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 August
- September, 1999 (Gotenberg Meeting Point),
"Curiosity", by Mr., Svenrobert Lundquist, director
of The Konsthallen - Goteborg, Sweden.
You can sit at home and be content all you
can venture out into the world, but be forewarned, there maybe
some risking in leaving. You can encounter things that my
disturb you, mentally and or physically. You may even lose
your orientation, but you might also gain a plethora of new
ideas. Your mind grows and you begin to ask more questions.
In the field of art, you must take those risks. You must walk
out on the plank of life and jump off.
Today art is very complex. There is
no real definition of art. The question is frequently asked.
Who has the right o say what is art and what is not? Is there
a difference between life and art? Or maybe life itself is
a piece of art?
Moderna Museet in Stockholm was curious to find out what was
happening in the art life of Jordan. A project was discussed
and contact made. During spring time, "Amman … A Meeting Point"
was launched. Ann Edholm and Haken Rehnberg, two Swedish artists,
exhibited their paintings at Darat Al Funun. It was the first
artistic collaboration between Sweden and Jordan. Communication
is give and take , since the Swedish artists went to Jordan
it is now time for the Jordanian artists to come to Sweden
I personally went to Jordan and with the guidance of Darat
Al Funun's staff, I met with many artists and saw their art
work. I saw some very good art but had to choose only six
artists to exhibit their work in Sweden. I decided to pick
the artists whose art most illustrated the idea of "meeting
point". Two completely different cultures and ideas expressed
in art and exhibited side by side at Konsthallen in Goteborg,
Sweden.
My deepest gratitude to everybody involved in The "Amman …
A Meeting Point" project: Darat Al Funun Moderna Museet International
program, Swedish Institute, the artists … all are welcome
to Konsthallen and the project "Gothenburg … A Meeting Point".
Excerpts
from the catalogue of the Jordanian exhibition at The Konsthallen
- Goteborg, Sweden
The various civilizations of our world are a mosaic of believes,
an assimilation of new ideas and exchanges amongst the peoples
who made our world what it is today. The story of art reflects
the same pattern. At the turn of the twentieth century, in
the making of what is modern art today, artist from Europe
were inspired by the arts and light of Africa and Asia - the
"South of the World". Creative people from time immemorial,
Arab artists today, with their rich heritage and traditional
arts, are inspired by the arts of Europe and America - "The
North of the World". In our era of "Mondialization", barriers
are falling. Is the universalism of the human spirit at its
peak? Is the quest the same but the form of expression different?
Dialogue and interaction amongst the artists being one of
main goals of Darat Al Funun, the idea of an exhibition of
Swedish artists in Jordan "Amman … A Meeting Point" ( march,
99 ), to be followed now by an exhibition of Jordanian artists
together with the Swedish artists at the Konsthallen Goteborg
"Gothenburg … A Meeting point", was conceived in cooperation
with The Modern Museum and Svenska Institute in Stockholm.
It is needless to emphasize the importance of such an endeavor,
the first of its kind in Jordan and in Sweden. The Swedish
artists exhibition was curated by the director of Darat Al
Funun, Mr. Ali Maher, and the Jordanian artists were chosen
by the director of The Konsthallen - Goteborg, Mr. Svenrobert
Lundquist.
This joint exhibition of Swedish and Jordanian artists tries
to bring forward the duality, harmony and diversity of their
expression. It raises once more the question " who are we?
Where do we come from? Where are we going?" We hope this "Meeting
Point" at The Konsthallen - Goteborg will stimulate a reflection
on Art today and create a new dynamic open to infinite horizons.
Darat Al Funun "The Home for The Arts"
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