THE APART LONDON SUMMER SHOW 2011

55-57 Great Marlborough St, London W1F 7JX

We are very happy to have secured another interesting spot for our summer show this year, namely the old Grant and Cutler premises on Great Marlborough St. Although it will need a bit of TLC to get it up and running as a gallery, it has the potential to be one of the best we have had, with old parquet flooring, plenty of light and high ceilings. The show will run from May 26th to August 20th and will as usual showcase the works of artists and Designer shuch as Hassan Hajjaj. Hope to see you there.

Celebrating the Jameel Prize 2011

Making Heaven Shine

Saturday 23 July

Free, no booking required. Places available on a first-come first-served basis.

12:00-13:00 & 16:00-17:00

Seminar Room 1, Sackler Centre

Watch storyteller Xanthe Gresham's new performance inspired by the Jameel Prize 2011 artists and designers.

Performance storyteller Xanthe Gresham presents a new piece inspired by dialogue with the Jameel Prize 2011 shortlisted artists and designers. A whirl of ancient and modern tales that unfold.

‘Xanthe Gresham unwraps each story like the petals of a lotus flower, at the end you leave with something beautiful created in your own mind.’ British Theatre Review

14:00-15:30

Hochhauser Auditorium, Sackler Centre

Listen as Jameel Prize 2009 artist Hassan Hajjaj discusses a photographic work in progress on the Gnawa master musicians . This will be accompanied by a music performance by Gnawa musician Simo Lagnawi.

Introduction by Amina Dahbi Skali, UK Director of the Fes Festival of Sacred Music.

Jameel Prize 2011

The Jameel Prize is a bi-annual £25,000 international art prize for contemporary artists and designers inspired by Islamic traditions of art, craft and design. It aims to explore the relationship between Islamic traditions of art, craft and design and contemporary work.

The Jameel Prize 2011 shortlisted artists and designers span a geographical region stretching from North America, to France, Algeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq and Iran.

They are: Noor Ali Chagani, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Bita Ghezelayagh, Babak Golkar, Aisha Khalid, Hayv Kahraman, Rachid Koraichi, Hazem El Mestikawy, Hadieh Shafie and Soody Sharifi.

The works on display range from felt costumes to sculpture made from hand-made terracotta bricks and from mirror mosaic to digital collages.

The Jameel Prize 2011 exhibition will be on display at the V&A in the Studio Gallery and Jameel Gallery from July 21st - September 25th 2011.

Please note that photography and filming will be taking place during the programme. Images will be used by the V&A for publicity purposes.

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Late At Leighton House AMINA ANNABI

Special Guest Hot and Spicy AMINA ANNABI
> Supporting Act SIMO LAGNAWI

12 Holland Park Road

London W14 8LZ

Shubbak: A Window on Contemporary Arab Culture SUMMER 2011

Introduction

London is a diverse and internationally connected city; a factor which enhances its status as a centre for finance, business, culture and administration.

To facilitate dialogue and international exchange, the Mayor of London’s Office organises regular cultural festivals to engage with and celebrate links to particular countries or regions. These events show Londoners the contemporary aspects of these cultures, engage local diaspora communities and strengthen relationships in the spheres of culture, business, tourism, retail, and education. The Mayor’s Office works in partnership with a range of London venues and partners, including major galleries, museums, arts organisations, universities and businesses, as well as organisations and embassies from the relevant countries.

The Mayor’s Office is developing a festival in 2011 about the contemporary Arab world and is working with a range of organisations.

There is, of course, a long historic link between Britain and the Arab world. Today, the countries of the 22 states of the Arab League are also important for London in terms of tourism, inward investment, business and higher education connections and cultural collaboration. Many London-based cultural organisations, such as the British Museum and the Serpentine Gallery have cultivated relationships with partners across the region in recent years.

The Mayor would like to organise a festival that will:

• Increase Londoners’ understanding of the Arab world and showcase exciting and innovative cultural developments in architecture, visual arts, music, theatre, literature, fashion, film, and food.

• Enable an official welcome by the London Mayor to visitors from the region during summer 2011

• Offer new networking opportunities between cultural and business organisations in London and the Arab world.

• Create high impact, positive media coverage in the region and London.

• Enhance London’s status as a welcoming, cosmopolitan city in the run up to 2012

• Build relationships of mutual respect and engagement for the long term.

Date: 4^th –24^th July 2011

Programme Elements

The cultural programme may include the following strands:

· Reception and dinner hosted by the Mayor and Festival Patrons for select business and diplomatic contacts

· Exhibitions and performances at venues around London showing work commissioned for the festival or loaned from Arab galleries and museums

(up to 5 high quality initiatives presented by leading London/Arab artists and institutions)

· Headline cultural and performance all-day event in central London location, with involvement of Arab artists

· All-day Arab cultural and gastronomic celebration including street dining and cooking demonstrations (closure or part closure of Edgware Road, programming in partnership with key local cultural institutions such as the Serpentine and inviting participation from range of local community and retail organisations)

· Festival of contemporary Arab film (to be programmed in partnership with organisations such as ICA, BAFTA, BFI and / or Zenith)

· Publication of a guide to London in Arabic (to be created in partnership with Visit London or Time Out)

· Visual arts exhibition hosted by leading auction house

· Presentations on culture in the Arab world e.g. ground-breaking architecture in the Gulf, establishing new museums and galleries in places like Qatar (programmed in partnership with organisations like the British Museum)

· Training and familiarisation events for the corporate world including how to do business with London and the Arab world (to be programmed with leading business partner, with possible input from Think London, ABCC and Arab League)

· Partner programme with London cultural organisations across visual arts, architecture, design, fashion, music, drama and film (a programme of 40-50 high quality events including UK premieres of work from the Arab region, and showcasing existing and new UK Arab artistic collaborations)

· Closing event with performance by household name from the Arab world (the artist would be carefully selected to ensure greatest possible media cut through in Arab region, performance would be programmed at leading London venue such as Barbican or South Bank)

A range of participants are confirmed in the programme, including:

Serpentine Gallery

British Museum

Delfina Foundation

Barbican

Pyramedia

Zenith Foundation

Serious

Museum of London

Institute of Contemporary Art

Nous

Tate

British Council

Sothebys

Arab British Chamber of Commerce

Council of Arab Ambassadors

Promotional campaign

There would be a strong marketing and communications campaign in London and across the Arab world, including brochures, advertising and social media. This would be developed and delivered in partnership with participating cultural organisations and sponsors. Various media partners would be secured to ensure high level impact and a specialist PR agency has been recruited.

Supporting the festival

A lead sponsor has already been secured and we are seeking additional partners from the corporate sector and private philanthropists. These may be for the entire festival or for specific art commissions and strands of activity. We are also looking for in-kind support and partners within the cultural sector who can contribute to programming.

Strike OpPose @ Barjeel Art Foundation

March 11 - July 30, 2011

A play on words of the expression “strike a pose”, the words “strike oppose” in conversation may sound like a command to model oneself for a camera snapshot, however on closer inspection the phrase comprises two words that denote resistance.

Almost everything these days is broadcast or communicated over the internet, TV or radio. Be it live news reports on natural disasters, the infidelity of a political official, an execution undertaken by terrorists, a panda sneeze getting 2.4 million hits on YouTube, or a 13-year-old’s RT #AWESOME coffee date with BFF @HotBunny15 – we are in a constant state of posing for or assembling in an audience.

The vast intake and exchange of all forms of openly sourced content is often uncritically accepted under a guise of reality. In this exhibition we examine how Arabs are both represented and projected in the ever-streaming flow of communication. The artworks inspect different forms of opposition or acquiescence to media, government regulation, kitsch and consumer culture, vanity, social taboo, injustice and mindless hogwash.

Location:
Maraya Art Centre - level 2
Al Qasba
Al Taawun Road
Sharjah

in PARIS, The Day befor the Ban...

an interview