Middle East | Naima Morelli

Published: Interview with Carlos Spottorno and Guillermo Abril on Qantara

18-08-2019

English, France, Germany, Interview, Italy, Middle East, Published, UK

LaGrieta

In their wonderful graphic novel/field journal “The Crack” photographer Carlos Spottorno and journalist Guillermo Abril report the unfolding of Europeʹs migrant crisis from Africa to the Arctic over the course of three years. Their aim is to identify the causes and consequences of Europeʹs identity crisis.

I have interviewed the two reporters for Qantara, a webmagazine promoting cultural exchange, based in Germany. I’m super-excited because of this new collaboration, which allows me to bring back my explorations in foreign realities back to my homeland Europe.

Here is the link to the interview

Published! Interview with Yasmine Laraqui on MEMO

By: Naima Morelli

25-07-2019

Interview, Middle East, Published, Research

YasmineLaraqui
I have a growing interest for Marocco and the way contemporary art is developing in this country. This time I discussed the emerging art scene with curator, artist and gallerist Yasmine Laraqui founder of Dasthe Art Space and Agency in Casablanca for Middle East Monitor.

Here is the link to the interview

Published! Interview with Hamid Sulaiman for MEE

By: Naima Morelli

29-06-2019

English, Interview, Middle East, Published

HamidSulaiman

For my first article for the webmagazine Middle East Eye I have realized an interview to Syrian artist and graphic novelist Hamid Sulaiman. It was a great chat about his work “Freedom Hospital” and his future projects going forward.

Here is the link to the interview

Published! Interview with Pal Museum director Adila Laïdi Hanieh

By: Naima Morelli

27-06-2019

English, Interview, Middle East, Published, Research

PalestinianMuseum
I might be repeating myself, but even a short piece of writing – meant to announce the publication of a new piece – is an opportunity to speak about the true wonder of this job. The knowledge, hope and excitement that it brings. Every conversation is a gift, every piece published a way to let all this interestingness out, to feel part of those bringing light and understanding to our human society.

Anyway, this interview with Palestinian Museum director Dr Adila Laïdi Hanieh, adds up to my research on art and culture in Palestine, I have been started researching since I wrote my first few articles for the excellent web magazine Middle East Monitor. The conversation with such an elegant personality, whose direction is bringing harmony and rationalisation to the Palestinian Museum, was truly inspiring.

Here is the link to the interview

2019 Venice Biennale on Middle East Monitor

By: Naima Morelli

14-05-2019

English, Essay, Indonesia, Middle East, Published, Review

VeniceBiennale2019
The 2019 Venice Biennale has asked artists to step into the socio-political realm, in the middle of far-right Matteo Salvini’s Italy. And they have done it, dismantling Orientalism and getting the Mediterranean closer together in the process.

My first article on this 2019 Venice Biennale has just been published by Middle East Monitor.

Here is the link to the article

Published! Sharjah Biennal on Memo

By: Naima Morelli

06-04-2019

English, Essay, Middle East, News, Published

SharjahBiennal

“It is not usual to find a politically and religiously conservative country going hand in hand with being one of the most culturally active. An exception is Sharjah, a unicorn in the United Arab Emirates.”

The webmagazine Middle East Monitor has just published my article on the Sharjah Biennale.

Here is the link to the article

Published: Laila Shawa on Middle East Monitor

By: Naima Morelli

03-04-2019

English, Essay, Middle East, Published, Research

LailaShawa
Lend your pen to what’s important, my friend. Life is beautiful when you use what has been given to you – in my case this passion for writing – to share with others what inspires you and makes you – and others – feel that tingling of excitement.

So a lot has been written already about Islamo-Pop Palestinian artist Laila Shawa. However I wanted to measure myself with the work of this artist too, and learn about about her incredible life. And I did it for Middle East Monitor, some of the kindest people devoting themselves to the socio-political realm.

Here is the link to the article

Published! Interview with Rana Samara on Middle East Monitor

By: Naima Morelli

18-12-2017

English, Interview, Middle East, Published

RanaSamara

I have interviewed Palestinian artist Rana Samara for Middle East Monitor. Rana is a highly inquisitive, courageous and determined woman. These characteristics propelled her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art as a mother of three children from a conservative background. Her passion for art has led her to a two-year MA in Fine Art at Northwestern University, Chicago.

The backbone of Rana’s work are conversations with women about gender and intimate relations. Her latest series of work called “Intimate Space”, was presented by Ramallah’s at Art Dubai 2017 and put the spotlight on the depth and complexity of the research of Palestinian artist.

Here is the link to the interview

Published! Review of Home Beirut at MAXXI for Memo

By: Naima Morelli

22-11-2017

English, Middle East, Published, Review, Visit

Beirut

I feel today the MAXXI Museum in Rome is the one contemporary art institution who is really nailing it in the Eternal City. The multifaceted and highly political show “Home Beirut: Sounding the Neighbors” is proof of that. The exhibition focuses on Beirut artists representing city’s development and destiny, and introducing the local artistic scene to a European public.

This show is the third chapter of the “Mediterranean Trilogy” through which the MAXXI has been examining the interaction between the artistic communities of Europe and the Middle East. The aim is prompting the birth of a new trans-Mediterranean culture, critically important for the global landscape of artistic creation.

The show presented 30 artists, architects, filmmakers, musicians, dancers, researchers, activists negotiating between critical reflections of recent history of conflicts, through archiving and re-enacting memories, and prospection of the future, through attempts of urban transformation and global outreaching.

Here is the link to the review

Published! Bait al Karama on Middle East Monitor

By: Naima Morelli

31-10-2017

English, Interview, Middle East, News, Published

BaitAlKarama

The webmagazine Middle East Monitor has just published my article called: Palestine’s first female-run cookery school is ‘a labour of love’. The piece is based on an interview with artist Beatrice Catanzaro about the Bait Al Karama, the first Women’s Centre in the heart of the Old City of Nablus, which combines a culinary social enterprise with art and cultural activities.

The space was established to support the social and economic needs of women in the Old City struggling in the aftermath of the occupation, and to draw international attention to Nablus as a place of art and culture.

Here is the link to the piece

Published! Banksy’s hotel on Middle East Monitor

By: Naima Morelli

28-04-2017

English, Essay, Middle East, Published

banksyhotel

The webmagazine Middle East Monitor has just published my article on the controversial Walled Off Hotel by graffiti artist Banksy with the title: “Playing with sand in a sandstorm: Palestinians on Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel”. I gathered a few opinions on the subject, by three Palestinians involved in different way with art and an art blogger, then drew my conclusions:

“Banksy’s hotel provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the role of art in sensitive contexts, such as the situation in occupied Palestine. What art needs is not to be more witty or ironic. It should neither become didactic nor necessarily take sides. Artists need to have a heart and some empathy; a capacity and willingness to listen. In order to do that, though, they need to break out from the cage that is their own narcissism. This won’t make the art necessarily cooler, but it would make it more meaningful. More human, in fact.”

Here is the link to the piece

Interview with Khalil Rabah for Middle East Monitor

By: Naima Morelli

27-12-2016

English, Interview, Middle East, Published

khalilrabah1

It should written of the information leaflet, like the one you find in medicine boxes: long term exposure to contemporary art changes your way of thinking. It gives you a complexity of thinking and variety of perspective on issues, which is extremely important. For example, the work of Palestinian artists Khalil Rabah – especially his “Palestinian Museum of Natural History and Humankind” is one that urges people re-consider reality in other terms – especially because here the boundaries between artwork and actual history-making institution are really thin. It was a privilege to have the chance to interview him for Middle East Monitor, after having seen his work at MACRO Museum in Rome.

Here’s the link to the interview

Naima Morelli

Published: Interview with Carlos Spottorno and Guillermo Abril on Qantara

Published! Interview with Yasmine Laraqui on MEMO

Published! Interview with Hamid Sulaiman for MEE

Published! Interview with Pal Museum director Adila Laïdi Hanieh

2019 Venice Biennale on Middle East Monitor

Published! Sharjah Biennal on Memo

Published: Laila Shawa on Middle East Monitor

Published! Interview with Rana Samara on Middle East Monitor

Published! Review of Home Beirut at MAXXI for Memo

Published! Bait al Karama on Middle East Monitor

Published! Banksy’s hotel on Middle East Monitor

Interview with Khalil Rabah for Middle East Monitor

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