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The weekly cultural exchange
El Hema koopavond 6 - Thursday brainstorming sessions for El Hema exhibition double as a community cultural forum, bringing together individuals from all realms of art.
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26
jul
2007
18:00 Mediamatic Post CS Oosterdokskade 5 Amsterdam www.mediamatic.net (bekijk op de kaart)Door
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at Mediamatic -
The above font is one of the five new fonts that will be on display at the El Hema exhibition to open on August 24. This Fedra font was created by Dutch designer Peter Bilak and Arab designer Tarek Atrissi.
Good Arabs, “Bad Arabs,” nostalgic Arabs, distinguished Arabs, non-Arabs and everything in between. Contemporary design, films, fashion, history, literature, henna and even delicious Middle Eastern food. What are intended to be weekly Thursday meetings to discuss the progression of the upcoming El Hema exhibition are fast becoming memorable evenings of cultural exchange.
met:
The Exhibit
“It’s quite rare to have an informal setting where one can sit with people, share research or work in progress—even share a meal together,” said independent curator Nat Muller who attended the 6th weekly Thursday meeting for the first time.
The exhibit, set to open August 24, will be an inventive way to display five new Arabic fonts by utilizing them in products likely to be found in an Arabic version of a pseudo-Hema store. Tarek Atrissi, an art director for the El Hema exhibition and one of 10 new font designers, said everyone working on the project has their own specific task. Thursday meetings are a forum for communicating the progress on logo designs, products, clothing, architectural advancements and even the legal status of the exhibit, he said.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at MediamaticMediamatic Director Willem Velthoven presents one of the recently created clothing designs that will be available at the El Hema exhibit set to open on August 24.
“It’s a way to show how things are coming along, as well as inspire those interested in Arab art to come along and show what they have and get ideas on merging both worlds,” Atrissi said.
Because the aim of the project was not entirely clear in the beginning when the brainstorming for the project began six weeks ago, Atrissi said the Amsterdam community was invited to attend the Thursday meetings in order to collect and exchange ideas between the designers and those interested in Arabic culture.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at MediamaticGraphic desigh intern Maria Hakim gave a presentation on one of the five new Arabic fonts Big Vesta, to be on display at the El Hema exhibition on August 24.
Highlights
Mediamatic invited Muller to the meeting because of her experience with media and art in the Middle East. Her screening of three short films by Middle Eastern directors towards the end of the evening was a favorite of the night.
Muller said she chose the films because they each portray the danger of stereotypes, for example, by taking stereotypes to an extreme as in the case of “Planet of the Arabs.” She cautions that organizers of El Hema should be careful not to fall into the very stereotypes they are trying to break.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at MediamaticPhoto by Marieke Bijster. Writer Raoulf Mousad Basta discusses his past experiences as an Egyptian and his views on the El Hema project with Mediamatic journalist JoAnn DeLuna. Basta has written several controversial literature books which have been translated in many languages. He continues to write and work with Muslim homosexuals in Amsterdam.
“I’m very curious to see how it will all turn out,” Muller said. “[El Hema] holds integrity and potential, but if it’s not done smartly it can fall into Orientalism.”
The five graphic design interns from Lebanon and Dubai working on El Hema also introduced the design concepts behind the five new fonts. The designers further explained that most of the new fonts could be used for long texts, such as magazines, as well as large displays.
“It’s influenced by past fonts but in a very modern way,” intern Raya Tueny said of the new Fresco font.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at MediamaticAzar Perzische keuken
After legal status and merchandise updates, Etty Elbaz-Griffioen an Arab-Jew born in Jerusalem who now lives in the Netherlands, gave an intimate presentation of her henna tattoo art form, which complemented the font theme of the evening.
Egyptian writer Raouf Mokssad Basta who now lives in Amsterdam, attended the meeting hoping to offer his literature background to the project, but said he was a bit confused about what organizers are trying to do with the project, he said. “I’m interested in the idea.”
Both Muller and Basta said they enjoyed the Thursday meetings and would continue to attend and possibly be more involved in the final exhibit.
“I think the Mediamatic people who direct the meetings are very open for ideas and want to listen to Arabs about the project,” Basta said.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at Mediamatic -
Photo by Marieke Bijster. Independent curator Nat Muller screened three short films by Middle Eastern directors and talked about misrepresentations the western world may hold about Arabic people.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at Mediamatic -
Photo by Marieke Bijster. "Chic Point" was one of the short films screened by Nat Muller. It was a statement on the embarrasment Arab men have to endure when approaching checkpoints. The director created a line of clothing specifically for the purpose men approaching of checkpoints.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at Mediamatic at Mediamatic -
Wael Morcos presents Sada, one of the five fonts that will be showcased at the El Hema exhibit. He explains the influences the designers of the font utilized to create the font.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at Mediamatic -
Maaike Gottschal updates meeting attendees on the progress of the El Hema clothing line.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at Mediamatic
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at Mediamatic at Mediamatic -
Wael Morcos presents Sada, one of the five fonts that will be showcased at the El Hema exhibit. He explains the influences the designers of the font utilized to create the font.
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at Mediamatic
El Hema koopavond 6: The weekly cultural exchange at Mediamatic
Dude, lay off my ubiquitous Dutch weener
This is an excerpt of an image-rich review of El Hema Koopavond #6 on culiblog.org, a weblog about food, food culture, food as culture and the culture that grows our food.
... Many Dutch people think of the HEMA as an expression of Dutch culture in the same way that IKEA might be considered to be an expression of Swedish culture. The HEMA is a store that sells normal stuff for the folks that consider themselves to represent the norm. The products are of good quality and the HEMA goes to some length to ensure that they are produced ethically. HEMA products (home, kitchen, office, food) are both folksy and ‘designed’ in a formal language that after 20 years can sometimes git up yer nose with its relentless practicality and cultivated quirkyness. HEMA design products are so ubiquitous that there are very few Dutch people, and by ‘them’, I mean ‘me’, that do not own that famous tea kettle that is considered Dutch enough that a corporate entity paid to have it immortalised on a postage stamp...