The Journal
This week's picture
Digital design by Syrian artist Majdoleen Faraj, posted by digital art media Arabic Pop Art.
Location: Syria.
"Hatab Sarajevo", a novel written by Said Khatibi in Arabic, was translated by Paul Starkey and became "Sarajevo Firewood".
In this novel، Saïd Khatibi reveals the horror of a conflict between brothers from the same land، through the story of Salim (Algerian) and Ivana (Bosnia) who both fled their countries due to intense political, ethnic and religious conflicts.v The English version is published by Banipal Books.
Sharjah Architecture Triennial's autumn programme focuses on zero-waste design.
Sharjah Architecture Triennial will present a series of discussions on environmental design and architecture as part of its autumn programme, which will begin in October.
SAT Talks: Re-materialise will feature panel discussions and a video series on recycled alternatives, as well as the use of unsustainable materials in architecture and construction. The three-part video series traces the production of three different recycled materials that are available to local and regional designers, showing interviews with the materials’ creators and visitors to their factories and laboratories.
One of the featured creators is Ziad Abi Chaker, an environmental engineer who collects materials from his town of Beit Mery and other parts of Lebanon to recycle as building materials. The Rutgers-educated engineer founded Cedar Environmental in 1996 and has been working with his team to promote the recycling of building facilities in different municipalities.
The 2nd video features Ghassan Afiouni, a chemist and founder of Steel Wood, which makes boards from recycled wood collected across the UAE.
The 3rd episode turns the spotlight on Nicolas Calvet, co-founder and chief executive of Seramic Materials Limited, a UAE start-up company that is a pioneer in recycled ceramics.
More information here.
The Mrs Keepa brand is about to present its spring / summer 2022 collection for women, on the sidelines of Paris Fashion Week, and as part of the "Welcome to Paris" initiative launched by the "Fédération de la Haute Couture and de la Mode" and the Arab Fashion Council.
The runway is scheduled for September 28 at the "Palais de Tokyo" in Paris.
Directed by Franco-Egyptian designer Mariam Yeya, Mrs Keepa is inspired from her multicultural heritage.
Launched in 2016, the brand is known for its voluminous details and kaleidoscopic colors.
Moroccan banking group Attijariwafa won prestigious “Safest Bank in Africa” award.
The group won this prize for the 2nd consecutive year,, as part of the 30th annual ranking on the world's safest banks, a ranking established by American magazine "Global Finance".
The 2nd edition of the Independent Iraqi Film Festival (IIFF) is set to take place from October 01 to 07.
The seven-day film festival is online and free, with English subtitles for each movie.
It features shorts programs, feature films from established and emerging filmmakers as well as industry talks with the likes of Michael Rakowitz, Zahraa Ghandour and Mohammed Khalid.
The founders:
- Róisín Tapponi is an Assyrian Iraqi-Irish film curator, programmer, writer and academic based in London. She is the co-founder and programmer of IIFF, she is also the founder of Habibi Collective, founder CEO of Shasha Movies, and founder EIC of ART WORK Magazine. She is a writer at Frieze Magazine, and has recently been awarded the ‘World-Leading PhD Art History Scholarship’ at St. Andrews.
- Shahnaz Dulaimy is originally from Iraq and grew up in Jordan. She is a feature film editor and the first Avid Certified Editor in the Middle East. She began her editing career by working on multi-award-winning productions including the Oscar nominated film "Theeb" by Naji Abu Nowar, and Annemarie Jacir’s "When I Saw You". Most recently, she has been working alongside the Oscar nominated director Basil Khalil on his first feature length film "A Gaza Weekend".
Program of the Festival: here.
The Cultural Authority of Bahrain organises the 30th International Music Festival of Bahrain from October 2 to 16.
The inauguration of the festival will take place at the National Theater of Bahrain with Lebanese singer Jahida Wehbe.
Architect Carl Gergès adds his own touch to the Institute of the Arab World in Paris.
The architect (and member of the music group Mashrou 'Leila) was invited to design the scenography of the Institute's new exhibition "Lights of Lebanon", and redesign the "Espace des Donateurs" (Donors' place) which hosts the event.
The architect reinvented the space with the idea of representing the Arab world as a whole. He decided to use soil, the colour of which unites all countries in the region. "I realised that the colour of the land binds us, Arabs, together. The photos I came across, taken in Luxor or in Palmyra, could have been taken in Baalbek. The soil's colour is a sort of common background."
Carl Gergès decided to create this space with a 100% Lebanese team, knowing that the exhibit would be about Lebanese contemporary and modern art.
Picture: © Bassem Chahwan
The 2021 Libyan poetry contest for universities.
Organised by the Sirte University, the contest takes place from September 26 to 29 with 15 Libyan universities.
Spotify Celebrates Moroccan Rap & Hip-Hop with the launch of a brand-new visual look for "ABATERA," its iconic RapMaroc playlist.
With over 300 different artists playlisted, ABATERA ("emperors" in Arabic) shows the diversity of the Moroccan rap scene.
ABATERA is reported to have a large audience outside of Morocco, namely in the US and France. By pushing the playlist on the platform, Spotify is amplifying Moroccan hip-hop talents’ reach, and eliminating the linguistic and cultural barriers in their way to international recognition.
The top five streaming artists in Morocco over the past 60 days are local rappers, namely ElGrandeToto, Tagne, Stormy, Inkonnu and Snor.
ABATERA: https://spoti.fi/3wGq6iy.
Beirut: Lebanese independent film festival at Station Beirut on September 25 and 26.
It presents 142 films including 83 Lebanese between short and feature films, documentaries, fiction and animation films.
The full program of the festival - whose main partners are the Swedish Embassy and Night of Misfit Films, ANOMFF (USA) as well as the NGO Embrace - is available at: here.
The United States returned an ancient cuneiform tablet inscribed with part of the Epic of Gilgamesh — one of the world’s oldest known literary works — to the Iraqi government.
Iraqi Cultural Minister Hassan Nazim accepted the tablet during a ceremony in Washington. "To me, it means restituting self-esteem and the confidence in Iraqi society."
The ancient artefact has immense cultural and historical value. It contains portions of the "Epic of Gilgamesh," considered one of the oldest works of literature in human history, which tells the story of a powerful Mesopotamian king on a quest for immortality.
Some 17,000 antique artefacts were already returned to Iraq from the United States in July. The pieces mostly dated from the Sumerian period, some 4,000 years ago, one of the oldest civilisations in Mesopotamia.
The 35th edition of the Marathon of the Sands will take place from October 1 to 11 after 2 years of postponement (Covid-19).
Organized under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this edition, will welcome 750 competitors from more than 40 different nationalities.
Despite its name, it’s not a marathon but +200km (125 miles) race with 6 stages, including an 80 km non-stop stage. The race takes places in the Sahara Desert which adds two difficulties: heat and sands. Runners must be self-sufficient, which means that they have to carry their food, stove, clothe, sleeping bag and survival kit.
Despite its name, it’s not a marathon but +200km (125 miles) race with 6 stages, including an 80 km non-stop stage. The race takes places in the Sahara Desert which adds two difficulties: heat and sands. Runners must be self-sufficient, which means that they have to carry their food, stove, clothe, sleeping bag and survival kit.
Two Emiratis set for eight-month isolation mission to replicate journey to Mars.
The names of the two citizens — one of whom will take part in the arduous mission and the other a backup — will be announced soon, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre said.
The pair have been selected from a shortlist of ten candidates announced last year. The mission will involve an international crew of six people living inside the NEK experimental complex in Moscow for eight months. Sirius 20/21, the official name of the project, will measure the psychological and physiological impact on humans living in the extreme environments that astronauts would face during space travel.
Actress Menna Shalaby nominated for International Emmy Award.
She is competing in the “Best Performance by an Actor” category for her role in the crime show “Fe Kol Esboa’ Youm Gomaa,” which is Arabic for “Every Week Has A Friday.”
The TV show has 10 episodes, all on Shahid and MBC.
Critics and viewers praised Menna Shalaby's performance in particular in the very complex starring role, where she presented "Noor", the educated girl who is forced to abandon her identity and stay away from her family as a result of a media manipulation of her, which caused a scandal among her family who rejected her.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco received the Jean Jaures Peace Award from the European Center for Peace and Conflict resolution.
The judges awarded the prize to King Mohammed VI for his contribution to establish a “community of justice and peace between people and nations.”
The European Center created the award to honour public figures who work on building and promoting peace.
In honor of the 91st Saudi National Day, celebrated on Sept. 23, food and lifestyle TV channel Fatafeat has partnered with Dubai-based social media couple Ali Almeshaal and his wife Jacquelyn to cook some of the Kingdom’s most-loved dishes.
In the five-episode series, available on YouTube, the couple, who have over 750,000 subscribers on the site, shared their personal take on traditional meals like the shrimp biryani, saleeg and laham margoog.
Link to the YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3o7tIG4
Paris: Wajdi Mouawad at Paris Opera with "Oedipus" by Georges Enesco.
The one and only opera by the Romanian composer is directed by Director of the "Théâtre de la Coline" and conducted by Ingo Metzmacher, at the Opéra de Paris-Bastille until October 14.
On the occasion of the exhibition "Delacroix, souvenirs of a trip in Morocco', Barid Al-Maghrib (Morocco's post office company) issued a new stamp
The Barid Al-Maghrib Group, in partnership with the National Museum Foundation (FNM), took this initiative to celebrate Morocco's first ambassador of color and light, Delacroix. The exhibition takes place at Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat until October 9.
Music and podcast streaming platform Spotify is celebrating Saudi Arabia’s 91st National Day through music by releasing a special playlist.
Its “Ana El Saudi” playlist brings together some of the finest male and female voices to pay homage to Saudis through a rich selection of 94 patriotic songs.
The playlist: here.
Beirut: "Nevine Mattar" exhibition puts Fauvism into the spotlight, from September 21 to October 20, at the Cheriff Tabet gallery.
The exhibition encourages to look at and explore Beirut differently, through a Fauvist point of view.
Picture: © Nevine Mattar / Galerie Cheriff Tabet
“Streams”, a new fiction by Medhdi Hmili was selected for the official competition of the International Francophone Film Festival of Namur in Belgium and for La Mostra de Valencia for Mediterranean cinema in Spain.
The film had its world premiere this summer as part of the 74th Locarno Film Festival organized in August in Switzerland.
It was in the official competition in the “Cineasti Del Presenti” section among a selection of 15 films directed by emerging directors.
A tribute was paid to Jabbour Douaihy on September 25 at Ehden.
Jabbour Douaihy died on July 23, at the age of 72 in Ehden, a village in northern Lebanon and his hometown. He leaves behind him an important work of romance, crucial for the Lebanese literature.
Twice a finalist for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, he was awarded the Prize for Arabic Literature jointly organised by the Arab World Institute and the Lagardère Foundation for his novel "Chased Away".
Many high Lebanese dignitaries were present for this last tribute, in Ehden.
Photo © Antoine Doyen / Opale / Leemage
Actress Rosaline Elbay has joined the main cast of Netflix’s new series titled "Jigsaw", a heist drama based on a real story where $70bn in bonds went missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy.
Elbay is best known internationally for her recurring role as Amani in Hulu’s American comedy-drama Ramy. In Egypt, she is mostly recognised for her lead roles as Sara in MBC "Masr’s Qabeel" and Lamia in "Luebet Al Nesyan".
Died this week:
- Algerian radio host Djamel Benamara ;
- Algerian radio host Djamel Benamara ;
- Egyptian illustrator Gomaa Frahat.
Katara Prize for Arabic Fiction: Abdelhamid Benhedouga is nominated "person of the year".
On the occasion of the Kضtara Prize, an exhibit will pay tribute to him.
Considered one of the founders of the Algerian novel in Arabic, Benhedouga has published several novels, the most famous of which “The wind of the South” (1971) was adapted for the cinema.
The competition celebrates, since its 2nd edition in 2016, an Arab writer. The first tribute was paid to Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz.
Cairo: The Misr Gallery in Zamalek presents the exhibition "El- Rehla" (The Journey in Arabic) by artist Alia el-Guraydi, from September 26 to October 10.
"The idea of traveling through time and knowing different worlds of the past and the future has haunted me since my childhood, a curiosity to know people, creatures and worlds. Art gave me the opportunity to travel with my imagination, to embody some of them, answering some questions." Ali el-Guraydi says.
Ali el-Guraydi is an Egyptian visual artist, born in 1968. Her works is diverse: installations in space, videos, drawings, and jewelries.
Marrakech: the BCK Art Gallery puts street and pop art into the spotlight with the collective exhibition "Drawing Now", until the beginning of January.
Drawings, graffities, paintings ... The exhibition shows how drawing can be reinvented in different forms.
The artists:
- Benjamin Spark is a Franco-Belgian painter and plastic artist, who invented phantasmagorical characters coming from comics, caricatures, adds, ...
- Caroline Limousin, aka “Cali”, is a designer. Her technique consists in using a pen on collages. She reinterprets her icons: Madonna, Pablo Picasso, Marilyn Monroe, Andy Wharol - always with mischief and humor.
- Ceet Fouad is a graffiti painter. Born in Algeria from Moroccan parents, he arrived in France in 1978, before moving to Hong Kong in 2003 where he made a name for himself as a street art artist and businessman. He created his own artist residency, the Orange Garden in Shenzhen, where he regularly invites other painters.
Head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities Sector Osama Talaat said that the restoration and maintenance work in the Mohammad Ali Palace in Shubra is completed.
A specific date will be scheduled for its official opening.
Singer Emel Mathlouthi starts her European tour between France, Germany, Italy and Norway.
First, she will give two concerts in Cairo on October 7 and 8. Her tour will end in Japan where she will perform eleven times between the cities of Osaka, Narashino and Matsumoto.
Icone of the Jasmine Revolution, her song "Kelmti Hora" became the title of her first album. She is about to release a new one: "Mra" (women in Arabic).
"Saha, the Artist" at the National Theater in Budapest.
Written and directed by Omar Fetmouche, "Saha, the Artist" will be at the National Theater in Budapest on September 30 with actor Ahcène Azazni and musician Amar Cherifi.
The monodrama was realised in 2019 by the Bordj-Ménaïel “Théâtre Sindjab” Cooperative, in collaboration with Tna.
Expo 2020 Dubai: Official song ‘This is our time’ unveiled.
The song is led by Hussain al-Jassmi, one of the UAE’s biggest artists and Expo 2020 Ambassador, accompanied by 21-year-old Emirati singer-songwriter Almas, named in Spotify’s Best Female Talent in the Middle East, as well as Lebanese-American singer-songwriter Mayssa Karaa, who is also artistic director of Expo’s all-female Firdaus Orchestra.
One of the first global mega-events to take place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Expo 2020 will run from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. It invites millions of visitors to join the making of a new world in a six-month celebration of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture, with music providing a unifying, uplifting force.
Ranawa Al-Amsi publishes a second collection of poems: "Small Desires".
The 70-page book was published by Koweit Maraya House.
Montpellier (France): the 16th edition of the Arabesque festival ends on September 19.
With the mission of promoting Arab culture, the festival invited singers Natacha Atlas (Egypt), Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia), Souad Massi (Algeria), Oum (Morocco), and also choreographer Hervé Koubi, comedian Redouane Bougheraba and storytellers Jihad and Layla Darwiche.
Created in 2006 by UNi’SONS, the Arabesques festival works on enhancing Arab artists' visibility and promoting intercultural dialogue. It is the most important festival in Europe dedicated to arts of the Arab world.
The festival offers a multidisciplinary program combining music, theater, storytelling, cinema, dance, calligraphy… to promote the culture of the region from its traditional artistic expressions to its contemporary ones.
Program of the festival: here.
Cairo: the Ubuntu Gallery in Zamalek hosts an exhibition based on the work of George Bahgoury, from September 26 to October 16.
George Bahgoury did dozens of exhibitions around the world. He won numerous awards, including the First International Caricature Prize in Rome in 1985 and 1987; and the King Abdullah II Prize for Creativity, Literature and Arts.
He is also the author of several books, especially "Bahgoura in Paris" and "Forbidden paintings".
Ithra celebrates Saudi National Day with new cultural programs.
At the occasion of the 91st Saudi National Day, the King Abdulaziz Center for Knowledge and Culture organises a series of cultural programs and activities aiming at showcasing the Kingdom's diversity. Under the motto "Melodies of the Fatherland", the activities begin on September 22 and continue until September 25.
The program:
- The "Coffee Tales" exhibition, highlighting the coffee culture and its associated traditions, especially in the Jazan region.
- The "Tafasil" exhibition, taking visitors on a cultural journey embodying the unity of the people and their interdependence from North to South and from East to West.
- A performance by Yemeni musician Ahmed Alshaiba.
Video : « Shape of You » – Ed Sheeran (Oud cover) by Ahmed Alshaiba
Beirut: Beirut Comics Festival from October 6 to 10.
The festival will welcome 40 authors from 14 countries, for 30 events, 10 exhibitions and 6 drawn concerts.
The Beirut BD Festival, which should have taken place in 2020 as part of the Year of Comics in France, was postponed following the explosion on August 4, 2020.
The guests: Kamal Hakim, Karen Keyrouz, Lewis Trondheim, Lina Ghaibeh, Marwan Chahine, Mathieu Baillif, Mathieu Sapin, Max de Radiguès, Mehdi Annassi, Michèle Standjofski, Mohammad and Haitham el-Seht, Mohammad Kraytem, Nicolas Wild, Noémie Honein, Nour Hifaoui, Olivier Ka, Othman Selmi, Pénélope Bagieu, Ralph Doumit, Raphaëlle Macaron, Sayra Begum and Sid Ali Dekar.
The program is available on here.
The French Institute of Tunisia and the National Institute of Heritage present new book "Rouga I: The forum and its surroundings (excavations 1971-1974)", on September 23.
Awaited by the scientific community and lovers of Tunisian archeology, the publication of the excavations carried out by a Tunisian French team between 1971 and 1974 in the ancient city of Bararus (Henchir Rougga) finally came out.
Located 12 km south-east of Thysdrus (El Jem), this site is best known for its large Roman cisterns and for the discovery of a treasure of Byzantine gold coins. This book brought together researchers from the National Heritage Institute and the Universities of Sfax and Sousse and Aix-Marseille University.
The book is edited by Hédi Slim and Maurice Euzennat.
Alexandria Mediterranean Countries International Film Festival will take place from September 25 to 30.
84 movies from 16 different countries are scheduled.
The festival's program: link.
AlUla promises a festival of arts, culture, music and well-being for a month.
The events will begin on December 21 and run until March 30, 2022, falling into 4 categories: Winter at Tantora, AlUla Arts, AlUla Skies and the AlUla Wellness Festival.
Winter at Tantora program (December 21, 2021 - February 12, 2022):
- a haute couture fashion show for horses;
- the endurance race of the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques;
- AlUla desert polo.
Musical performances will take place in the Maraya Center, with a candlelight symphonic concert at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra.
Béchara el-Khoury is everywhere.
On October 8, Khoury's Concerto for horn and orchestra "The Dark Mountain" will be performed at the BFM theater in Geneva, with the OSE symphony orchestra, horn player David Guerrier, and with Daniel Kawka as director.
Béchara el-Khoury has just finished "The Convent of the Moon", inspired by the city of Deir el-Qamar, for violin and orchestra. It is dedicated to Franco-British violinist Olivia Hughes.
Béchara el-Khoury is also planning a cycle of six Lieder for soprano and orchestra which will be based on French author Céline Walter's poems.
La riche actualité du compositeur n’est pas prête de s’arrêter.
Moroccan art at the Queen Sophie Museum in Madrid.
The National Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Museum, in collaboration with the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art - Qatar Museums and the Qatar Foundation, hosts "Moroccan Trilogy", an exhibit ending on September 27.
Madrid museum Director Manuel Borja-Villel and Doha Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Director Abdellah Karroum organised it.
The exhibition analyses how the country's artistic practices developed in three crucial stages since Morocco’s independence, the 1st stage being the search for identity in the 1950s/1960s, the 2nd one being internal conflicts between the 1970s/1980s, and the 3rd stage being today with current socio-economic and political challenges.
Picture: © Museo Reina Sofia
Cairo: from September 28 to October 17, the Safar Khan gallery in Zamalek organises an exhibition based on the work of three visual artists: "Charisma".
Artist Kenda Adly participates in the exhibition, alongside Tasneem al-Mashad and Khaled Abdo.
Picture : © Egypt Today
Noel and Michelle Keserwany, Lebanese activists and artists, are about to release a new satirical clip: "Alf Leileh w Leil".
The video is a short musical film aiming at describing the unbearable situation the Lebanese youth has to currently deal with.
The Institution " Archives of Morocco" and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) signed a cooperation memorandum.
The memorandum aims at bringing together both organisations’ areas of expertise to promote studies and research and offer researchers the opportunity to collect the maximum of historical information.
A brand to follow: Vegan_vintage.
The upcycling and sustainable clothing brand reinvents second- hand pieces.
Founded by Khouloud Torkhani, the start-up is supported by cultural incubator Minassa.
The series “Beirut 6:07” was nominated for an International Emmy Award for Television Business, in the category of short series.
The series consists of 15 episodes, in which several writers, directors and actors participated. Each episode is a short film of about 7 minutes.
Almost a year after it was shown on the “Shahid” platform, the series takes its name from the moment of the tragic explosion of Beirut Port on August 4, 2020, and tells stories inspired by real events and real people who lost their lives or changed forever due to the enormous material and moral losses the blast left behind.
The Award will be given on November 22 in New York, which happens to be the date of Lebanon's Independence Day.
Jordanian student Abdullah Abu Khalaf is the new champion of the 2020 Arab Reading Challenge which took place in the United Arab Emirates.
The seventeen-year-old student was awarded 500 000 dirhams for winning this 5th edition. Sheikh Mohammed ben Rachid Al Maktoum attended the Award ceremony.
The young talent was followed by Moroccan student Sarah Al Daeef, Saudi Diaa Al Qaisum, Sudanese Youssra Mohammed Al Imam and Egyptian Abdul Rahman Mansour Ahmed Mohammed.
The competition gathered 21 millions participants from 52 countries.
Organized since 2015 as part of the Mohammed Ben Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the Arab Reading Challenge aims at promoting Arab culture and literature.
Picture: Jordan Time
On October 1, artist Reda Abdel Rahman will inaugurate the first Egyptian art school in New York, United States.
The school is named "Portrait Studio & Art School", and thus after the newspaper "Portrait Art" for which the artist has worked for several years.
Written and directed by Bassel Ghandour, " The Alleys" competes for Sutherland Award among other 7 films from around the world, at the 65th BFI London Film Festival (October 6 – 10).
The festival promotes imaginative first movies.
In Jordan's history, only Naji Abu Nowar's "Theeb" was nominated and won BAFTA Award for Best British Debut.
Saad Almotham mixed his literary work with artwork provided by a group of 56 Saudi and Arab artists to create a book that is an art project in itself, titled “Sauce of Mango.”
Made up of a hundred short fables, written in Arabic and showcasing 96 artworks, it began in 2012 when Almotham found his niche, initially using Twitter to share the stories in 140 and, later, 280 characters.
It was after posting 200 stories that Almotham got the idea of compiling them in a book. He selected 100, and decided on the title after the main character from one short fable.
With the help of artists through the "Fitrh Art platform", he was able to have a unique and distinct piece of art for most of his literary works. "Fitrh Art" is a platform that serves as a home to Arab artists interested in being part of a storytelling adventure. Once the book was complete, the author organised an online art exhibition in collaboration with the Fitrh Art platform, where they showcased the artwork with the stories as a description. Almotham is currently working on the English translation of the book and hopes to publish it soon.
Photo : © Instagram de @sauceofmango
الرباط: "الفن عبر ثلاثة أجيال" معرض تعاوني بقاعة باب الكبير من 2 إلى 18 أكتوبر.
The exhibition, organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, shows the work of Imane Feriani (1st generation), of Abdelhadi Benbella (2nd generation), and of its guest of honour Jean-baptiste Valadié (3rd generation).
Tetouan: the 6th edition of Tetouan International Festival of Film Schools takes place from November 22 to 26.
The Festival offers an international competition between school films.
The Jury of the international competition will award the following prizes: the Grand Prize, The Jury Prize, Best Documentary, Best Fiction, Prize for Best Animation, Prize for Human Rights.
The BIDAYYAT ARTCINE Association and the Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences of Tetouan organize the festival in partnership with the Moroccan Cinematographic Center and Moroccan and foreign organizations.
It features Donia Wael and Zaid Khaled.
"Adad El Sokan" has hit over 30,000 streams on Anghami.
Opening in Tunis of the World Congress of French-Language Writers.
French-speaking novelists, essayists, poets and authors from 14 countries on five continents address questions of language, identity, the importance of the French-speaking network in the world and its positive impact on each of the countries represented.
It is held following the event “Etats Généraux du livre en langue française dans le monde”, as a prelude to the Francophonie Summit to be hosted in Djerba on November 20 and 21.
The decision was made to invite authors representing the French-language literature from the five Continents.
The Literary Committee is made up of Leïla Slimani (Morocco –France), Fawzia Zouari (Tunisia – France), Laurent Gaudé (France) and Felwine Sarr (Senegal).
Applications for candidates willing to take part in the film training "Writing in progress", which is the first artistic residency focusing on short films writing, are said to be opened by the Delegation of the European Union in Algeria.
This call for applications happens within the framework of the 6th edition of the European Film Days in the country. Workshops are scheduled from November 2 to 10 at Maison Ben Smen in Algiers.
The aim of this residency is above all to provide the necessary space and working time for artists willing to write a cinematographic project.
Cuxhaven (Germany): poet and playwright Adham Al-Dimashqi, accompanied by cellist Jana Semaan, represent Lebanon at the Cuxhaven International Cultural Festival.
The festival aims at promoting artistic exchanges between Germany and Lebanon.
Adham Al-Dimashqi is a Lebanese poet, playwright and visual artist, living in his art studio in Beirut.
His books have been translated into English, French, Armenian and German.
Algiers film library reopens its doors to the public with a series of homages given to recently departed personalities from the 7th art.
An homage will be given to the following directors: Said Hilmi (1939-2021), Lyazid Khodja (1945-2021), Brahim Tsaki (1946-2021) and Yacef Saadi (1928-2021).
Jean Paul Gaultier Celebrates the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's 91st National Day.
In the spirit of revelry and a nod to local custom, Jean Paul Gaultier has brought to life the game of baloot through film. The widely popular card game of baloot deeply embedded in the everyday lives of locals and the culture of the kingdom gives a Gaultier twist to the film’s story and treatment, entirely shot by an all-Saudi production team in Riyadh.
Equal parts of innocent fun and trickery are portrayed by the two teams competing in baloot, composed of some of Saudi’s most talent profiles: up-and-coming actress Sarah Taibah and emerging fashion model Domie Alsalim emerge as baloot winners, with fashion and beauty multi-hyphenates Yara Alnamlah and Faisal Alghazzawi rising to the card game’s challenge. The celebrations are further immortalized with the baloot box; a luxe green velvet box stamped in gold with “Jean Paul Gaultier Loves Saudi Arabia”, encased with baloot components designed and created in collaboration with Saudi Arabian artisans.
A deck of cards is exquisitely designed by Raghad Al-Ahmad. Al-Ahmad intuitively merged Jean Paul Gaultier’s signature iconography with cultural motifs rooted in the identity of Saudi Arabia through the artform of collage: the Queen, King, and Jack are reimagined as the bint, shebbah and walad, to represent the regions and cities in Saudi Arabia.
The baloot box is finally packed in a special green bag with gold-embroidered bisht straps, thoughtfully patterned after the intricate gold trimming of the traditional Saudi bisht. The bag was designed and created with Atharna and traditional Saudi Arabian tailor, Salman Alhamad. Atharna is a social enterprise dedicated to the preservation and celebration of Saudi Arabian crafts and culture, who worked with Alhamad, a Saudi bisht tailor from Al Ahsa.
Picture : © Arab News
Casablanca and Mohammedia: 11th edition of the "Ciné-Université" festival from October 20 to 24.
Filmmaker Younès Reggab chairs the jury for the official short films’ competition. The festival will pay tribute to Noureddine Sail.
This edition is organized with the support of the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM), and in partnership, for the first time, with the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences of Ben Msick (Hassan II University in Casablanca).
Composer Zad Moultaka performed the world premiere of his new musical and visual composition "Requiem for A New World" in Italy.
The performance, which took place at the Basilica S S Giovanni e Paolo in Venice, and was live streamed to a global audience, not only paid tribute to Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, but also raised funds for young students affected by the 2020 Beirut port explosion.
The funds from the concert are being donated to Lebanese nonprofit Arcenciel, which aims to support 50,000 students whose access to higher education has been impacted by the tragic events in Lebanon last summer, by funding scholarships and supplying devices and stable internet.
Architect Sumaya Dabbagh created the Mosque of the late Mohamed Abdulkhaliq Gargash in Al Quoz (Dubai), which is one of the first mosques designed by a woman in the United Arab Emirates.
Sumaya Dabbagh, the founder of Dabbagh Architects, grew up in Saudi Arabia and studied her craft in the UK and Paris before moving to the UAE.
Ms Dabbagh previously cut her teeth on cultural projects, including the Mleiha Archaeological Centre in Sharjah. The project was awarded an Architecture MasterPrize (2020), among others, and was nominated for the Aga Khan Awards (2018).
Many elements in the design of the Gargash Mosque are not usual ones. There are no traditionally shaped windows - a design quirk which took time for the planners to accept, and the minbar where the imam stands to lead the prayers is set to one side, leaving the mihrab niche empty bar as a shard of light from an overhead skylight. Furthermore, the minaret is designed as a separate body, just apart from the main mosque building. The architect placed sustainability at the heart of the project, sourcing the cladding and aluminium locally, and the stone from Oman.
Picture: © The National – Abu Dhabi.
The start-up "Hafsa", founded by Wahida Lâabidi, is nominated by the International Organization of La Francophonie as one of the pioneers of Francophone entrepreneurship.
Hafsa stood out among 1,000 start-ups from more than 70 French-speaking countries.
Created in 2019, the start-up aims at promoting local Tunisian products, especially its cuisine (e.g. Berber Harissa, Bsissa, Kaddid, Osban, Salade Mechouia, Salade Ommek Houriya).
The specificity of the "Hafsa" project lies on its 100% female workforce.
SWALIF: the new Emirati publishing house.
The founder of "SWALIF" (conversation in Arabic), Salem Al Suwaidi, decided on creating a publishing house after discussing with the mainstream academic discourse carried out by "privileged-white men"- (in the words of Salem Al Suwaidi) with university friends. The 20-year-old entrepreneur wanted to give a voice to the youth in the region. “A lot of rhetoric that I’ve heard in academia celebrates the West’s progressiveness, capitalistic drive, its fortunes and individualistic spirit, but doesn't acknowledge the fact that the Middle East still has the time and opportunity to develop as much. There’s a lot of collectivism in the Middle East that prevents individuals from self-actualising … We need to allow ourselves to evolve and change without fear. I’m not saying we should follow the West’s programme. We should be able to develop our relative path.” Salem Al Suwaidi. The publishing house's first book, "Encapsulated Volume 1: Photo Essays on Khaleejiness", has just been published. It includes the works of 16 photographers from the Gulf, detailing their reflections on the meanings of Khaleeji identity in visual and textual forms, and also including commentary from SWALIF’s editors and contributors. "Encapsulated Volume 1" is accompanied by an exhibition, currently on view at Manarat Al Saadiyat’s Photography Studio. It features 11 artists from the book.
SWALIF is already sparking conversation, not only with its book, but also with its podcast, "Shul’ Salfa", which translates as “what’s going on?”.
The episodes feature interviews with artists from "Encapsulated Volume 1".
SWALIF is currently self-funded.
Art’cot organises a large-scale exhibition in the Medina.
About thirty Tunisian visual artists participate in the large- format exhibition, entitled “BIG”, which takes place from September 24 to October 15 at the Sainte Croix municipal cultural space in the Medina.
The event is organized by Art’cot, an association created in 2016, in partnership with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
The participation of visual artists Habib Bida, Ali Zenaidi and Mongi Maatoug was unveiled; and a tribute will be paid to plastic artist and academician Sami Ben Ameur.
Abeer Jebril's canvases .
Abeer Jebril's canvases show ballerinas chained to barbed wire, dancing on stones or facing barricades, to illustrate what she calls the reality of the "time bombs" of Gaza.
She hopes her portraits will contribute to bring attention to social and political issues these women have to deal with, living in an enclave of 2 million people.
She said her paintings highlight how "women suffer from male dominance and their inability to have a say on crucial issues."
Picture: © Abeer Jebril / TRT World
Jessica Alba and Zac Efron have returned for another Dubai Tourism video as part of the Dubai Presents campaign.
In the 4th video of the series of tourism trailers, the Hollywood stars play characters in a period drama set in the 1950s. The focus is on Alba as a young aviation pioneer at a crossroads, travelling through the desert in search of answers.
"Dubai Presents: A Captivating Saga", a one-minute video, takes a closer look at the hidden gems in the city. It also includes more traditional activities such as a desert safari, camel trekking and sailing in traditional areas while also showing the historical Al Fahidi neighbourhood. The trailer pays homage to the city’s multicultural roots as it gets ready to celebrate the UAE’s Golden Jubilee as well as the start of Expo 2020 Dubai.
Actor Khalid Abdalla is set to star in the award-winning Netflix series "The Crown".
Abdalla will play Dodi Fayed, the boyfriend of Princess Diana in the much-anticipated fifth season of the hit show. Best known for his roles in films such as "The Kite Runner" and "Green Zone", Abdalla will star alongside Elizabeth Debicki.
"Noon by Noor" at London Fashion Week.
The designers Chaikha Noor al-Khalifa and Chaikha Haya al- Khalifa presented a collection called "Light" at the Rochelle School (London) which is specialized in art and architecture.
Founded in 2008 and regularly featured at New York Fashion Week, the brand made an impact in London crowds, and many industry insiders and influencers shared the new collection on social media.
Picture: © L’Officiel Arabia
Al Ain Book Fair celebrates UAE's cultural heritage with return to Zayed Central Library.
With a new pavilion in the shadow of the Zayed Central Library, Abu Dhabi’s Garden city is now holding the biggest iteration of the book fair in its 12-year history. Taking place until September 30, the fair brings together more than 100 local publishing houses as well as dozens of leading figures from the UAE's academic and literary scene. Panel discussions on heritage, literature, poetry and art are among the fair’s highlights, with speakers that include Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, cultural adviser to the President of the UAE and chancellor of UAE University, Saeed Al Nazari, director general of the Federal Youth Authority, and Isobel Abulhoul, chief executive and trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation.
Local literary talents taking part include Sultan Al Ameemi, Ahmad bin Thani, Asma Siddiq Al Mutawaa, Adel Khozam, Lulwa Al Mansoori, Ibrahim Al Hashimi and Saleh Karama.
Organisers have set up a concentrated digital front to make the fair accessible to those who are unable or hesitant to visit in person.
Cairo: "Tharwat Okasha" exhibition, at the Mahmoud Mokhtar Cultural Center, on September 266 and 27.
Tharwat Okasha was an Egyptian writer, translator and Minister of Culture in the late 1950s in the government of President Nasser.
He is considered as the founder of Egyptian cultural institutions.
The exhibition is divided into two parts. The first is at the Nahdet Misr gallery, presenting nearly 42 pieces (official documents, photographs, press articles, etc.). The second part is held at Isis Hall and displays the work of seven artists: Ezzedine Naguib, Ismat Doustachi, Ali Desouki, Farghali Abdel Hafeez, Mohamed Rizk, Mahmoud Bakshish and Mustafa Abdel Moati.
The Carthage Film Festival unveiled a selection of 15 Arab and African film projects for Carthage Pro platform's workshops.
Films selected for the Chabaka workshop:
- "Une famille respectable" by Ismahane Lahmar (Tunisia)
- "Je ne m'appelle pas Asmahan" by Nidhal Guiga (Tunisia)
- « Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous » by Wissam Charaf (Lebanon)
- "Haysh Maysh" by Hicham Lasri (Morocco)
Selected documentaries:
- « Dar el Bacha sur la voie des Lumières » by Nawfel Saheb- Ettaba (Tunisia)
- "Ourjouwan" by Joelle Abou Chabké (Lebanon)
- "Donga" by Mohannad Alamin (Libya)
- "L'Arbre du Soir" by Adel Bakri (Tunisia)
- "La couleur du phosphate" by Ridha Tlili (Tunisia)
- "Une maison pour Buster Keaton" by Lamine Ammar Khoudja (Algeria)
The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has announced that the Faten Hamama Award for Excellence will be granted to Egyptian actor Karim Abdel Aziz.
The CIFF decided to honour Abdel Aziz for his outstanding career through the award.
Aziz’s road to fame began with “Edhak Al-Soura Tetlaa Hilwa” (Laugh, the Photo May Look Nicer, 1998), until it reached a peak with the hit action series “Al-Iktyiar II (The Choice II, 2021)”, which was screened last Ramadan.
The CIFF’s 43rd edition takes place from November 26 to December 05, 2021.
Expo 2020 Dubai on Thursday unveiled its community art project, titled "Hammour House", at a preview attended by Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al-Nahayan, the UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and the coexistence and commissioner general of the event.
Hammour House will bring together fishermen, scientists, artists, school students and a number of institutions to showcase a selection of on-site installations.
Hammour House will bring together fishermen, scientists, artists, school students and a number of institutions to showcase a selection of on-site installations.
It will feature Hammour Fish, a sculpture made from ghost nets – which are fishing nets lost or abandoned in the sea – by Australian artist Sue Ryan. It will also feature Hammour Fish, a sculpture made from ghost nets – which are fishing nets lost or abandoned in the sea – by Australian artist Sue Ryan.
The art project is also expected to examine the coral reefs of the UAE and its inhabitants, particularly the orange- spotted grouper, known locally as hammour.
To know more: here.
The 7th edition of National Days of Monologue takes place from September 24 to 30 at the house of culture of Koléa (Tipasa) in homage to the recently deceased playwright Hocine Taileb.
Artists participating: Youcef Guendouz, Labri Djamel, Mahfoudh El Hani, Kamel Bouakaz, Amel Benamara, Rim Takoucht, Aissa Chouat, ...
A documentary based on Hocine Taileb's life will open this edition.
Scientists found an “unusual” fossil of over 163 million old dinosaur in Morocco’s Boulahfa in the Middle Atlas Mountains.
The fossil belongs to an ankylosaurus, a type of herbivore species of dinosaurs. They are mostly known for their “bony armour that once covered their backs,” according to the Natural History Museum.
Berlin: Emirati painter Aisha Juma and Algerian artist Zoulikha Bouabdellah present their work at the Haus Kunst Mitte Foundation, for an exhibit entitled "Beyond Belief", open until November 21.
Showcasing 44 international artists, this collective exhibition deals with the rise of modern spirituality and features both critical and sensual art pieces focusing on new and past waves of spirituality.
The event is organised by Britta Adler.
Picture: art piece by Zoulikha Bouabdellah, © Lorina Speder.
Bizerte: the 4th edition of the World Sea Forum - Bizerte, directed by La Saison Bleue, will be held on September 24 and 25.
The 2021 Forum will bring together a set of experts and high- level speakers, politicians and emblematic figures in the field of environment (e.g. HSH Prince ALBERT II of Monaco, Annick GIRARDIN, Minister of the Sea (France) and Ricardo SERRAOSANTOS, Minister of the Sea (Portugal)…)
The 4th edition of the World Sea Forum-Bizerte will be chaired by Pascal Lamy, Chairman of the advisory committee of the European Mission "Health of the oceans, seas and coastal and in land waters".
The forum will take place online as well.
YouTube announced the launch of YouTube Charts, a collection of top songs and artists in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE.
Starting on September 29, the charts will be released on a weekly basis offering the Arab music industry a more streamlined and transparent approach to measure the popularity of its tunes.
Recent Journals
"عيب" by Sarah Bahbah Sarah Bahbah is a Palestinian Jordanian artist and director born and raised in Australia. Raised by Immigrant parents, her culturally conservative upbringing led to a great rebellion of Art. Over the past decade Bahbah has become renowned for her signature style, giving birth to visually striking, culture-shifting stories that combine her most intimate psyche appearing as subtitles placed over cinematic stills. Bahbah’s art explores the power of vulnerability by way of giving voice to the vast spectrum of chaos and desire in imperfect relationships. She believes in embracing emotional vulnerability to break taboos and celebrate the liberation of guilt and shame. In 2020 Bahbah released her most impactful series yet titled “3ieb!” in Arabic / “Shame On Me!” in English; a series where she provocatively posed in front of the camera for the first time, expressing her desire for sexual liberation from her cultural restrictions. The subtitles appeared in both English and Arabic calligraphy which caused an uproar within the MENA community, while simultaenously giving voice to many women who held the same desire. Bahbah’s work has been featured in countless publications including New York Times, Forbes, Business Insider, The Cut, Vogue US, Hollywood Reporter, Vice and many more. In 2023 Bahbah released her first ever luxury fine art book, "Dear Love".
"I'm 33 and I've never been on a plane" It took five years for Abdel Rahman Zagout, a Gazan photographer, to complete a project on the Egyptian border with Gaza, which won the 2018 Red Cross photography competition. This photograph is part of the project, portraying a young Palestinian at the border, his hands open in front of a closed window. Abdel Rahman Zagout graduated in media at Al-Aqsa University and graduated in 2008. He worked for ten years as a freelance photojournalist and photography consultant. His project recounts the hopes and dreams of Palestinians, shattered by poverty and fences. Most of the photos were taken at the Rafah crossing, which links Gaza to Egypt. It is considered to be the main exit from Gaza, and is only opened sporadically.
@dyaladesigns "As cliché as it may sound, I've always been creative. Somehow I always knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I've never been that passionate about anything other than art and design, so why would I spend my life doing something I didn't really love? It's my passion and I intend to use my creativity to make a difference in this world." "As a Palestinian artist, I definitely feel a responsibility to use my platform to highlight the ongoing conflicts and express my emotions about them in a beautiful way. Art is my passion, and my country is my passion, so combining these two aspects of my life is something that excites and motivates me. My work is a reflection of who I am, and I think it's important to represent people who feel that their voices aren't always heard. I want people to look at my work and see the beauty and relevance of who they are and where they come from. I feel it's our global duty to show our support and unite in times of need. I feel that my work highlights the importance of acceptance and inclusion. Given the world we live in today, where people are bombarded by an unrealistic digital society, my art plays a role in breaking down those boundaries and redefining those expectations." Dyala Moshtaha
"I will continue to draw until Palestine is free. I will continue to draw the Palestinian flag everywhere in the streets of Egypt." - Mohamed Moataz Mohamed Moataz a décoré l'un des plus anciens quartiers du Caire, Al-Khalifa, qui est par ailleurs inscrit sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO depuis 1979. Il s'agit de quatre peintures murales qui dénoncent l'horreur du génocide de Gaza. Mohamed Moataz a décoré l'un des plus anciens quartiers du Caire, Al-Khalifa, qui est par ailleurs inscrit sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO depuis 1979. Il s'agit de quatre peintures murales qui dénoncent l'horreur du génocide de Gaza. Mohamed Moataz's career as a street artist began on the streets of the Egyptian capital with works celebrating Arab heritage, featuring iconic figures such as football star Mohamed Salah and the Star of the Orient, Umm Kulthum. However, current events soon caught up with him, and in recent months he has focused exclusively on the genocide perpetrated by the State of Israel in Gaza.
Gaza, Humanitarian truce, 28 November 2023. Mohammed Salem is a Palestinian photojournalist based in the Gaza Strip. He holds a degree in media studies from Al-Azhar University in Gaza. Mohammed has worked with Reuters since 2003, mainly covering the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. He received the Dubai Press Club Media Award, won the International Press Photo Competition in China in 2004 and was awarded second prize in Spot News at the World Press Photo Competition in 2010. His latest photos of the Gaza Strip in October 2023 have been selected by Reuters as one of the "best press photographs of 2023". "A picture should not be taken just with the eye; it should have a meaning in the heart" - Mohammed Salem.
"A boy eating watermelon", Adam Rouhana “There are a number of things that come to mind when I look at this image and, honestly, it’s about the boy… It’s sort of like he’s making love to the watermelon, right? That is what it looks like. So, it’s this idea, I guess, of a passion for the land and his own relationship with the land. You can see he’s in this kind of olive grove and the earth is around him." N.B. The watermelon is a symbol of Palestine. Adam Rouhana is a young Palestinian photographer who graduated from Oxford. He grew up in Boston. Each year, he returns to his homeland with his camera, and focuses on Palestinian youth, which represents half the population. A soldier, a fence, a football pitch, but also laughter, somersaults on the beach and back to school moments. The young photographer, who plans his first exhibition with curators Zainab Hasoon and Sara bin Safwan at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, captures these everyday infrastructures, characters and emotions of Palestine. He claims the "permission to narrate" developed by Edward Saïd - in other words, the commitment to sharing an individual rather than a collective story, not dictated by an oppressive regime or locked into a given prism such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Adam Rouhana therefore offers new perspectives and new narratives of Palestine. ‘Instead of reproducing the representations of occupied Palestine that are so ubiquitous and so obvious, I was able to capture the quieter moments and try to work to create new representations of Palestine’ – Adam Rouhana
"Climbing walls", Khaled Hourani Born in Hebron, he is an artist, writer, commentator, curator, and a critical voice in Palestine. Operating within a socially and politically constrained system, Hourani conveys his awareness of the nuances and vagaries that permeate different aspects of social encounters in Palestine. In his pivotal 2011 project ‘Picasso in Palestine’, Hourani borrowed Picasso’s ‘Buste de Femme’ from the Van Abbemuseum in The Netherlands, to display it in Ramallah. The symbol was powerful knowing the piece was painted during WW2. What was already an unusual lending process turned into a political quagmire considering that Palestine was not - and still isn’t - internationally recognised as a state, therefore making it impossible to insure the piece. The painting had to be militarily guarded: no insurance company took the risk. Picasso’s painting was exhibited in a specific room, always with two guards. This photograph was taken at the time, and has since been exhibited multiple times, also under surveillance. A mise en abyme revealing the complexity and constant struggle of a life under occupation.
"Kiss of Freedom", Rami Kanso Rami Kanso is a Lebanese-Slovak graphic designer, motion designer and visual artist based in Doha. He currently works for Alaraby TV. Rami combines his work in broadcasting with his passion for creative animation. He was head of visuals for the West End music production "Umm Kulthum: The Golden Era", which premiered at the London Palladium in March 2020. He also co-produced and co-directed a series of award-winning poetry videos with his wife, Dana Dajani. In October 2019, Rami's drawing for the Lebanese revolution became a viral icon of the resistance movement. His art blends calligraphy, collage, texture work, typography and symbolism to express contemporary Arab identity.
"Women sleeping" by Malak Mattar "Being a feminist is not about hating men; it's about believing that men and women don't have to compete with each other, but that they complement each other. This harmony can exist between two genders when there is equality and recognition of each other's roles and abilities, without degrading anyone's status." Malak Matar was born in 1999 in the Gaza Strip. She started painting in 2014 to escape the aggression and violence she and her family experienced daily while living in the Gaza Strip. Her first solo exhibition, which she organised a year later at the age of fifteen, enabled her to forge links with international journalists and gain recognition for her work on social networks. After winning the distinction of best high school student in the Gaza Strip (and second best in the whole of Palestine), Malak Matar left Gaza in 2017 to study political science in Turkey. She is publishing a bilingual Arabic-English children's book, "Grandma's Bird", about the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with writings and drawings that describe her own experience.
"Palest*n*ans: a story of displacement and pain. For decades, the world has been a silent witness to their displacement, the bombing of their refuge and the loss of loved ones. Today, with no access to food, water or medicine, they are faced with the agonising decision to leave the land they hold dear, with the uncertainty of their return, or quite simply, to die. Their story is part of the wider story of refugees around the world. The location of this work has not been added to avoid the shadowbanning I have faced in recent days." - statement by Egyptian visual artist and graphic designer Hassan Ragab, about the tragedy that Gaza goes through today, in front of everyone's eyes. The word 'Palestinians' has had several letters removed to avoid the censorship currently rampant on social networks. Hassan Ragab was trained as an architect and now lives in Southern California. Between design, furniture renovation, installations and graphic design, he participates in the development of digital art and in particular the use of Artificial Intelligence in this field.