. She has taught at the Institute of Fine Arts and the University of Fine Arts in Baghdad and holds a fellowship at the Chelsea College of Arts.
Her work was included in the show “Iraq’s Past Speaks to the Present” at the British Museum and is also represented in the museum’s permanent collection. Her work is also included in the collections of Jordan’s Museum of Fine Arts in Amman, the Centre for Modern Art in Baghdad, the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha and the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharja.
Malallah received a prize awarded by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization.
“Roland Barthes” Reading
JNGFA Friends Club have selected for discussion on our next meeting, the essay “The Death of the Author” by the french thinker Roland Barthes. The meeting will also feature a group critique session around artworks presented by two of the club members, in addition to other material from international contemporary art. The link for the reading is attached in the event discussion, in addition to other related links in Arabic.
“Omar Al Abdallat” Artist Talk
In the next meeting of the JNGFA Friends Club, we are honored to welcome artist Omar Adnan Al-Abdalat cartoonist and cartoon producer. Al Abdalat has won several local, Arab and international awards. He is active in social networking sites and has more than 150,000 followers.
While working in Kharabish, “3ala Rasi” program, whose characters were created by the artist, won the silver award from YouTube. Additionally, he represented Jordan as a guest speaker at Tedx in Portugal in 2015.
“No Exit” Reading
JNGFA Friends Club have selected the existentialist play “No Exit” by French philosopher, playwright and novelist Jean-Paul Sartre for discussion on our next meeting.
The play begins with three characters who find themselves waiting in a mysterious room. It is a depiction of the afterlife in which three deceased characters are punished by being locked into a room together for eternity.
The meeting will also feature a group critique session around artworks presented by two of the club members, in addition to other material from international contemporary art. The play script is available in the event discussion posts.
“The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” Reading
Open discussion the reading “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” by German philosopher Walter Benjamin, as well as the response letter from his colleague critic and philosopher Theodore Adorno. Both thinkers were among the most prominent critics of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory who have demonstrated their continuing influence on the fields of artistic production and criticism within the challenges of our contemporary context.
Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin was a German Jewish philosopher, cultural critic and essayist. An eclectic thinker, combining elements of German idealism, Romanticism, Western Marxism, and Jewish.
Theodor W. Adorno was a German philosopher, sociologist, psychologist and composer known for his critical theory of society.
The meeting will also feature a group critique session around artworks presented by two of the club members, in addition to other material from international contemporary art. The readings both in Arabic and English are available within the event discussion posts.
“Patte Loper” Artist Talk
In our next JNGFA Friends Club meeting, we are honored to welcome artist Patte Loper to speak to us about her art practice. Her work has been described as intertwining archictecture, urban planning, activism to create an unholy alliance bertween aesthetics and ideology.
Patte Loper is an American artist who lives and works between New York City and Boston. She is on the faculty at SMFA at Tufts University and her work has been exhibited in the US and internationaly.
“Empathy & Craft In The 21st Century”
You are cordially invited to the group exhibition “Empathy and Craft in the 21st Century” which marks the conclusion of a four week series of workshops that invited local and international artists to converge and investigate through various art forms the concept of “intersectionality” – the idea that we all inhabit multiple identities at once, and are affected by related systems of social injustice and discrimination. The term, being actively explored in 21st century art and activism was coined by civil rights advocate Kimberly Willaims Crenshaw.
In the past, labels such as gender, class, race and religion have tended to label us as one thing, when the reality is that we are complex beings. How do these labels keep us from having empathy for one another and what role can art making have in creating empathy and connection? How does the concept of intersectionality help liberate ourselves from old ideas and forms, both in how we think and what we make, and allow us to explore new ones? The artworks filling the experimental space of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts stand for the creative attempts in using craft to begin answering these questions.
Featuring Artists: Ali Yass – Ahmad Salameh – Bayan Kiwan – Diala Al Daghlise – Dina Malkawi – Diran Mataljalian – Ethan Murrow – Hannnah Jabare – Khaldoun Hijazin – Lina Salah – Mayada Abu-Qdais – Patte Loper – Sama Shahrouri – Tasneem Jaabo – Wujoud.
Curated by: Patte Loper, Diran Mataljalian, Ethan Murrow and Khaldoun Hijazin.
“Hiwar Art Club” Opening- Book Introduction Reading
We invite you to attend the inaugural meeting of “Hiwar Art Club”.
In this opening meeting we will introduce our program, plan and activities, as we will also conclude with a closing reception to meet the organizers of the club and fellow attendants.
You will find the reading due on our first meeting posted on the event page. The reading is from the introduction of the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling.
“Hiwar Art Club” is an educational art hub that gathers artists and interested people from various backgrounds every Saturday to participate in group discussions on selected readings and screenings in addition to hosting guest speakers, in the hope of cultivating contemporary artistic and cultural awareness among our joined members.
The club meetings are divided into two parts where on a given Saturday, the members are gathered in a circle to discuss topics relating to critical theory and its impact on concepts and forms of art in the contemporary context. These discussions will be based on the book “Theory for Art History” as the main reference from which we will explore the implications of the creative act and its agency in our present time. In addition, the club will organize interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members. On the following Saturday, the group will host a visiting speaker to share their expertise and discuss topics related to contemporary art practices. This club is open to the public and everyone is welcome to join.
“Muhanna Durra” Artist Talk
We are honored to welcome the founding and eminent artist Muhanna Durra to tell us about his experience with art. Al Durra represented the Jordanian cultural and fine art movement over the years in many events and art exhibitions around the world, in addition to his possession of numerous medals, awards, grants and local and international participations.
Muhanna Durra, a Jordanian diplomat and painter is widely known for being the first to introduce abstract art in Jordan. He founded the Department of Fine Arts at the National Center for Culture and Arts in Amman and the Institute of Fine Arts in 1970. Muhanna Durra was the first Jordanian to establish a technical studio program to teach art students. Now he still offers genrously from his expertise as an art professor at the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University Jordan.
“Sigmund Freud” Reading
Open discussion the summary of Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis and its impact on artistic production and its interpretations, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. Freud was born to Galician Jewish parents in the Moravian town of Freiberg, in the Austrian Empire.
“George Al-Far” Philosophical Talk
We are honored to welcome the professor of philosophy and critical thought, Dr. George Al-Far, to talk about the role of art from a philosophical perspective. The discussion will focus on the possibilities of art, its status and its importance in the salvation of societies in light of human and ideological problems.
The writer and thinker George Al-Far, who currently works as a faculty member at the University of Jordan, holds a Master’s and Doctorate degree in Theology from the University of Latrun in 1992. He received his Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Claremont in 2005 and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of the Holy Spirit in Lebanon in 2009. He is a member of the Jordan Writers Association, the Jordanian Philosophical Society, and the Arab Philosophical Society.
“Karl Marx” Reading
Open discussion of the summary of Karl Marx’s theories of historical materialism and its impact on art and its interpretations, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
Karl Marx was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist and socialist revolutionary. Born in Trier, Germany, Marx studied law and philosophy at university.
“Humor” Film Screening
Film screening of “Humor” art documentary from “Art21” film series. The four artists profiled in “Humor” have been influenced by the history of humor and comedy, including vaudeville, cartoons, and comic books. The artists in this hour reveal how humor and satire can stimulate laughter as well as serve as a vehicle to explore serious subjects, such as feminism, the natural environment, the excesses of consumer culture, social injustice, and war.
The documentary was filmed in 2003 at different locations in California and New York.. The meeting will feature a group discussion after the screening which will be played in english along with english subtitles. The documentary is 54 minutes long.
“Friedrich Nietzsche” Reading
A discussion on the summary of Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy and how it deals with both the creation and interpretation of art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a German philosopher, cultural critic, composer, poet, philologist, and Latin and Greek scholar whose work has exerted a profound influence on Western philosophy and modern intellectual history. He began his career as a classical philologist before turning to philosophy.
“Ways Of Seeing” Film Screening
Film screening from BBC TV series “Ways of Seeing.” This program was written and presented by critic and thinker John Berger in 1972, who issued a book of the same title adopted from the content of these episodes. The series and book criticize traditional Western cultural aesthetics by raising questions about hidden ideologies in visual images and their impact on societies and their dominant concepts.
The meeting will feature a group discussion after the screening which will be played in English along with English subtitles. The documentary is 58 minutes long.
“Ferdinand de Saussure” Reading
Open discussion on the theories of linguist and semiotician Ferdinand de Saussure and how his theories have influenced both the creation and interpretation of art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
Ferdinand de Saussure ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in both linguistics and semiology in the 20th century. He is widely considered one of the founders of 20th-century linguistics and one of two major founders (together with Charles Sanders Peirce) of semiotics/semiology.
Artist talk with Ghassan Abu Laban
We will honorably host Jordanian artist and professor Ghassan Abu Laban to speak to us about his journey in art. Our guest has held several solo exhibitions in Jordan, in addition to his participation in many exhibitions and art festivals at the local, regional and international levels. He currently works as a lecturer of drawing and painting at the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Jordan and he is also a member of the Jordanian Plastic Artists Association and the Jordanian Writers Association.
“Hypermodernity & Liquid Fear” Artist Talk
We are honored to welcome Mexican professor and artist Alfia Leiva on a talk about the artistic concepts of post “postmodernism”: “Hypermodernity & Liquid Fear”. She will also speak to us about her latest exhibition, which was held at the Cervantes Institute in Amman under the title “Cyber Evolution” and will continue until 4/1/2018.
Note: The meeting will be in English.
Alfia Leiva has a PhD in Fine Arts from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and has held numerous solo and group exhibitions at the national and international levels. In addition, she published a number of articles on the world of sculpture. She works currently as a professor of sculpture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
“Why Beauty Matters” Film Screening
Screening of “Why Beauty Matters”, a BBC art documentary. Philosopher Roger Scruton presents a provocative essay in this film on the importance of beauty in the arts and in our lives. In the 20th century, Scruton argues, art, architecture and music turned their backs on beauty, making a cult of ugliness and leading us into a spiritual desert.
The film is in English subtitles. It’s a 2009 British documentary film directed by Louise Lockwood, written and presented by Roger Scruton. The meeting will feature a group discussion after the screening. The documentary is 58 minutes long.
“Theodor W. Adorno” Reading
Reading and discussion of the work of German philosopher and critic Theodor Adorno and his view on the role and status of art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members. You can find the reading due on our next meeting posted on the event page.
Theodor W. Adorno was a German philosopher, sociologist, psychologist and composer known for his critical theory of society.
“Object Against The Object” Artist Talk
We are honored to welcome artist Waleed Qaisi on a talk titled “Object against the Object” to tell us about the relationship between abstract reality and reason and how questions are raised in the spirit of the material and its hidden metaphysical effect within the domain of art. This is by addressing his own experience with the creative act in addition to referencing other forms of Arab and international art.
Waleed Qaisi was born in Baghdad in 1963. He studied ceramics at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad and graduated in 1985. He presented his artistic vision through participating in the first youth exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Baghdad in 1985. He continued his participation in the collective exhibitions in 1983, declaring his rebellion against form (breaking it and changing its concept) and searching for other areas of disfiguration to create a state of imbalance through form and line. He has participated in many personal and international exhibitions, In addition to his possession of many awards for his achievements in the arts.
“Giorgio Agamben” Reading
Discussion of the work of Italian philosopher and critic Giorgio Agamben and his views on language, image and the status of art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
“Reflections” Artist Talk
Reflections:
From the depths to the skies… from the roots to the branches..
We are honored to welcome artist and historical photograph restoration specialist Kelvin Bown. The artist will offer a talk, question and answer time and following open discussion space within the exhibition space of “Remembrance – a dialogue with the past”.
How can artists convey their deepest callings and intention, beyond words and known structures, into forms? A Native American teaching shares that when humans create, Spirit touches the Earth. How can this sacred understanding be integrated into our work, lives, service to community and creative arts?
The exhibition draws upon the history as a wealth of examples of possibilities of ways of living with less harm to each other or Nature. The open discussion will also invite ideas and reflections upon this theme.
“Louis Althusser” Reading
A discussion of the work of French philosopher and critic Louis Althusser and his views on ideology and the status of art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
“Spirituality” Film Screening
Sscreening of “Spirituality” art documentary from “Art21” film series.
The five contemporary artists featured in this film have taken on different themes in the spiritual dimension, using their art as a window to explore what is unknown in our immediate world. This documentary features close examples of the practices of international artists: Ann Hamilton, Bryl Corot, James Turrell, John Fyodorov and Shahasia Sikander.
“Spirituality is such a vibrant and integral part of our lives that even our changing times and all the apparent obstacles have not stifled the powerful partnership of spirituality and art in the modern era,” writes Lynn M. Herbert in her essay for the Companion Book to the Art in the Twenty-First Century series. “The realm of the spiritual is mysterious and inviting,” writes Herbert, “It is a place where we are encouraged to explore the unknown.”
The meeting will feature a group discussion after the screening. The film is 54 minutes long, it will be played in English along with English captions.
“Alain Badiou” Reading
A discussion of the work of the French philosopher and critic Alain Badiou and his views on new universality and art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members. You can find the reading due on our next meeting posted on the event page.
To our friends joining today’s dialogue: We will make a collage exercise as a practical interpretation of the concepts of thinker Alan Badiou in the second half of our meeting today
Artist talk with “Juman Nimri”
We are pleased to welcome the Jordanian artist Juman Nimri to speak to us about her artistic career. Juman Nimri was born in Jordan in 1974, and had received her B.A. degree in Fine Arts at Yarmouk University in 1996. She had five solo exhibitions in her exhibition record, in addition to her participation in several group exhibitions in and outside of Jordan.
Our guest has also attended and represented Jordanian contemporary art in several artist residencies, workshops and International exhibitions in different countries. Her artworks are part of numerous international collections at institutions, galleries and museums. Most recently ” The Museum of Contemporary Art , Yinchuan / China” has collected and exhibited works from her paintings and installations. Nimri lives and works in Amman where she established “Studio Bait AlWeibdeh” and gives art courses for kids in addition to organizing annual group exhibitions since 2008 until now.
“Roland Barthes” Reading
Discussing the theories of French philosopher and critic “Roland Barthes” and his views on modern mythologies and the work art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
“Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters” Film Screening
Film screening about world renowned photographer Gregory Crewdson, titled “Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters” directed and produced by Ben Shapiro. Crewdson has created some of the most gorgeously haunting pictures in the history of the medium. His meticulously composed, large-scale images are stunning narratives of small-town American life—moviescapes crystallized into a single frame.
While the photographs are staged with crews that rival many feature film productions, Crewdson takes inspiration as much from his own dreams and fantasies as the worlds of Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch, Edward Hopper and Diane Arbus. Shot over a decade with unprecedented access, this film beautifully bares the artist’s process, as it also features a mesmerizing collection of his work.
The meeting will feature a group discussion after the screening. The film is 1h 56 minutes long, it will be played in English along with English captions.
“Georges Bataille” Reading
A discussion around the theories of French philosopher and critic “Georges Bataille” and his influence on modern and contemporary works of art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities related to the reading that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
“Holy Motors” Film Screening
Screening of Holy Motors a 2012 French-German fantasy drama film. From dawn to dusk, a few hours in the life of Monsieur Oscar, a shadowy character who journeys from one life to the next. He is, in turn, captain of industry, assassin, beggar, monster, family man… He seems to be playing roles, plunging headlong into each part – but where are the cameras? Monsieur Oscar is alone, accompanied only by Céline, the slender blonde woman behind the wheel of the vast engine that transports him through and around Paris. He’s like a conscientious assassin moving from hit to hit. In pursuit of the beautiful gesture, the mysterious driving force, the women and the ghosts of past lives. But where is his true home, his family, his rest?
Written and directed by Leos Carax, starring Denis Lavant, Édith Scob, and Eva Mendes.
The meeting will feature a group discussion after the screening. The film is 115 min long and will be played in french along with arabic subtitles.
“Jean Baudrillard” Reading- Part (1)
An open discussion around the theories of French philosopher and critic “JEAN BAUDRILLARD” and his notions of simulation and hyperreality and their impact on the modern and contemporary work of art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities related to the reading that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
“Jean Baudrillard” Reading- Part (2)
In the next meeting of Hiwar Art Club, we invite you to join part (2) of our previous discussion around the theories of French philosopher and critic “JEAN BAUDRILLARD” and his notions of simulation and hyperreality and their impact on the modern and contemporary work of art, according to the reading from the book “Theory for Art History” by Jae Emerling. The meeting will also feature interactive sessions and activities related to the reading that will allow for the exchange of ideas and creations between members.
“Calligraphy And Writing In The Contemporary Arab Network” Artists’ talk
We are pleased to welcome artists Ibrahim Abu Touq and artist Salaam Sheikh Khader on a talk where our guest speakers will survey the origins, references and applications – ancient and modern – in the usage of Arabic letters and calligraphy in contemporary art. Each of our guests will also discuss their personal practices in using writing and calligraphy in their works of art.
Iraqi artist Salam Al-Sheikh Khedher graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Baghdad in 1976. He also majored in the art of printmaking at the Universities of Madrid and Barcelona in Spain and completed his specialization in the printmaking technique “Silk Screen” at the University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada in 1992. Since then, he has held numerous solo and group exhibitions at the international level. The artist lives now between the cities of Zurich and Amman.
Artist Ibrahim Abu Touq was born in Amman – Jordan in 1958. He received a diploma in architecture in 1977 and worked in design and art direction for twenty years where he also worked as an art supervisor and graphic designer. He mastered the classical stage in Arabic calligraphy and then set out for the more contemporary and painterly usage of calligraphy in his art. In addition, he invented the fonts ‘Touq’ and ‘Petra’. Since the beginning of the present century Abu Touq studied philosophy and art criticism independently and devoted himself as a full time artist since 2005, where he has held multiple group and solo exhibitions at the local and international level.
“In Wyeth’s World” Film Screening
Screening of the Documentary “In Wyeth’s World” from BBC art film series. Presenter Michael Palin heads for rural Pennsylvania and Maine to explore the extraordinary life and work of one of America’s most popular and controversial painters, Andrew Wyeth. Fascinated by his iconic painting Christina’s World, Palin goes in search of the real life stories that inspired this and Wyeth’s other depictions of the American landscape and its hard grafting inhabitants.
Tracking down the farmers, friends and family featured in Wyeth’s magically real work, Palin builds a picture of an eccentric, enigmatic and driven painter. He also gets a rare interview with Helga, the woman who put Wyeth back in the headlines when the press discovered he had been painting her nude, compulsively but secretly for 15 years.
The meeting will feature a group discussion after the screening. The film is 58 min long and will be played in English along with English subtitles.
“Lars Bang Larsen” Reading
Selected reading material on “Networks and Activism as a Form of Art” from “Networks” book by Lars Bang Larsen. Followed by a group discussion
Lars Bang Larsen is an art historian, independent curator, and writer based in Barcelona and Copenhagen.
“Social Networks And Activism As A Form Of Art” Intervention
Hiwar Art Club participants will be getting outside the traditional discussion group setting and performing a creative activity outside the gallery space.
The activity will be in the form of a public intervention which falls under the November month theme: “Social Networks and Activism as a Form of Art”. Our meetup will consist of a introduction for the activity, following a short brainstorm for any additional thoughts and finally the actual intervention.
The upcoming activity will also include an intervention which will take place throughout the week, and its outcomes will be shared individually via social media networks.
“Social Networks And Activism As A Form Of Art” Artist Talk about
How is public space dealt with and reflected in suppressed movements and emotions? What is the connection between emotion, identity, and performance in public space?
Hiwar Art Club is hosting artists and curators Reem Marji, Joud Al-tamimi and Ameer Masoud to speak to us about their experience in navigating the divergent structures and circuits of social networks, presenting art with new challenges and possibilities
“The Antics Roadshow” Film Screening
Screening of a collection of clips from “The Antics Roadshow” documentary along with other assisting videos serving “Social Networks and activism as a Form of Art” theme, followed by a group discussion
“The Antics Roadshow” is an hour-long 2011 documentary film focused on “famous pranks and acts of activism which have become iconic”.
Directed by Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
“Abstraction: Can Anyone Really Master It?” Reading
Open discussion of the reading material by international critics Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg, who put the issue of abstraction in the 1950’s within methodological and historic frameworks.
Clement Greenberg was an American essayist known mainly as an influential visual art critic closely associated with American Modern art of the mid-20th century
Harold Rosenberg was an American writer, educator, philosopher and art critic. He coined the term Action Painting in 1952 for what was later to be known as abstract expressionism. Rosenberg is best known for his art criticism. From 1967 until his death, he was the art critic of The New Yorker magazine
“Abstraction: Can Anyone Really Master It?” Workshop
An open workshop on abstract collage art making as a practice for the basic principles of this art medium
Tour with Artist Mohanna Durra
A tour and discussion with artist Mohanna Durra around his retrospective at the museum
“Power of Art” Film Screening
The film is part of the “Power of Art” series produced by BBC in 2006. Written and presented by international critic Simon Schama, this film sheds light on the story of abstract artist Mark Rothko, who is considered as one of the most controversial and famous painters of the past century.