May 18 2005

Nobel Laureates Gather in Petra-Jordan

Nobel laureates from across the globe gathered in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra on Wednesday with the lofty goal of seeking solutions to the world’s problems.
Over the course of 2 days, the 29 laureates and other leaders will examine and try to find solutions for problems in four main areas, including terror and peace, economic development and poverty, health and environment, and education and media.
Hollywood actor Richard Gere joined Peace Prize winner the Dalai Lama for the illustrious meeting of top thinkers which host King Abdullah II said was aimed at finding a new start for a planet wracked by conflict and poverty.
“The world is at a critical crossroad,” the Jordanian monarch said in his opening speech. “A process begins here – a process that all of you will shape – and by your effort, help shape our world.” Highlighting the conflict in the Middle East, he said the world needed to make a “new beginning” to create more freedom and opportunity, build peace and expand global cooperation, with a particular focus on youth.

[Source: Middle East Online, Al Ghad (AR)]

Isn’t this just great? I believe Petra is the perfect place for the gathering of great minds…

Category: Art & Literature, General, Jordan, Media, International | LEAVE A COMMENT
April 14 2005

In Love With Colours…

The other day and while checking Serdal I found a great recommendation of his: COLOURlovers.
COLOURlovers is run by a very creative person who is deeply in love with colours: Darius Monsef.

This site is a must visit for any designer or anyone who loves colours and mixing them. It’s such a simple, plain and lovely colour inspiration where you can view, rate, and review colours and palettes.
If you’re creative enough, talented in mixing and creating new colours, you can also name your colour and submit it for others to use, rate and admire.

I really loved the idea and the colours, check it out 🙂

Category: Art & Literature, Cool Stuff | LEAVE A COMMENT
March 23 2005

Palestine Wins Saddest Photo Prize

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Palestine won the prize for the saddest photo in the BBC “Sadness and Joy” photography contest.
The photo captured by the Palestinian TV producer Abdul-Rahman Al-Humran, shows three young girls weeping in sorrow for their brother, who was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the city of Rafah in Gaza, won the first place in the competition.
The winning photo was published in six different languages on the BBC websites.

[Via: PalestineBlogs, and Sabbah’s Blog]

Category: Art & Literature, General, Media, International, Palestine | LEAVE A COMMENT
March 3 2005

State Of Mind…

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t!
If you’d like to win, but you think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost;
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind!

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
Before you ‘ll ever win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the person who thinks he can!

-Author Unknown-

Category: Art & Literature, General | LEAVE A COMMENT
March 1 2005

A Journey In Preserving The Palestinian Identity

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Established 1979, El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe aimed at reviving Palestinian music and dance folklore as a part of the national identity.
They succeeded in preserving old songs and dances, such as the “dabke,” a traditional dance form popular among Arabs of the Middle East, using traditional Arab instruments like oud, nai, and tabla.

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A very interesting paragraph related to El-Funoun on This Week In Palestine caught my attention: “At the time, Israeli leaders liked to think and to publicly announce that Palestinians did not exist as a nation; and, to fulfill the prophecy, they attempted to destroy and/or confiscate the indigenous Palestinian culture, heritage, tradition, history and identity, if not explicitly then through convoluted schemes and arbitrary “laws.” Flight attendants on board Israel’s airline El Al were issued Palestinian embroidered costumes; the golden Dome of the Rock was prominently flashed on every Israeli travel brochure; hummus and falafel were served as traditional Israeli cuisine; a myriad of Arab-Palestinian slang expressions entered the Israeli idiom as native talk; and of course the colors of the Palestinian flag were not allowed to be combined in any shape or form, even on a painting. Any slight assertion of Palestinian identity was severely punished”.
I’m so happy that El-Funoun never gave up and kept fighting to protect the Palestinian Identity from fading away despite all the difficulties they faced from the occupation, which did not spare any effort in holding them back.

To counter the marginalization and alienation of Palestinian children and youth through music and dance expression, El-Funoun decided to form the Youth Troupe(Bara’em):
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25 dancers (both females and males) aged 8 – 15 are carefully selected by El-Funoun choreographers according to their artistic talent and promising devotion to learn and develop.

I must say I am so proud of El-Funoun, and I truly wish them the best of luck to continue their great mission in preserving and promoting the Palestinian Identity.

For more information about El-Funoun, their contacts, their photo gallery, their video clips, and much more, visit their -breathtaking- official website which is available in both Arabic and English.

Category: Arab Societies, Art & Literature, General, Palestine | LEAVE A COMMENT
February 23 2005

When Art Speaks For The People: Taysir Batniji

“Je ne suis pas que Palestinien, je suis aussi artiste. Je souhaite que mon travail soit compris et accepté parce que c’est un travail artistique. Les autres te regardent à travers ce préjugé, ce prisme du Palestinien que tu es”.
Meaning: I am not only Palestinian, I am also an artist. I wish that my work will be understood and accepted because it’s art, I don’t want to be prejudged because I’m “Palestinian”…

Born in Gaza, Palestine, in 1966. He studied fine arts in Nablus (Palestine). He continued his studies in France.
He has staged exhibitions at various venues in Europe and beyond. He held a solo presentation in Centre Culturel Français, Gaza (Palestine) in 2004, and in 2002 he exhibited among others in Belgrade, in Berlin (K&S Gallery), and in Paris (La Galerie). His work was also presented at the Havana Biennial and the Venice Biennale in 2003.

Taysir Batniji’s art confronts the reality of the land from which he comes: Palestine. He especially dedicates himself to questions of identity, exile and home. The fragmentary video images and photos, recorded on the streets and markets of his hometown Gaza show a very sharp observation of the reality of this occupied city.
Since some time now, Batniji, like all plastic artists, has been tackling the image through videos and slides. Batniji wants to give Palestinians the chance to represent themselves and to speak of themselves through images done by them. To insist, exist, resist… in the face of absence and silence.

Since the second Intifada broke out in 2001, the Rafah border has been the only way for people from the Gaza Strip to leave or enter the region. People travel via Cairo airport, men traveling alone separated from the other travelers, and under heightened Egyptian guard. All the travelers encounter each other in an open-air transit zone in Rafah, waiting for the moment when the Israelis will permit them transit to Gaza. This wait can last from a day to several weeks.
In 2004 Taysir Batniji photographed his journey to the Gaza Strip. The work Transit presents these images and reflects on the extremely difficult conditions under which Palestinians must travel.

In 1997 he put up an installation of 20 rolls of white cloth on which were imprints of keys – those that Palestinian families took along with them when they had to flee their homes in 1948…
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For details about him and samples of his work in French click here.

I really wish him more success, and hope he’ll keep offering us this great quality of work that reveals the artistic as well as the patriotic side of a talented, determined and proud Palestinian.
[Sources: This Week In Palestine, ArtCrafts]

Category: Art & Literature, Palestine | LEAVE A COMMENT
January 13 2005

“Check Your Art Sense!”

After some garbage men accidentally burnt an artwork, which they mistook for trash, Frankfurt’s Städel Museum has decided that they need to hone their art-appreciation skills and attend art lessons…

What appeared to be nothing but a yellow plastic object that should be burnt, turned out to be a sculpture and part of an ongoing art exhibition by Michael Beutler, a graduate of the city’s prestigious Städel Museum. The show involved a total of ten sculptures made of yellow wood and cement that were distributed over the city.

The museum said it wanted to hone the appreciation and understanding of art among the city’s sanitation officials. Therefore, the museum will invite the garbage collectors to learn a few artsy pointers once a month under the motto “Check your Art Sense!”.

During the first class, which takes place on Jan. 16, the museum plans to place a largely unknown painting from its storage room in front of a famous one that’s currently displayed in its ongoing public exhibition.

Source: DW-World

Category: Art & Literature, Cool Stuff, General | LEAVE A COMMENT
January 7 2005

Life …

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

-unknown author-

Category: Art & Literature, General | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 3 2004

The Grumble Family

A cute poem I thought I’d share here with you… enjoy 🙂

The Grumble Family
There’s a family nobody likes to meet;
They live, it is said, on Complaining Street
In the city of Never-Are-Satisfied,
The River of Discontent beside.

They growl at that and they growl at this;
Whatever comes, there is something amiss;
And whether their station be high or humble,
They are all known by the name of grumble.

The weather is always too hot or cold;
Summer and winter alike they scold.
Nothing goes right with the folks you meet
Down on that gloomy Complaining Street.

They growl at the rain and they growl at the sun;
In fact, their growling is never done.
And if everything pleased them, there isn’t a doubt
They’d growl that they’d nothing to grumble about!

But the queerest thing is that not one of the same
Can be brought to acknowledge his family name;
For never a Grumbler will own that he
Is connected with it at all, you see.

The worst thing is that if anyone stays
Among them too long, he will learn their ways;
And before he dreams of the terrible jumble
He’s adopted into the family of Grumble.

And so it were wisest to keep our feet
From wandering into Complaining Street;
And never to growl, whatever we do,
Lest we be mistaken for Grumblers, too.

Let us learn to walk with a smile and a song,
No matter if things do sometimes go wrong;
And then, be our station high or humble,
We’ll never belong to the family of Grumble!

-unknown author-

Category: Art & Literature | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 3 2004

Tahir Rashid

Tahir Rashid is a very talented poet, songwriter and singer.
“My style of writing might be very different to a lot of the poets and lyricists as I do not compromise on what subject I want to write and I try to convey my feelings as openly as possible.” He says.
The main influence for his poetry is this world in itself. World events, situation of the people and the different phases he has gone through in his life.
Other than his spiritually/religiously subjected poems he’s also working on a hip hop album on which he will be performing with some other fellow artists.

Via: Subzero Blue

Category: Art & Literature, Entertainment, Religion | LEAVE A COMMENT