HaRaKa’s performance theorist and artist Adham Hafez and anthropologist and urbanist Adam Kucharski pose the following question: can the institution of the ministry of culture be rehabilitated to serve this new diffuse community of art producers and serve as a locus of cultural production outside of the traditional boundaries of the nation? Can the institution evolve to meet the needs of an artistic and cultural community that is, at least temporarily, extra-territorial? And can it help to rebuild shattered national institutions on artists’ terms?ĮTMAC is built as an imaginary ministry that supports contemporary artistic creation of displaced and refugee Arab artists a fictitious entity that runs programmes, advises institutions on issues of cultural policy and financial planning, publishes articles, and presents lecture-performances in multiple cities. Her piece Red Stack, reinterpreted cushions, enlarging and magnifying their form and volume as a piled stack, appearing soft and hard at the same time.At a time when Arab countries are bleeding away their creative capital with the departure, emigration, or exiling of pioneering intellectuals and artists, one wonders about the future of their practices and legacies. Recently, Al Mazrou was one of 19 international artists included in this year's Frieze Sculpture at Regent's Park in London. Photo: Lawrie ShabibiĮmirati artist Shaikha Al Mazrou’s sculptural experimentations investigate the form, content and physicality of materials - combining ideas from different contemporary artistic movements, while playing with colour theory and geometric abstraction.

Shaikha Al Mazrou, Red Stack (2022) as part of Frieze Sculpture at Regent's Park in London.

His portraits, street scenes and personal observations are presented through bold compositions and a signature use of light and shadow. Whether in Baghdad or the UAE, through striking black-and-white imagery, Hazim sheds light on harrowing memories, capturing present moments and visions of the future. A post shared by Amir Hazim artist Amir Hazim’s photography reveals a sensitive and gritty depiction of the world.

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