Tea With Culture

An interview with Jowe Harfouche, Executive Director of NAAS (Network of Arab Alternative Screens), a network that champions innovation in cinema exhibition in the Arabic-speaking region, aiming to broaden the scope of films available to the Arab public and encourage dialogue around cinema and its history. It is the only initiative of its kind in the region. The members of NAAS include cinemas, cine-clubs, cultural centres, distributors, and initiatives that attempt to support a vibrant and sustainable cinema culture and develop audiences engagement with film. Members and Affiliate Members include: Algeria: - Project'heurts http://projectheurts.com Egypt: - Animation School - Jesuit Cairo (AM) - Cinema Everywhere http://www.cinema-everywhere.com/en (AM) - Cimatheque http://cimatheque.org - Terr.so https://terr.so (AM) - Wekalet Behna https://www.facebook.com/groups/wekaletbehna - Zawya Cinema http://zawyacinema.com - Zawya Distribution http://zawyacinema.com/distribution (AM) Lebanon: - MC Distri

An interview about Maskoon Fantastic Film Festival in Beirut, the only festival in the Arab world focusing exclusively on modern genre film, bringing the best horror, thriller, fantasy and action films from around the globe . Wael Hattar meets Maskoon's co-founders Antoine Waked (Creative Director) and Myriam Sassine(Executive Director) to talk about the film festival, its objectives, the role it plays within the local community, plus the challenges and opportunities since its launch in 2016. https://twitter.com/MaskoonFFFest https://www.instagram.com/maskoonfff/ https://www.facebook.com/MASKOONFFF/ https://twitter.com/antoinewaked https://twitter.com/sacinephile

An interview with film critic/programmer Joseph Fahim about film criticism in the Arab world, the role of film festivals in the Arab region, Arab films and filmmakers to look out for. We also discuss the challenges of film funding, film censorship and film education. You can follow Joseph Fahim on Twitter https://twitter.com/joseph_fahim where he shares his writings and projects he is working on. Links to the festivals we talked about: Berlin Critics' Week http://wochederkritik.de/en_US/ Carthage Film Festival http://www.jcctunisie.org/eng/ Dubai International Film Festival https://dubaifilmfest.com El Gouna Film Festival http://www.elgounafilmfestival.com Karlovy Vary Film Festival http://www.kviff.com/en Maskoon Film Festival https://www.facebook.com/MASKOONFFF Qumra http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/qumra

Interview with Azim Al Ghussein who describes himself as a cartoonist, illustrator and soapmaker. We talk about his start as an illustrator, inspiration from Fairuz, language, Middle Eastern folklore, Nabulsi soap and maps. You can see and follow Azim's work by clicking on one of the following links: http://www.azimgh.com https://twitter.com/azimgh https://www.instagram.com/azimgh

We had a fun chat with artist Sara Al Haddad who creates sculptures and text pieces with fabric, thread, yarn and textile. We discuss how she started, her process, the development and the meaning of her work. Al Haddad has participated in several exhibitions in the UAE and is currently one of the artists in Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play exhibition in the UAE National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (http://nationalpavilionuae.org/art/2017-2/) which is on until 26 November 2017. http://wwww.sara-alhaddad.com

We are joined by Faisal Al Zaabi (https://twitter.com/cinestrong) to discuss the 31st edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato which took place between 24 June and 2 July 2017 in Bologna. A festival organised by the Cineteca di Bologna that is dedicated to the rediscovery of old, rare and little-known films with a particular focus on cinema origins and the silent movie period. We also discuss the lack of institutions in the Arab world to archive and restore films and the lack of seeing old Arab films on the big screen. https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/

Our top picks of things to see and do this summer in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Exhibitions: Dubai: Art Print III - Meem Gallery http://meemartgallery.com/exhibitions_details.php?id=72 Abu Dhabi: But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Art Community, 1988-2008 - NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery http://www.nyuad-artgallery.org/en_US/exhibitions/but-we-cannot-see-them/ Sharjah: - Collectivity: Objects and Associations in the UAE Art World - Maraya Art Centre http://maraya.ae/collectivity/ - Vantage Point 5: Architecture and Urban Landscape - Sharjah Art Foundation http://sharjahart.org/sharjah-art-foundation/exhibitions/vantage-point-sharjah-5 Film: We discussed some of the less mainstream or "studio" films across the cineplexes in the UAE this summer, as well as community created film projects listed below. Dubai: - DIFF365 daily screenings with a new film every two weeks at VOX Cinemas (Mall of the Emirates) - Monthly screenings hosted by The Scene at Roxy Cinemas https://www.thesceneclub.com - Daily film

In this episode we talk to Laura Metzler, curator at Maraya Art Centre about the exhibition Collectivity: Objects and Associations in the UAE Art World. The exhibition brings together artworks and objects lent from personal collections across the United Arab Emirates. Rather than being acquired from collectors, institutions, or artists, the traditional faces of the art world, they are from the people who carry out the everyday labor that make the production, circulation, and interpretation of art possible within the county. It’s an inversion of the relationships we generally explore, a focus shift that allows for another way of understanding what ties us together as a community and industry. We discuss how this exhibition was put together and the response it has been receiving. Exhibition link and to view the online catalogue: http://maraya.ae/collectivity/ Exhibition dates: 15 June - 17 August 2017

Hind Mezaina meets Maya Allison, Bana Kattan and Alaa Edris from NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery to talk about the exhibition But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Art Community, 1988-2008. The exhibition looks at the role of one of the most important artistic communities in the history of the UAE that played a key role in developing and influencing artists in the country. A community who turned to one another for support and encouraged radical, formal and conceptual experimentation despite their initial rejection by art and cultural institutions in the UAE. In tandem with the exhibition there's a a book of interviews with the artists. Together, the exhibition and book begin the process of tracing this pivotal artistic community in the key years of its formation. The exhibition features works by: Hassan Sharif Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim Abdullah Al Saadi Mohammed Kazem Hussein Sharif Vivek Vilasini Jos Clevere Ebtisam Abdulaziz Exhibition link: http://www.nyuad-artgallery.org/en_US/exhibitions/but-we-cannot-see-t

In this episode, Hind Mezaina interviews Yasmin Atassi from Green Art Gallery in Dubai about the exhibition Modernist Women of Egypt. The exhibition focuses on the period between the 1950s and early 1970s, it reflects on the role of women artists from that period and addresses issues of nationalism, womanhood, activism, traditions and multiculturalism. Yasmin and Hind discuss the reasons behind the show, the artists featured in it, the representation of women in art and if this is a feminist exhibition. The exhibition features works by Inji Efflatoun, Vessela Farid, Tahia Halim, Zeinab Abdel Hamid, Effat Naghi, Marguerite Nakhla, Gazbia Sirry, and Margo Veillon. Exhibition link: http://www.gagallery.com/exhibitions/modernist-women-of-egypt Exhibition dates: 22 May - 27 July 2017

In this episode, Hind Mezaina is in conversation with curator Munira Al Sayegh's exhibition Bayn: The In-Between at Warehouse 421 in Abu Dhabi. The exhibition features work by the following artists: Asma Al Ahmed Hatem Hatem Maytha Al Shamsi Nasser Alzayani Saif Mhaisen Sara Al Haddad Talal Al Ansari Talin Hazbar Manal Al Dowayan, as special guest artist Exhibition link: http://www.uaeunlimited.org/bayn Exhibition dates: 25 February - 18 June 2017

Reza Aramesh talks about the series of sculptures he has been working on, after a show at Leila Heller in Dubai in 2016 more work was presented for Art Dubai (when we had this interview) and leading us to his most current installation at Art Basel. Reza explains the conceptualisation of his work, as well as discussing his usage of the male figure, as well as the body (in art) in general. Reza will be participating in the Parcours section of Art Basel from June 15 to June 18, presenting three larger scale hand-carved and polished marble sculptures “Site of the Fall: Study of the Reaniassance Garden” which use the classical aesthetic, along with male figure from contemporary media to question the traditional representation of suffering as he had explained in this interview. You can see more of his work at http://www.leilahellergallery.com/artists/reza-aramesh and for more information on the pieces at Art Basel https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/17392

An interview with Hadeyeh Badri and Hala Al Ani from Möbius Design Studio about Design House 2017: Change, Coordinates + Someone Else an exhibition curated by Möbius Design Studio at 1971 Design Space in Sharjah. The exhibition is a result of investigating the conditions of a location and a group of people and the proposed design-driven solutions that came out of these investigations which address existing short-comings or uncover hidden potentials that could support, improve the quality of life, or give voice to the people they spoke to. The exhibition includes the following projects: - Adaptive Space by Cristiano Luchetti - Emptiness by Caravan (Ivan Parati, Emanuela Corti) - The Little Ambassadors by Mays Albeik - Little Syria in the Heart of Sharjah by Reem Falaknaz and Tulip Hazbar - Nomadic Shadow by Juan Roldan Martin and Beatriz Itzel Cruz Megchun - Stitchanonymous by Ola Dajani - Wajha: Sharjah Edition by Ali Almasri and Hussein Alazaat "What is considered change? In its simplest forms, chan

Interview with Hadeyeh Badri about her solo exhibition The Body Keeps the Score at Tashkeel in Dubai. “The Body Keeps the Score” by Hadeyeh Badri explores the intimate and personal account of losing her late aunt, Shahnaz Badri. The body of work started as an act of commemoration with Badri safekeeping her late aunt Shahnaz Badri's belongings out of an innate fear that she would be forgotten. Observations from the hospital dominate some of Badri’s most cherished and at the same time, most dreaded memories. As her aunt’s primary caretaker at the hospital, she was witness to repeated waves of recovery and relapse, and eventually, as the doctors coined it, ‘deterioration’. “Language is insufficient when describing painful or traumatic experiences” says Badri. Read more and see images from the exhibition at http://tashkeel.org/exhibitions/the-body-keeps-the-score Exhibition dates: 13 April - 13 May 2017 (extended till 17 May 2017)

In this episode, Hind Mezaina and Wael Hattar discuss Sharjah Biennial 13 (http://sharjahart.org/biennial-13), its themes, events and activities happening during the biennial, the off-site projects in Dakar, Istanbul, Ramallah and Beirut, the online publication https://tamawuj.org, plus a list of favourite works. [Disclosure: Hind Mezaina is one of the artists participating in this year's biennial] The Sharjah Biennial is split across the following areas/venues in Sharjah: Al Mureijah Square Calligraphy Square and Calligraphy Museum Arts Square and Bait Al Serkal The Flying Saucer Old Sharjah Planetarium Beej Roundabout Al Hamriyah Studios Works discussed in this episode: Allora & Calzadilla - The Great Silence http://u-in-u.com/en/sharjah-biennial/2017/sharjah/visual-tour-01/allora-calzadilla/ Metahaven - Information Skies http://u-in-u.com/en/sharjah-biennial/2017/sharjah/visual-tour-01/metahaven/ Ro Dib - Here and There http://u-in-u.com/en/sharjah-biennial/2017/sharjah/visual-tour-03/roy-dib/ Hi

Samia Halaby talks to Wael Hattar about her work in general and her most recent show “Illuminated Space" at Ayyam Gallery in Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai. A very energetic interview where the discussions and arguments covered the process of work, intuition, art market and curators. Illuminated Space is on until 17th June 2017. While her second exhibition, “Documentary Drawings of the Kafr Qasem Massacre”, also at Ayyam Gallery ends on 27th April 2017 . You can read more about the exhibitions by clicking on the links below: - Illuminated Space http://www.ayyamgallery.com/exhibitions/samia-halaby_6 - Documentary Drawings of the Kafr Qasim Massacre http://www.ayyamgallery.com/exhibitions/samia-halaby_7

A quick look at the 7th edition of SIKKA Art Fair and some thoughts on how the fair has taken shape in the last few years. We also compare it to Bastakiya Art Fair that preceded it between 2007-2010(known as Creek Art Fair in 2007 and 2008) which used to be organized by XVA Gallery under the direction of owner Mona Hauser. We conclude our episode with an interview with Lina Younes from The Animation Chamber, one of the longest running participants at SIKKA. Links: www.artweek.ae/new-events-5/2017/2/14/sikka-fair www.xvagallery.com www.facebook.com/TheAnimationChamber/

Our top picks of exhibitions and museums to see between January and March 2017. This episode includes: Performances/Music: 1. Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark Cinema Concert at Dubai Opera 2. Shakespeare Under the Stars - Macbeth in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman 3. Performances at NYU Abu Dhabi Art Center www.nyuad-artscenter.org/en_US/events/ Exhibitions in Dubai: 4. Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme - And Yet My Mask is Powerful I at Art Jameel Project Space 5. Samia Halaby - Illuminated Space/Documentary Drawings of the Kafr Qasem Massacre at Ayyam Gallery 6. Joshua Watts - Emergent Momenta at FN Design 7. Vikram Divecha - Minor Work at IVDE 8. Lala Rukh - sagar at Grey Noise 9. Artist Run New York: The Seventies at Jean Paul Najjar 10. Fouad Elkhoury - Suite Egyptienne at The Thirdline 11. Image of Self at Total Arts in The Courtyard 12. Fari Bradley - STITCHES TO SAVE 9 WITH at The Mine 13. Abdolreza Aminlari - remnants, Aidan Salakhova’s - (In) Stability, Ammar Al Attar - The Medium is the Mes

In this episode we discuss the 11th edition of Art Dubai. We highlight the changes we noticed with the new fair director, Myrna Ayad. We discuss works by this year's Abraaj Group Art Prize winner Rana Begum and the shortlisted artists, Doa Aly, Sarah Abu Abdallah and Raha Raissnia. We also look at the various talks that took place across the fair and the role/presence of Art Dubai's sponsors and partners. We also ask look at the changes to A.i.R Dubai and list some of our favourite works we saw at the different galleries: Rana Samara at Zawyeh Gallery (Ramallah) Amba Sayal-Bennett at Carbon 12 (Dubai) Mario Garcia Torres at Galleria Franco Noero (Turin) Aya Haider, Ahmed Matar, Muhanned Shono, Sara Abdu at Athr Gallery (Jeddah)

In this episode Hind Mezaina shares some of her highlights from Berlinale 2017 and discusses with Wael Hattar the screening of Moonlight in Dubai. There's also a discussion about film screenings organised by The Scene Club, Reel Palestine and WOW Film Festival in Dubai and thoughts on the lack of success of independent films (Arab and non-Arab films) in UAE cinemas. CORRECTION: We wrongly refer to Nawaf Al Janahi's film at WOW Film Festival as Under the Shadow instead of Sea Shadow. Also towards the end we say DIFF completed 12 years, but DIFF completed 13 years in 2016. Films mentioned in this episode: Call Me By Your Name A Fantastic Woman Barry Lyndon I am Not Your Negro In the Intense Now Stranger Days THX 1138 Letters from a Dead Man Moonlight Sea Shadow Sonita Honey, Rain & Dust The Eagle Huntress Please do excuse the sound recording quality as the recording is from two different venues. We're working in improving the quality for future episodes.