Here is an interesting initiative in Nairobi...
The "Slum Film Festival" is starting this month of June.
It is a joint project of Embassy of Spain in Kenya, the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID), Slum TV and the Hot Sun Foundation, with the collaboration of the Nairobi Art Centre.
It is actually a contest, open to young people between the ages of 18-30 years with an interest in art and filmmaking in Kenya.
Artists from informal settlements - slum - are, of course, encouraged to enter.
Professional artist are not eligible, even if based in slums.
There are actually two categories:
1. Slum Film Festival LOGO.
These are going to be digital submissions, designed using any computer design software.
The submission must be saved as JPG, be less than 500MB in size and then be emailed to these address:
mercy@hotsunfoundation.org or info@slum-tv.org
With the following title in your submission e-mail: “Slum Film Festival LOGO”.
The deadline is 21st June 2011.
2. Slum Film Festival POSTER.
These submissions should be hard copy (paintings, drawings, sketches, etc) and should be dropped at either: Hot Sun Foundation offices in Kibera, Slum TV offices in Mathare or the Embassy of Spain at CBA Building in Upper Hill.
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The announcement of the finalists will be on 7th July 2011. The awards ceremony and the launch of the Festival (together with press conference) will occur on 29th July 2011 at the Embassy of Spain
Film Festival and the Celebration will take place from August 8th to 21st.
Details:
/http://nairobinow.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/slum-film-festival-poster-and-logo-contest-may-30-jun-21-2011/
17/06/2011
16/06/2011
Going to Korogocho
Today I spent the afternoon in one of Nairobi's largest slum, Korogocho. Situated in the East side of the Kenyan capital, it is the home of more than 150 000 inhabitants in less than two square kilometres.
I was committed a story on 'Health Text', a new system of SMS allowing Kenyans to get medical advice via text messages. And I met an adorable Kenyan journalist working in Nairobi for the NGO Internews, who raises funds for the project and to connect it with some local radio in slum areas.
I had interviewed him last week and he mentioned the Korogocho slum as one of the areas where the project would be the most useful.
So I convinced him to take me there to meet the local radio's journalists and health workers he is working for to put the project into place.
Korogocho is just at 20 minutes-drive away from Nairobi business centre, on the northeast side, just like Kibera is 30 minutes outside of the centre to the southwest side.
I met the journalists from Koch FM and two health workers from the area. All of them live in Korogocho and act as community workers voluntarily, like ‘Florence’, who started as an AIDS advisor a few years ago. She moved into the slum for the rural Western province when her parents died. Now she is happy to work for free for her community because she knows it’s the only way to make the living conditions change and improve a little.
The Health Text initiative would allow slums’ dwellers to get access to medical advice for a cheap amount, in an area where most people live in shack with no access to water and no electricity.
It remains difficult for the slums’ inhabitants to get any attention from the Kenyan government. Most of them are informal settlement and are not even registered as habitations. This is why community workers are investing in “mapping” to complete the settlement’s official existence and obtain the authorities’ recognition.
Korogocho was also one of the strongly hit sites of the 2007-2008 violence that followed the disputed presidential election on December 27, 2007. At least fifteen men died in one incident at the end of 2007, according to Reuters, when ethnic and political divisions resulted in rioting and battles with the police.
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On our way back the journalist launched this inevitable conversation about post-colonial relations between African and European countries, comparing East and North Africa. And he made an interesting comparison between Kenya and Algeria. According to him, the two countries have been the most integrated into the former settlers’ administration and economy and have ended up having the most violent conflicts to reach independence. I had never looked at it this way; Kenya and Algeria are so different. But it might be an idea… As I’m planning to go again to Algeria next year, for the 50 years of its independence, it is probably worth remembering.
15/06/2011
The V&A Museum in London 'celebrates Refugee Week 2011'
Made By Refugees
Wednesday 22 – Sunday 26 June 2011
The wonderful and unique V&A, the Victoria & Albert Museum of London, will devote some exhibitions and talks to celebrate Refugee Week 2011from next Wednesday, with talks, tours, workshops and performances.
Most events will be free, like the special event 'Asylum Dialogues' on Friday 24 June 2011, 19:00, a live show of music and theatre "celebrating real life acts of solidarity between British people and asylum seekers".
'Asylum Dialogues' is scripted by Sonja Linden and is performed by members of iceandfire's national outreach project, Actors for Human Rights, a network of over 500 professional actors dedicated to drawing public attention to contemporary human rights concerns.
You can also watch traditional dances from refugees’ countries of origin with ‘Dance Around The World’, a community arts organisation which promotes the folk arts and supports cultural exchange. It is on Sunday 26 June 2011, at 13:00.
Or on Saturday 25 June 2011, 13:00, join the Talk from curator Kurt Helfrich for a discussion of architectural spaces designed by European immigrants to Britain.
'Architecture as an Refuge: UK Designs by European Exiles and Emigres during the 1930s' is also part of Refugee Week 2011 at the V&A.
Enjoy!
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All details:
http://www.vam.ac.uk/contentapi/logotron/refugee-week
Wednesday 22 – Sunday 26 June 2011
The wonderful and unique V&A, the Victoria & Albert Museum of London, will devote some exhibitions and talks to celebrate Refugee Week 2011from next Wednesday, with talks, tours, workshops and performances.
Most events will be free, like the special event 'Asylum Dialogues' on Friday 24 June 2011, 19:00, a live show of music and theatre "celebrating real life acts of solidarity between British people and asylum seekers".
'Asylum Dialogues' is scripted by Sonja Linden and is performed by members of iceandfire's national outreach project, Actors for Human Rights, a network of over 500 professional actors dedicated to drawing public attention to contemporary human rights concerns.
You can also watch traditional dances from refugees’ countries of origin with ‘Dance Around The World’, a community arts organisation which promotes the folk arts and supports cultural exchange. It is on Sunday 26 June 2011, at 13:00.
Or on Saturday 25 June 2011, 13:00, join the Talk from curator Kurt Helfrich for a discussion of architectural spaces designed by European immigrants to Britain.
'Architecture as an Refuge: UK Designs by European Exiles and Emigres during the 1930s' is also part of Refugee Week 2011 at the V&A.
Enjoy!
--
All details:
http://www.vam.ac.uk/contentapi/logotron/refugee-week
London Calling - Not to miss: Miro, at the Tate Modern
Sometimes, the Tate decided to just give you what you want. I would say for me this new exhibition generates one of those times.
I still remember my own amazement when visiting Miro's museum in Barcelona, la Fundació Joan Miró.
The power of the Spanish painter's work remain undiminished to me.
The exhibition at the Tate Modern opened on 14 April and will be on until 11 September 2011 and is the first major retrospective of his work in London for nearly 50 years.
More details:
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/joanmiro/default.shtm
http://www.fundaciomiro-bcn.org/
I still remember my own amazement when visiting Miro's museum in Barcelona, la Fundació Joan Miró.
The power of the Spanish painter's work remain undiminished to me.
The exhibition at the Tate Modern opened on 14 April and will be on until 11 September 2011 and is the first major retrospective of his work in London for nearly 50 years.
More details:
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/joanmiro/default.shtm
http://www.fundaciomiro-bcn.org/
London Calling - Not to miss: Banksy, War Boutique
So, London is calling, and here is a little overview of what I think should not be missed this summer...
BANKSY | WAR BOUTIQUE
Banksy, War Boutique 09.06.11 - 09.07.11
The Andipa Gallery in Knightsbridge is having some works from the highly incomparable British street artist, Banksy.
According to the gallery owner, "works by urban artists are now beginning to be included in the collections of the most respected museums and public galleries worldwide, including MOCA (LA) who plan to put on the first major survey of street art to be shown in the US later this year".
33 pieces from the British artist are displayed.
The exhibition Banksy | War Boutique presents "an exciting opportunity for collectors to acquire original works by two mavericks of urban art - one just emerging onto the international stage, choosing to put on his first commercial exhibition at Andipa, and one already recognised as amongst the biggest names in contemporary art today", concludes the gallery owner.
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Details from the gallery website:
BANKSY FROM THE COLLECTION OF ANDIPA | GROUND FLOOR GALLERY
Banksy's continuing high profile has brought with it an explosion in international demand for his work. In response Andipa Gallery is pleased to announce Banksy | War Boutique, an exhibition showcasing an un-paralleled collection of iconic and sought after original works by Banksy, from the collection of Andipa Gallery, one of the largest in the UK.
Banksy | War Boutique follows Andipa Gallery's, recent exhibition of original works by Banksy in Gstaad, Switzerland. An annual show which attracted the highest number of attendees to date, from Geneva, Zurich and beyond, further illustrating Banksy's internationally acclaimed position.
No gallery represents Banksy. The works on show during this exhibition are from the collection of Andipa Gallery.
WAR BOUTIQUE | LOWER GROUND FLOOR GALLERY
Using textiles, bullet proof ceramics, shells and bomb blankets as the conduit to express his ideas, the artist known as War Boutique "symbolically transforms instruments of war and destruction into constructive items embodying creativity, peace and critical social commentary." Society for Contemporary Craft.
War Boutique has provided his wearable art for photo-shoots with the late Alexander McQueen CBE as well as collaborating with the royal and military tailor, Gieves & Hawkes. He has also provided artworks for some of the most renowned contemporary artists including Banksy for his controversial Banksy Versus Bristol Museum show and YBA Sarah Lucas.
Working for a body armour company on obtaining his degree in Textiles and Fashion Design, he has designed armour and uniforms from fabrics specially formulated for military use for the British, Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani and Algerian armies, as well as the Metropolitan Police, Italian Carabinieri and Mexico City Police. The arresting symbolic potential of these textiles leading him to requisition and recycle uniforms, military and ballistic materials and use them in his art, to alert us to the creeping militarisation of our society, encourage us to work towards peace and remind us of our duty to realise this.
His Peace Pods have hung from trees and rafters in Tate Modern, Tate Britain, British Museum and Regent's Park. They are places of respite for people to enter and feel and make peace. Designed so that its essential for the individuals inside to cooperate peacefully to avoid the destabilisation of the pod these works provoke us to question the necessity of war and to explore ways of experiencing peace.
The Private View for this exhibition has been kindly sponsored by Tiger Beer.
Banksy's continuing high profile has brought with it an explosion in international demand for his work. In response Andipa Gallery is pleased to announce Banksy | War Boutique, an exhibition showcasing an un-paralleled collection of iconic and sought after original works by Banksy, from the collection of Andipa Gallery, one of the largest in the UK.
Banksy | War Boutique follows Andipa Gallery's, recent exhibition of original works by Banksy in Gstaad, Switzerland. An annual show which attracted the highest number of attendees to date, from Geneva, Zurich and beyond, further illustrating Banksy's internationally acclaimed position.
No gallery represents Banksy. The works on show during this exhibition are from the collection of Andipa Gallery.
WAR BOUTIQUE | LOWER GROUND FLOOR GALLERY
Using textiles, bullet proof ceramics, shells and bomb blankets as the conduit to express his ideas, the artist known as War Boutique "symbolically transforms instruments of war and destruction into constructive items embodying creativity, peace and critical social commentary." Society for Contemporary Craft.
War Boutique has provided his wearable art for photo-shoots with the late Alexander McQueen CBE as well as collaborating with the royal and military tailor, Gieves & Hawkes. He has also provided artworks for some of the most renowned contemporary artists including Banksy for his controversial Banksy Versus Bristol Museum show and YBA Sarah Lucas.
Working for a body armour company on obtaining his degree in Textiles and Fashion Design, he has designed armour and uniforms from fabrics specially formulated for military use for the British, Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani and Algerian armies, as well as the Metropolitan Police, Italian Carabinieri and Mexico City Police. The arresting symbolic potential of these textiles leading him to requisition and recycle uniforms, military and ballistic materials and use them in his art, to alert us to the creeping militarisation of our society, encourage us to work towards peace and remind us of our duty to realise this.
His Peace Pods have hung from trees and rafters in Tate Modern, Tate Britain, British Museum and Regent's Park. They are places of respite for people to enter and feel and make peace. Designed so that its essential for the individuals inside to cooperate peacefully to avoid the destabilisation of the pod these works provoke us to question the necessity of war and to explore ways of experiencing peace.
The Private View for this exhibition has been kindly sponsored by Tiger Beer.
London Calling
I'm leaving Kenya for a few weeks next Friday.
I'll be crossing Europe a little, from Dublin to Paris, via London...
London is June can be absolutely gorgeous. Can't wait. London calling!
The National Museum of Nairobi goes contemporary
Exhibition: Endangered Culture, Jun 1-Sept. 30 2011 @ National Museum
Another place, another form of art in Nairobi currently on display.
The "Engandered Culture" exhibition opened on June 1st in the National Museum of Nairobi.
The exhibition, created by Gaby Hahn, run in the temporary gallery of the Museum.
And it will be visible until the 30st of September.
--More details:
http://www.museums.or.ke/content/view/209/1/
Art in Nairobi: Watatu Gallery
An exhibition of new and old works by three of Kenya’s most celebrated artists, Tabitha wa Thuku, Yony Waite and Annabelle Wanjiku, started last week at the Watatu Gallery.
Three female painters.
Tabitha wa Thuku live in her rural home in the Kiambu district of Kenya.
In her eyes, "artists are gifted with the ability to interpret messages from a place beyond themselves", the gallery owner wrote on the gallery's site.
For over twenty years, she has produced an imaginative form of art aficionados that captivates in East Africa and abroad.
--
Details:
Exhibition Opening: June 3, 2011
Galerie Watatu
Lonrho Africa Hse, Mezzanine Flr. Standard Street
Nairobi, Kenya
www.gallerywatatu.com
Three female painters.
Tabitha wa Thuku live in her rural home in the Kiambu district of Kenya.
In her eyes, "artists are gifted with the ability to interpret messages from a place beyond themselves", the gallery owner wrote on the gallery's site.
For over twenty years, she has produced an imaginative form of art aficionados that captivates in East Africa and abroad.
Living in the Nyeri region of Kenya, Annabelle Wanjiku started with her journeys to the local river to draw water.
Today, her airy, dream-like compositions and unwavering commitment to creation remain the soil that grounds the roots of contemporary East African art and nurtures the dreams of aspiring artists.
The third artist represented in the exhibition is Yony Waite.
Born in California, she has lived Kenya since 1963. During her early years in East Africa, she was disappointed there was almost no place for artists to exhibit paintings. Yearning for a space where artists could share their work, Waite and two friends then co-founded Gallery Watatu in 1968.
Waite ran the Gallery until Ruth Shaffner took over in 1984. She nowadays devotes her tome to painting and she cultivates an art movement in the East African art scene.
The Gallery remains a unique space for displaying paintings. A treasure in Nairobi, in the heart of the city centre, that I highly recommend.
--
Details:
Exhibition Opening: June 3, 2011
Galerie Watatu
Lonrho Africa Hse, Mezzanine Flr. Standard Street
Nairobi, Kenya
www.gallerywatatu.com
A new book on Kenya : 'Red Soil and Roasted Maize'
'Red Soil and Roasted Maize' is a selection of the Kenyan writer’s "most poignant, introspective and satirical articles, columns and essays" according to her publisher.
Her goal is to provide snapshots and analyses of events that have shaped Kenyans’ lives and dreams in the last decade, from the turbulent transition to democracy in 2002 to a flawed election in 2007 that had a deep impact on Kenya’s political, economic and social landscape.
She "candidly deciphers and describes the perils of growing ethnic chauvinism and corruption in an increasingly polarised nation and examines her own life as a writer in one of Africa’s most diverse and unequal societies".
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Details:
Red Soil and Roasted Maize
Selected essays and articles on contemporary KenyaPublished: May 2011
Format: Perfect Bound Softcover(B/W)
Pages: 200
ISBN: 9781456777241
Excuse my French
Here is a little switch in my blog. I feel I should write here in English, so that my people in Kenya, in the UK and in the US, the countries I have been living in for the past three years, can read me.
Excuse me, French friends, nothing against you, but I'm sure you'll understand.
Excuse me, French friends, nothing against you, but I'm sure you'll understand.
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