JoAnnThank you, come again.
El HEMA koopavonden are making good progress
Spectators arrive at El Hema exhibit a month before its grand opening and are invited to see the planning of the exhibit.
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Joann interviewing premature visitors to El HEMA-
Former Netherlands resident Petra Korink (left) and Amsterdam resident Ellen Laming (right) get interviewed by JoAnn DeLuna. Korink and Laming said they heard about the El Hema exhibit through local magazines, but did not realize the exhibit was not open yet. Mediamatic staff invited the women to stay and look around.
HudaAmsterdam - July 25, 2007: The controversial El Hema exhibition hasn’t opened its doors yet—or finalized events—but spectators were already anxious to take a peek. The exhibition, which opens August 24 in the ground floor of the Post CS building, promises to be a contemporary take on Arabic culture, in particular script.
Local Ellen Laming and former Netherlands resident Petra Korink stopped by the exhibition room about a month too soon, but they were not turned away from viewing the brainstorming session on Wednesday evening. Both women said they read about the upcoming event in local media.
Concept
“It’s supposed to be an Islamic version of Hema,” Laming said.
Close, but not quite.
The Mediamatic staff, which has been diligently working to transform the exhibit room into an Arabic version of a Hema store since June, urges the exhibit is not about religion.
Huda Smitshuijzen Abifares, El Hema Coordinator, said that naturally people will find a Middle Eastern connection to the fonts whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim or neither. Of course it can and has been used in religious contexts but, “there is nothing holy about the script,” Abifares said.
Instead the exhibit will focus on the pragmatic relation to the script and its use in everyday life, in things that are not necessarily holy, for instance, a shopping experience.
“Hema—adapted to another culture,” Korink said.
That’s more the idea.
The use of the El Hema name has caused a national stir, as the Hema organization threatened to take Mediamatic to court for using its name and logo without permission. Fortunately, Hema has recently decided to drop the accusations and instead help with the project.
“I’m glad they [Hema] didn’t say no, but it took a long time for them to understand it wasn’t against them,” Korink said.
Hema Tradition
Korink, who now lives in Berlin, said she was eager to see the El Hema exhibit to observe how a traditionally Dutch store will be adapted to another culture. When she moved to Germany, she said there was nothing like a Hema there. She once considered making a German version of Hema herself, she said.
Both women acknowledged Hema’s use of the “K.I.S.S.” formula (Keep it Simple Sweetheart) in everything from their store design, to their products.
Korink said she misses the famous sausages, the uncomplicated style and inexpensive Hema pricing.
“It’s good taste, but simple,” Laming said. “It fits in with the Dutch spirit.”
After viewing some of the upcoming products that will be available at the EL Hema exhibit, the women had suggestions of their own to incorporate Arabic characters and culture into more Hema-like products.
The ladies said they will return for the official opening, even if it means taking a trip back from Germany.
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Petra Korink, who now lives in Germany said she once thought about making a German version of Hema stores in Germany because they did not have anything like a Hema when she first moved there. Adapting Hema to another culture is a good idea, she said and looks forward to returning to Amsterdam in the future to see the completed exhibit.
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Presentatie van de maquette voor de denkbeeldige Arabische HEMA-
This model, created by Kristin Maurer, demonstrates what the El Hema exhibition room will look like on the opening day of the exhibition on August 24.
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This wall illustrates all the ideas for products El Hema designers have concocted. Some will become actual products while others still need a bit more brainstorming.
Saba
Marie
Bob
Zelda
Roeland
Maaike
Willem
Nellie
Sara
Raya
Annelies
Alberto
