In February 2016, Europe Grand Central –in co-operation with the Roberto Cimetta Fund– launched an open call to invite Arab artists to submit proposals to six thematic European art residencies on the concept of BORDERS and local communities. The call received 350 online requests and 119 written applications. Nine artists were finally selected:
Hosted by Not Quite, Fengersfors, Sweden:
Hind Oudrhiri, Moroccan architect, will explore borders from an organic perspective, by drawing a metaphorical analogy with the texture and function of the “skin” as a vital membrane and interface for experiencing external sensorial connection to the world.
Charbel Samuel Aoun, Lebanese architect and interdisciplinary artist, will explore the shifting roles of women as cultural mediators between communities, while approaching the notion of borders as a spatial and environmental paradigm.Hosted by Laminarie – DOM La Cupola del Pilastro, Bologna, Italy:
Amira-Géhanne Khelfallah is an Algeria-born playwright and theatre director currently based in Morocco. Her project is an audio-visual journey based on storytelling and creative writing; a project that reflects on borders in terms of discovering and perceiving the Other through their own eyes.Hosted by Vyrsodepseio – ODC Ensemble, Athens
Majdal Nateel is a Palestinian visual artist from Gaza. Concerned by the everyday sufferance of her people and the refugees’ living conditions, she will develop a project on lived cases depicting the individual experiences of migrants and refugees.
Reuben Yemoh Odoi is a Ghanaian musician based in Morocco. He will work with a small group of Athenians to meet the migrants and undocumented people and listen to their journeys, and then make these heard in a participatory street performance.Hosted by European Foundation for Urban Culture, Lublin, Poland:
Dina Kobrosly is a Lebanese theatre practitioner specialized in puppetry with extensive experience in drama therapy, peace building and Non-violent theatre with youth and refugee communities. Her project will be a process-oriented work with youth from different neighbourhood communities.Radhouan Fiddini is a Tunisian multi-disciplinary artist, in the thick of sound system culture and graphic art. His project deals with borders as a recurrent theme denouncing its obstructive impact on human condition development. In Lublin, he will work with unemployed individuals.Hosted by Valetta European Capital of Culture 2018, Valetta and Gozo, Malta:
Deema Shahin is a Jordanian filmmaker and photographer, born in Kuwait from Palestinian parents. Her work on borders questions the concept of emotional belonging as opposed to geographical belonging by looking at the definition of ‘home’.
Paul Geday is an Egyptian filmmaker, photographer and curator. Interested in oral and vernacular photographic history (wedding albums, family photos etc.), Paul is investigating cosmopolitan Egypt in late 19th and later during the British colonial period