Latest news with #artisticexpression
Khaleej Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Patching pavements, French artist brings flash of colour to Ankara streets
Walking through Ankara's streets, occasional flashes of colour light up the pavement where French artist Ememem has painstakingly patched up the potholes and cracks with vibrant works of mosaic art. He calls it "flacking" -- the art of transforming unsightly cracks and crevices in the ground into uniquely shaped ceramic creations. The artworks -- made of recycled materials, bits of glass and broken or discarded shards of pottery -- are what he calls his "plasters for the pavement". What inspired him was "the spirit of the city": although to the uninitiated, Ankara can sometimes appear "grey", Ememem said he saw it as full of "colour, light and traditional motifs". At times accompanied by texts, these eye-catching "street scars" are a reflection of his impressions and even some of the Turkish expressions he's heard on the streets. 'The streets belong to everyone' His works first appeared on the streets of Lyon, hometown of the artist who has never revealed his name or his face. They then began appearing in Paris and other cities, like Milan, Barcelona and Leipzig, and more recently Chicago and New York. He also created a piece for the Athletes' Village in Paris during the 2024 Olympics. What he likes best are the works he does "clandestinely" at night. "We don't ask for permission, we just do it because as far as I'm concerned, the streets belong to everyone and to me as well," he said. Memories of his grandfather sweeping the front garden then the street outside, because he considered it to be his, was what inspired him to become a street artist. "Oddly enough, when something belongs to everyone, you think that it doesn't belong to you. I want to show that the streets, the town and society belongs to all of us, that we are all actors in our own cities," he said. His works are "artistic, poetic and above all political", he said, while admitting his messages are subtle. In the Bosnian town of Mostar, he patched up a hole made by grenades with ceramic piece decorated with barbed wire in a nod to the wars that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. 'I'm not a political artist' "We are less direct than artists in Turkey," he said, standing with local street artist Hikmeti Tabiyeci who is working with him on a joint flacking project in Lyon. "I don't consider myself a political artist, but everything done in the street is politicised in Turkey," said the artist, whose name is also a pseudonym meaning "physicist" in Ottoman-era Turkish. His work takes many different forms, one of which is a mock tombstone in a local park reading: "Here lies democracy". "Gathering in the street, claiming your rights, even walking your dog, kissing, drinking alcohol or laughing in public has become a political act," he explained. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fears any expression in the public space because he knows the power of the street, the artist said. For years, fear of the authorities kept people off the streets until the removal of Istanbul's opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March, which sparked huge protests across the country in Turkey's worst street unrest since 2013, he said. "Art has always been present on the streets," he said. "When you use it wisely and well, you build relationships very quickly, whether you're an artist or a politician."
South China Morning Post
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How belly dancers are reclaiming their artistic heritage after decades of stigma
Originating in the Middle East, belly dancing has evolved to incorporate a variety of styles in the regions it has spread to over the centuries. Now, as it continues to gain popularity internationally, young Egyptian performers are working to restore its reputation at home, pushing back against decades of stigma to reclaim the dance as part of their artistic heritage. Once well-known figures of Egypt's cinematic golden age, belly dancers have watched their prestige wane, their art increasingly confined to nightclubs and wedding halls 'No woman can be a belly dancer today and feel she's truly respected,' says Safy Akef, an instructor and great-niece of dance legend Naima Akef, a fixture on the silver screen during the 1950s. Despite her celebrated lineage, Safy Akef, 33, has never performed on stage in Egypt. 'Once the show ends, the audience doesn't respect you, they objectify you,' she says.
Malay Mail
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
‘In our blood': From stigma to stage, Egyptian women challenge taboos, seek Unesco recognition
CAIRO, July 1 — As belly dancing gains popularity internationally, young Egyptian performers are working to restore its reputation at home, pushing back against decades of stigma to reclaim the dance as part of their artistic heritage. Once iconic figures of Egypt's cinematic golden age, belly dancers have watched their prestige wane, their art increasingly confined to nightclubs and wedding halls. 'No woman can be a belly dancer today and feel she's truly respected,' said Safy Akef, an instructor and great-niece of dance legend Naima Akef, a fixture on the silver screen during the 1950s. Despite her celebrated lineage, Safy, 33, has never performed on stage in Egypt. 'Once the show ends, the audience doesn't respect you, they objectify you,' she told AFP. Today, belly dance is known for skin-baring theatrics performed by foreign dancers and a handful of Egyptians. The shift has fuelled moral disapproval in the conservative society and pushed even the descendants of iconic starlets away. 'People ask me all the time where they can see belly dancing that does justice to the art,' said Safaa Saeed, 32, an instructor at a Cairo dance school. 'I struggle to answer,' she told AFP. Saeed, who was enchanted by Akef as a child, is now part of a movement led by choreographer Amie Sultan to reframe the art as part of Egyptian heritage, fit for theatres, festivals and Unesco recognition. Egyptian belly-dancer Safaa Said, 32, full-time instructor at the Taksim Belly-dance Institute, gives an interview with AFP in Cairo on April 12, 2025. — AFP pic Colonial baggage A classically trained ballerina turned belly dancer, Sultan prefers to call what is formally known as oriental dance baladi, from the Arabic word 'balad', meaning homeland. 'Baladi reflects the soul of who we are.' 'But now it carries images of superficial entertainment, disconnected from its roots,' she told AFP. This disconnection, Sultan said, stems from shifting moral codes — and colonial baggage. In her book Imperialism and the Heshk Beshk, author Shatha Yehia traces the artform's roots to ancient Egypt, but says the modern colloquial term only emerged in the 19th century, coined by French colonisers as danse du ventre, or 'dance of the belly'. While descriptive, the phrase exoticised the movement and shaped perceptions both at home and abroad. 'Heshk beshk', an old onomatopoeic Egyptian expression evoking a performer's shaking moves, 'is not merely a label for the dancer', Yehia writes. 'It is the Egyptian vernacular version of a femme fatale, the destructive woman who wields her body and feminine power to get what she wants. It's not just a label of vulgarity or immorality, it's synonymous with evil and debauchery.' Yehia argues that views on 'heshk beshk' — now shorthand for provocative, lowbrow dancing — were shaped both by Western imperialism and local conservatism. The fallout has been generational. Akef's great-aunt was a star who 'acted, danced and created iconic film tableaux'. But Safy instead has chosen to train others, including in Japan, where she spent three years teaching Egyptian folk and belly dance. Egyptian belly-dancer Amie Sultan (centre) talks during a lecture at her studio in Cairo on April 15, 2025. Once iconic figures of Egypt's cinematic golden age, belly dancers have watched their prestige wane, their art increasingly confined to nightclubs and wedding halls. — AFP pic 'Place of our own' Sultan launched the Taqseem Institute, named after the improvisational solos of Arabic music, in 2022. Since then, dozens of women have been trained at the school, seven of whom now teach full-time. The students are trained not only in choreography, but also in musicality, history and theory. They study the evolution of Egyptian dance from pre-cinema figures like Bamba Kashshar and Badia Masabni through the golden age icons like Tahiya Carioca and Samia Gamal. Sultan even takes the message to universities, giving talks to demystify the art form for new audiences, while her dancers work to preserve its history. In 2023, she staged El-Naddaha, a performance blending Sufi themes with traditional and contemporary Egyptian movement. Still, challenges remain. 'We want to have a place of our own — like the old theatres — a teatro where we can regularly perform,' Saeed said. Egyptian belly-dancer Amie Sultan (right), dancer Safaa Said (left), and dancer Menna Emmam (centre), full-time instructors at the Taksim Belly-dance Institute, take part in a rehearsal in Cairo on April 12, 2025. — AFP pic Sultan is also pushing for official recognition. She has begun the process of campaigning for the dance to be inscribed on Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. But the path is long and requires support from the country's culture authorities. For the time being, the dancers at Taqseem focus on their next performance. Barefoot and clad in fitted dancewear, they hold one final run-through, undulating to a melody by Egyptian diva Umm Kulthum as the beat of a tabla drum echoes. It's a dream come true for Saeed, who has been dancing since she was a child. 'I believe it's in our blood,' she said with a smile. — AFP
UAE Moments
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- UAE Moments
♓ Pisces Daily Horoscope for June 29, 2025
On June 29, 2025, Pisces creativity and intuition surge. It's the ideal moment for artistic expression, health insight, and building meaningful connections. ❤️ Love & Relationships Your dreamy, imaginative spirit deepens romantic connections. Gentle, soulful conversations flow with ease, and sharing heartfelt words brings intimacy. Allow your intuition to guide relational moments. 💰 Finance New creative ventures may beckon—you could find opportunities to monetize a side passion. Yet even without immediate earnings, nurturing your skills today feeds long‑term self-worth and financial confidence. 💼 Career & Ambitions Your artistic side shines brightest now. Communicative Mercury encourages you to share your ideas—even if it feels vulnerable. Expressiveness can lead to unexpected connections or projects. Quiet confidence sets the stage for future success. 🩺 Health & Well‑Being Be gentle with your energy. Rest is a powerful healer. Creative outlets—like music, art, or writing—support emotional clarity and reduce stress. Honor your inner rhythms. Expect change—some subtle, some bold. Trust the flow of transformation and remain open to spontaneity. Embrace renewal—opportunity is on its way.
Irish Times
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Reviews in brief: Stop Me If You've Heard This One; The Shape of Things Unseen; and Take Six
Stop Me If You've Heard This One by Kristen Arnett (Corsair, £20) The opening scene of this novel features a clown escaping through a bathroom window after sleeping with a woman at her child's birthday party. Her tool of pleasure? A magic wand. It is almost an achievement then, after such an energetic beginning, that what proceeds is a drag. Arnett's third novel follows lesbian Cherry, and her clown persona, Bucko, in their quest for artistic excellence, as she navigates the death of her clownish (but not clown) brother and her challenging relationships with her mother and her mother-age girlfriend/mentor. As a comment upon gender and sexual identity, late capitalism and its impact upon art, the novel proves somewhat interesting. However, if what you are seeking is a story to engage and move you, look elsewhere. This airless novel will leave you feeling like the drooping rose of a burnt out clown. – Brigid O'Dea The Shape of Things Unseen: A New Science of Imagination by Adam Zeman (Bloomsbury Circus, £25) Adam Zeman is a neurologist at the very forefront of research into the science of imagination, the focus of his third book. Taking his readers on a tour of their inner lives, Zeman draws on (sometimes) familiar scientific concepts to unlock the various workings and wanderings of the mind, including the 'maladies, remedies and extremes of imagination'. Terms like pareidolia and aphantasia are explained through anecdotes and literary allusions; Zeman has a particular affinity for the Romantic poets. In thinking about thinking, Zeman encourages his readers to let their minds wander, to interact with the book's various questions and quizzes. The Shape of Things Unseen, which oscillates about the main axis of human creativity, is accessible, memorable, and, quite frankly, imaginative. – Emily Formstone READ MORE Take Six: Six Irish Women Writers , Edited by Tanya Farrelly (Dedalus, £11.99) In this powerful anthology, Tanya Farrelly curates six distinct voices exploring the fractures of contemporary Irish womanhood. The short stories span dystopian futures, where daughters are outlawed, to quiet acts of voyeurism, all threaded with emotional tension and ethical ambiguity. Mary Morrissy's Holding On simmers like a slow trap; Geraldine Mills's XX chills with maternal defiance; Nuala O'Connor's Surveillance unsettles with creeping obsession. Rosemary Jenkinson's The Peacemaker exposes the dragnet of political memory, while Mary O'Donnell's The Creators conjures an eco-dystopia where female labour is conscripted. Farrelly's own For the Record captures the erosion of safety after adolescent violence. Take Six reveals charged moments where resistance flickers against silence, insisting on the complex realities of identity, power, and survival in a world narrowing by degrees. –Adam Wyeth
