Language | Naima Morelli

Published: Interview with Lebanese artist Zena El-Khalil for MEMO

28-09-2020

English, Interview, Middle East, Published

Whirling on site at Beit Beirut [Zena el Khalil]

In my research on contemporary art I started to focus a lot on the spiritual values that artists carry with them and let come through their artworks and practice – despite the many hardships they might be facing.

In this sense, the life experience of Zena El-Khalil, a wonderful artist I had the pleasure to interview for Middle East Monitor, is emblematic. We talk specifically of her way of coping with the terrible explosion that has devastated Beirut, and the way art and her spiritual practice have helped her to look for the spring to come.

Kicking off the new season of articles with this interview makes me really proud, warms my heart and encourages me to look at the struggles in life with a different perspective. Hope it will do the same for you:

Here is the link to the article

Reality, all of it

By: Naima Morelli

24-08-2020

English, Essay, Italy

Three weeks ago, I met with my friend Rod in Naples and we decided to give up our egos.
He was coming from Rome by train, I was coming from Sorrento by train also and I was very late, since the boats going across the gulf were cancelled.

That was the first time I saw Rod after the lockdown happened in March. Last time we met, we were conjuring up a show in Venice for a leading Indonesian artist, together with another great Asia-expert curator. We were thrilled, and Rod in particular was juggling the excitement for a new curatorial adventure, with the alertness for the new Covid restriction on his workplace, and finally the realization that he had to work on expressing more his emotions.

Published! Interview with Steve Sabella on Middle East Monitor

By: Naima Morelli

06-04-2020

English, Interview, Middle East

For multimedia artist Steve Sabella, these hard times require us to access the potential of our imagination in order to conjure up our collective future. His works of art reflecting the hardships of the Palestinians become universal metaphors for global rebirth.

My interview with Berlin-based Palestinian artist Steve Sabella has just been published on Middle East Monitor.

Here is the link to the interview

Published! Age of anxiety in Sharjah on Al-Monitor

By: Naima Morelli

24-03-2020

English, Essay, Interview, Middle East, Published, Review

The webmagazine Al-Monitor has just published my article on the exhibition “Art in the Age of Anxiety” at the Sharjah Art Foundation.

The exhibition (now postponed) looked at online technology and communications feeding existential angst. It seems more relevant than ever today amid the global fears due to the coronavirus outbreak and the extensive information available.

Here is the link to the article

Published! Interview with Handiwirman Saputra on CoBo

By: Naima Morelli

19-03-2020

English, Indonesia, Interview, Published

From dirty riverbanks to the shores of Venice, Yogyakarta-based artist Handiwirman Saputra tells us the story of our objects.

My interview to Handiwirman has just been published on CoBo Social.

Here is the link to the interview

Published! Palestinian political posters show on MEMO

By: Naima Morelli

18-03-2020

English, Essay, Interview, Middle East, Published, Review

The exhibition at Palestinian Museum “Glimmer of a Grove Beyond” aims to outline the links between landscape representations and historical circumstances, through the medium of political posters.

Such posters came to prominence in Palestine between the mid-1960s and late-1980s as a means of motivating and mobilising political support in the national movement and revolution, and its armed struggle.

Here is the link to the article

Published! Aïda Muluneh on MEMO

By: Naima Morelli

05-03-2020

English, Essay, North Africa, Published

The webmagazine Middle East Monitor has just published my interview with Ethiopian artist Aida Muluneh, an artist whose work I deeply admire.

Born in Ethiopia in 1974, Aïda Muluneh left the country at a young age. Her global upbringing helped her to develop a multiplicity of viewpoints. Inspired by Ethiopia, she transcends it, making her subjects universal metaphors.

Here is the link to the piece

Published! Pneuma show in Singapore on Qantara

By: Naima Morelli

21-02-2020

English, Essay, Interview, Singapore, Visit

How to talk about spiritual matters in a highly secularised, hyper-pragmatic society? This was the question artists exhibiting in the show “Pneuma: Of Spirituality in Contemporary Age” at the Stamford Art Centre in Singapore grappled with during the 2020 Singapore Art Week.

The webmagazine Qantara has just published my piece on the show.

Here is the link to the piece

Catalog Essay for Sergio Fermariello at Richard Koh Fine Art

By: Naima Morelli

06-02-2020

English, Essay, Italy, Published, Singapore

I had the privilege to write the curatorial essay for the catalog of Neapolitan artist Sergio Fermariello’s new show “Warriors” opening tomorrow, 7 February, at Richard Koh Fine Art in Singapore. The piece is titled: “Hitting God’s Head with a Hammer Until It Breaks” – a poignant metaphor courtesy of genius Fermariello himself.

As a side note, when I first started working with the art scene in Southeast Asia, back in 2012, I could only hope more and more ties would create between my native Italy and that part of the world.

It has been incredible to see how these exchanges unfolded, and even more beautiful to see Italian artists experiencing the Southeast Asian art world, that has been so open and kind to me.

Published! Interview with Massinissa Selmani on MEMO

By: Naima Morelli

02-02-2020

English, Interview, News, North Africa, North Africa, Published

The webmagazine Middle East Monitor has just published my interview with Tours-based Algerian artist Massinissa Selmani.

The artist has just wrapped up his latest solo show, “Le calme de l’idée fixe”, at the Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré in Tours. In the show, visitors can admire different series of drawings, where political and historical innuendos meet an interest in architecture and landscape.

Here is the link to the article

Published! Italian colonialism in Libya on Internazionale

By: Naima Morelli

22-01-2020

English, Essay, Libya, North Africa, North Africa, Published, Research

The Italian magazine Internazionale has translated and published my article on artists reflection on the responsibilities of Italian colonialism in Libya.

I originally wrote the article for Middle East Eye. It features interviews with filmaker and writer Khalifa Abo Khraisse, artist and videomaker Martina Melilli and multimedia artist Leone Contini.

Here is the pdf version of the piece

Be Gentle with Yourself: my 2019 in Review

By: Naima Morelli

26-12-2019

English, Essay

One of my favourite traditions for December is to do the year in review. This 2019 I hardly published introspective essays in this space, which is actually good, meaning the work took over.

Now time’s up to stop and share my self-reflections, acknowledge the achievements, learning from the mistakes, and generally look back in gratitude to the people, the places and the experiences. .

Naima Morelli

Published: Interview with Lebanese artist Zena El-Khalil for MEMO

Reality, all of it

Published! Interview with Steve Sabella on Middle East Monitor

Published! Age of anxiety in Sharjah on Al-Monitor

Published! Interview with Handiwirman Saputra on CoBo

Published! Palestinian political posters show on MEMO

Published! Aïda Muluneh on MEMO

Published! Pneuma show in Singapore on Qantara

Catalog Essay for Sergio Fermariello at Richard Koh Fine Art

Published! Interview with Massinissa Selmani on MEMO

Published! Italian colonialism in Libya on Internazionale

Be Gentle with Yourself: my 2019 in Review

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