Culture & Dialogue

Photo by Katrin Pakizer

Introduction

National, political and religious identities remain subjects of contention around the region. People in the Middle East are called upon to rally around narrowly defined values that are deployed in struggles over markets, power and cultural hegemony, and often have little opportunity to choose and decide how to define themselves, where to look for sources of inspiration and pride. The program Culture and Dialogue wants to widen understanding about the cultural dimensions of conflict and their relation to globalization and inequality of power, and supports cultural expressions and perspectives of socio-political issues and cross-cultural exchange.

Articles

Article

Saving the Arida and the Union Building

May 16, 2013 - What does it mean that the Union Building — one of city’s most prominent, if not the most prominent, modernist landmarks — is currently under threat of demolition? What does it mean that this vulgar investment culture also threatens the nearby Arida building? Anyone who has heard of the architectural pioneers responsible for these two buildings, will understand all too well how disastrous things have become.

Mazen Haidar more»

Article

The rebel mosque

- Each time people would leave the mosques to protest (at the start of the revolution) something would be added to what had gone before: a new understanding of what a mosque was would take deeper root and the old concept of mosque would crumble further. Oula Shaib Al Din - First published in Alef Today on August 18, 2012 more»

Paper

Against all odds?

- March 19, 2013 - Comics, Hip-Hop, paintings, poems or festivals. What effect can art have on a society? How do artists interact with lebanese society and what problems do they face? Artists give insights to structures, aims and problems of the Beirut art scene. by Linda Simon & Katrin Pakizer more»

Report

Modern Heritage Observatory holds first regional meeting

The Modern Heritage Observatory held its first regional meeting on 21st February, in Beirut, Lebanon. Designed as a symposium on modern cultural heritage, the one day-event brought together key actors in the field of cultural heritage preservation from across the Middle East and beyond. The symposium was an opportunity for cultural heritage actors to gather together to share experiences, and reflect on how they can collaborate to expand their activities and develop common goals with a view to lobbying for policy change to better protect modern heritage in the region. more»

Analysis

Revolution and language

- Language is a living being that is born and dies, that grows, evolves, spreads out, reshapes the mind, is rational, thinks, feels, guesses, deduces, takes risks, revolts, conquers, is defeated and loses, and one that endlessly destroys itself. How is this language struggle being translated in Syria today? Oula Shaib Al Din - First Published in Arabic on Alef Website - 3/10/2012 more»

Paper

Graffiti and the Arab uprisings

- March 6, 2013 - When the graffitied slogan Ben Ali Degage (“Ben Ali, get out!”) made its first appearance in Tunisia, Ben Ali himself failed to take it seriously. How could he have known that the Arab Spring had begun and that the people of the Arab world had decided to bring down their regimes? The people rose up, and graffiti came to the public squares to help them as they tried to break apart the foundations of the regimes that ruled them. more»

Article

Rabia’s Free Kick

- December 24, 2012 - Tradition and Emancipation are two important poles influencing the societal acceptance of women's soccer in Lebanon. in this article, the author examines this influence through a number of interviews, observations and narratives. Florian Sonntag more»

ARTICLE

An introduction to an existential anthropology

- November 8, 2012 - This article tackles many aspects of the Muslims’ lives in the western countries and their views about religion and freedom. In addition, the author Ibrahim Ramadan discusses how the west views the Muslims and what causes all these preconceptions. Sheikh Ibrahim Ramadan more»

Article

A New Islamophobia

- Islamophobia, according to the author, is a growing phenomenon in Western countries. Drawing on prejudices against Islam that have deep in roots in Christian European history and thought, the phenomenon has reached unprecedented heights in the post 9/11 political discourse. By Ilan Halevi more»

Article

'Orientalizing the Orientals': The Other Message of Edward Said

- Arising from an interest in the study of the modalities of production of knowledge in and about the Arab region, this paper deals with Occidentalism, understood as the body of narratives and discourses by which Europeans and the US societies, governments and policies are represented and interpreted in this part of the world. By Fawwaz Traboulsi more»

Article

On Blasphemy, Bigotry and the Politics of Culture Talk

- Following-up on his book from 2004 titled "Good Muslim, Bad Muslim", the author advances further arguments on how to better understand the "clash of civilizations" - including its distinctive European version - and how to best develop an effective counter to hate movements organized as political projects. By Mahmoud Mamdani more»

Events

Event

International Archives Day

May 19, 2013 - Under the patronage of the UNESCO Beirut Office, The Modern Heritage Observatory invites you to celebrate the International Archives day for the first time in Lebanon on Sunday June 9, 2013. more»

Exhibition

Modern Design and Architecture in the Arab World: the Beginnings of a Project

- May 13, 2013 - Date and Time: Monday May 13th 2013 from 6 to 9 pm
Place: Villa Salem (Otium) - Clemenceau, Beirut

In its first exhibition, “Modern Design and Architecture in the Arab World: the Beginnings of a Project,” the Arab Center for Architecture (ACA) showcases local modernity and the design work of its pioneering architects. A selection of drawings, documents, photographs and models from ACA’s archives and private collections highlight the work of a generation of architects who lived and practiced in Lebanon and thus shaped the Modern Heritage of the country. more

Book Launch

Release of "Anywhere but Now"

- December 13, 2012 - The Heinrich Böll Foundation has the pleasure to invite you to attend the release of its new print and online publication “ANYWHERE BUT NOW: LANDSCAPES OF BELONGING IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN” . more»

Art Exhibiton

Home Workspace Program - Open Studios

- July 19, 2012 -

As Home Workspace first edition reaches its conclusion, Ashkal Alwan invites you to attend the program’s open studios featuring 12 artists/participants. The open studios offer a rich variety of artistic disciplines and forms including videos, installations, paintings, drawings, music, digital prints, photos and performances.

TO VIEW THE FULL LIST OF EVENTS, CLICK HERE

Projects

Cultural Media

Khat Taleth

Initiative for the Maturation of Public Consciousness

Khat Thaleth” is a project that has gathered a broad cross-section of the most conscious and innovative Arab hip hop artists and music producers from the Middle East and diaspora to give them a platform for free expression about the on-going revolutionary changes in the region.

The overall objective of this project is to contribute to freedom of expression and the regional exchange of critical voices and try to overcome taboos on contemporary socio-economic and political issues in individual countries as well as in the region.

Project

The Modern Heritage Observatory

- September 4, 2012 - The Modern Heritage Observatory is an initiative launched by Heinrich Boell Foundation in partnership with organizations from around the MENA region. The project aims to advocate for the preservation of modern cultural heritage – with an emphasis on photography, music, architecture, video and film – in the Middle East and North Africa. more»

Beirut - Cologne Artist Residency Program

Art and Archive. Open Call for Proposals

- The City of Cologne and the City of Beirut with their partners launched a call for applications welcoming art practitioners to apply for a residency in all art disciplines including visual arts, writers, musicians, curators, film makers, art researchers etc. the call was lately closed and the Cologne and Beirut juries have chosen two resident artist to participate in a three month residency program in the two cities. more»

Cultural Magazine

Kalamon

- Kalamon is an Arabic quarterly magazine published in Lebanon. It seeks to provide a free space for articles, essays, studies and literary texts pertaining to the Arab world and aims at stimulating dialogue among intellectuals and academics, artists and critics from the region and the world. more»

Video Platform

Platforms for Critical Intellectual and Cultural Exchange

Ashkal Alwan - The Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts, initiates and promotes critical artistic practices and continuously works to document and build an archival record of contemporary intellectual and creative activity. Ashkal Alwan organizes the Home Works Forum, which is a multidisciplinary project that brings together artists, writers and intellectuals to present their works over a 10-day period through a calendar of events open to the public.

Publication

Anywhere but Now

December 18, 2012 - This publication derives its title from a three-day symposium held in Beirut in April 2009, which brought together scholars, writers, filmmakers and artists to explore questions around landscapes of belonging. "Anywhere but Now" assembles diverse desires for elsewhere. It is a compilation of apart-ness, a chronicle of ruptures, violence and yearning, through time and across geographies. Edited by Samar Kanafani, Munira Khayyat, Rasha Salti and Layla Al-Zubaidi more»

Edited Volume

Cultural Practices of Arab Youth - Volume XIV 2009-2010

- The latest volume of collected articles and essays published by Bahithat (The Lebanese Association of Women Researchers) analyzes and contextualizes contemporary cultural practices and forms of entertainment applied by young people (aged 15 – 24 years) in several Arab countries and in the Diaspora. more»

TO VIEW THE FULL LIST OF PUBLICATIONS, CLICK HERE