Programme of Events
During this period The Mosaic Rooms launched Disappearing Cities of the Arab World, an ambitious cultural programme of exhibitions, talks and screenings, focused on the destruction of Arab urban life in the post-colonial age. The programme opened in Spring 2013 and over the year the following exhibitions were held as part of this programming thematic: Dor Guez’s 40 Days focused on the remaining Palestinian minority in the previously Palestiniancity of Lydd, almost completely depopulated in the 1948 war by the invading Israeli forces. Early 2014 featured a two-part exhibition on Baghdad, Threads of Light // Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here.The latter paid homage to Baghdad’s cultural hub at Al-Mutanabbi Street, which was devastated by a bomb in 2007. Spring 2014 presented Mogadishu-Lost Moderns an exhibition by Rashid Ali and Andrew Cross, which looked through architecture at the past, present, and potential future of the Somali capital city. This was the first exhibition with new works commissioned by The Mosaic Rooms. An accompanying publication was produced for this exhibition and also 40 Days.
Other visual arts exhibitions that occurred during this reporting period included: YAYA12 (Young Artist of the Year Award) (22nd June-16th August 2013)which presented a selection of works from the 2012 A. M. Qattan Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year Award as part of Shubbak: A Window on Contemporary Arab Culture 2013. Carwan Gallery Pop Up (13th-24th September 2013) featured objects from Carwan Gallery’s international designers who work in partnership with Middle Eastern artisans. The exhibition was part of London Design Festival 2013. LAWAND: Equinox - From Beirut to London (04.10.13 – 29.11.13) was first UK solo exhibition by Syrian artist Lawand and was part of Nour Festival of Art. For this exhibition the poet Pascale Petit was commissioned to write a number of new poems in response to the artist’s drawings. The poems and accompanying drawings were then made into a special publication, entitled Effigies.
To accompany each exhibition there was an associated talk. Highlights included artist Dor Guez speaking with Achim Borchardt-Hume, Head of Exhibitions at Tate Modern about his work; Carwan Gallery founder Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte spoke with Malu Halassa and Najla El Zein on ‘The Art of Contemporary Design From Beirut’ in association with the V&A as part of London Design Festival; Alan Ingram chaired a discussion about the Al-Mutanabbi Street Project with artists Catherine Cartwright, Mona Kriegler and guest speakers Dr Safaa Sangour Al-Salih and Rashad Salim; architect Rashid Ali discussed the architecture of Mogadishu at an event entitled ‘Mogadishu: Making of a Modern African City’; photographer Andrew Cross reflected on his experience of travelling to Mogadishu with Culture and Conflict’s co-director Michaela Crimmin and British photographer Eugene Dolberg.
Beyond the general public, The Mosaic Rooms is continuously trying to reach specific communities through its education and outreach programme. For example during the exhibition by Syrian Kurdish artist Lawand, research was conducted on relevant Syrian & Kurdish community groups in London and invites and promotional material sent directly to them. This is done to ensure cultural offerings are being made to relevant communities that might otherwise feel marginalised.
Our engagement programme similarly brings our work directly to hard to reach local communities. In summer 2013 we delivered a project with artists kennardphillips to two local youth groups Making Communities Grow & Work and Chelsea Youth Club. This enabled thirty-five young people aged between 18 and 21 old in the borough to discuss what home means to them and what it means to feel ‘at home’ in oneself and in society. For many this was the first time they had worked with artists, and they created paper-based artworks using collage. Feedback was extremely positive, showing the need for such work, with comments from the participants like “I loved it. Expressing thoughts on paper with images was interesting. I’d love more projects like this.” The outcomes of this project and earlier projects were then exhibited in September 2013 at The Mosaic Rooms’ exhibition Home. The young people attended the private view and for many it was their first time in a gallery, and to see their work in this setting was especially inspirational and motivational.
Our ambitious associated programme of literary and other events included the following: our supper club host Sarah al Hamad hosted an Arabian High Chai in her house for twenty guests, followed by a launch of her latest cookery collection Sun Bread and Sticky Toffee Pudding at Mosaic Rooms; authors of The Gaza Kitchen Laila el-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt launched their book in conversation with Anissa Helou; journalist Jeremy Scahill gave a talk on the topical subjects from his book Dirty Wars; Dr Hisham Khatib presented images from his book Jerusalem, Palestine and Jordan - In the Archives of Hisham Khatib; we hosted the two day Global Futures Forum organized by Winchester Centre for Global Futures in Art, Design & Media, in partnership with Ibraaz. The title of the forum was: 10 Years On: Art & Everyday Life in Iraq & Iran. There was a visual art and sonic performance by YAYA artist Dirar Kalash at the Mosaic Rooms and then at the ICA; also at the ICA Omar Al-Qattan discussed the AMQF Narrating Gaza project and spoke with Gaza based authors Ali Abukhattib and Samah al Sheikh about their work over Skype, with author Selma Debbagh; unique musical performance of early chanting traditions of the Levantine and Byzantine churches by Merit Ariane Stephanos and Father Shafiq Abouzayd. A special poetry writing workshop was delivered by poet Pascale Petit; Syrian Kurdish poet Golan Haji was in conversation with Syrian actor Ammar Haj Ahmad on the relationship between poetry and politics; a panel discussion entitled ‘Kurdish Prospects in Turbulent Times’ included Charles Tripp, Nadim Shehadi, Gary Kent, Cengiz Gunes and David McDowall; Somalia’s greatest living poet Hadraawi gave a captivating reading; a panel discussion entitled ‘Does the Arab Spring Need a Summer of Love’ withShereen El Feki, Brian Whitaker, Daniel L. Newman andMalu Halasa explored the taboos and changing sexual mores in the Arab World; Goldsmith’s Methods Lab presented a panel discussion reflecting on field work in Palestine; a special lunch was hosted by Mosaic Rooms to welcome young Kuwaiti artists who were exhibiting as part of the ‘Out of Kuwait’ exhibiting at Edge of Arabia; Olivia Snaije, Mitchell Albert and Malu Halasa launched a new book entitled ‘Keep Your Eye on the Wall’; author Raba’I Al-Madhoun discussed his novel, ‘The Lady from Tel Aviv’ with translator Elliott Colla; Nada Saleh hosted a Syrian Supper club, held for the first time in the main exhibition room at the Mosaic Rooms surrounded by the artwork; author Victoria Brittain discussed her latest book ‘Shadow Lives: The Forgotten Women of the War on Terror‘ with Iraqi artist and political activist Haifa Zangana. A talk with the architects from AMBS discussing the designs of the planned New Baghdad Library; Ikon Gallery’s director Jonathan Watkins discussed the work of Iraqi artist Jamal Penjelweny; regular supper club host Lamees Ibrahim hosted a special Valentine’s Day Supper Club at the Mosaic Rooms; an evening of discussion and readings reflecting on the poetry from Iraq with translator Lauren Pyott, Reel Festivals Daniel Gorman, actor Ammar Haj Ahmad, poet Adnan Al-Sayegh and translator and poet Stephen Watts; author and Ilan Pappe launched his new book ‘The Idea of Israel’; archaeologist Dr Sada Mire discussed the importance of preservation of heritage in conflict zones such as Somalia.
Film Screenings included Forbidden Marriages by Michel Khleifi; a selection of films from the Birds Eye View Film Festival which this year celebrated Arab Women filmmakers, included Yema, El Gusto, On the Edge, In the Shadow of a Man; a screening of documentary The Great Book Robbery by Benny Brunner with Q&A after; two screenings of a selection of short films from the AMQF Production Support Programme; screening of short films by Omar Robert Hamilton & Mosireen Collective; Yılmaz Güney's acclaimed film Yol was screened; a screening of Lebanese Rocket Society; a selection of feature, short and documentary films from the London Kurdish Film Festival; Dirty Wars, an Oscar-nominated documentary by Jeremy Scahill; A World Not Ours, a documentary film by Mahdi Fleifel.
As part of Shubbak 2013 we hosted two special evenings of play readings to showcase new playwrights from Palestine- plays included Keffiyeh/Made in China by Dalia Taha and Sabra Falling by Ismail Khalidi. There was also a reading of Mowlana by Syrian playwright Alfares Alzahabi; and an evening of readings and film entitled New Writing from Kuwait, produced by SAAB Theatre.
In the 2014 lecture in memory of Edward Said Raja Shehadeh asked ‘Is there a language of peace?’ He reflected on the categories and modes of representation-legal and cultural-that confine today’s Palestinians and the steps that need to be taken to move from the language of suffering and oppression to a new one of liberation and peace. The lecture was hosted once again at the British Museum and was a sell out.
During this reporting period there were the following residencies: exhibiting artist Dor Guez; poet Rachida Madani; director Benny Brummer; Mara Goldwyn from Slavs & Tartars during the Global Futures Forum and for a research trip; YAYA exhibiting artist Dirar Kalash; playwright Dalia Taha stayed whilst on residency with the Royal Court; Carwan Gallery director Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte; exhibiting artist Lawand; exhibiting artist Hanoos Hanoos, Laeticia Semaan stayed during her participation in the Francophonie Improvisation Festival in London.
All residents now take part where possible in a written Q&A, which is then published on the Mosaic Rooms blog. Selected event programme participants are also now interviewed for the blog, which is expanding in its content.
Looking ahead we see a collaboration with aria (artist residency in algiers) to produce a group show of contemporary Algerian artists, Intervening Space: From The Intimate To The World; summer 2014 is the realisation of our first open call curatorial proposal featuring an exhibition of landscape photography by contemporary women artists, My Sister Who Travels; our key autumn slot is a solo show by celebrated Tunisian artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke who will be creating a site specific commission inspired by the history of The Mosaic Rooms’ building.
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