Art Breath x SOAS
Art Breath in collaboration with SOAS, will hold a series of events looking at the intricate relationship between art and politics. Through the lens of art, the themes that will be explored throughout the series are: soft power, freedom of expression, street art, gender, identity, conflict, peace building, and many more.
In today’s world with so many political changes and technology swallowing up jobs, it feels like we are at a turning point in the world and to enable diplomacy and cultures to coexist, or to continue to do so, looking to art as a political tool, as a tool of soft power and diplomatic relations might be, if not the solution, part of a solution to unite and create understanding, empathy, perspectives and more harmony-and hopefully be a key aspect to peacebuilding.
Whether an artist’s artwork has intent to be political or it happens to be political, if art may not be able to change the present, maybe it can change the way we view history, reshaping a collective memory, shinning and highlighting perspectives that were ignored for any onetime political standpoint-and it may pave the way for a better future. And so examining how art and politics interact, overlap and question each other, will very much be at the centre of the talks throughout the year.
Below are images of the events
Whether an artist’s artwork has intent to be political or it happens to be political, if art may not be able to change the present, maybe it can change the way we view history, reshaping a collective memory, shinning and highlighting perspectives that were ignored for any onetime political standpoint-and it may pave the way for a better future. And so examining how art and politics interact, overlap and question each other, will very much be at the centre of the talks throughout the year.
Below are images of the events
Wednesday 6th June 2018 Art Breath x SOAS "In Conversation with HE Ambassador Rami Mortada"
Lebanon is a country filled with meaningful art and culture. It is also a country that has seen war, pain and destruction. Yet through it all, the Lebanese have put their best foot forward through soft power.
On Wednesday 6th June, discussing this perspective, Lebanon's Ambassador to the UK, HE Rami Mortada shared his thoughts on Lebanon, Culture, Soft Power, and Politics. The talk covered the Ambassador's career, getting into politics, his views and thoughts on culture and how it affects the politics in Lebanon, the refugee crisis, memories of war and how culture, the arts can unite people of all faiths. We also discussed how politics and economy go hand in hand with culture and soft power and how a balance is needed, as well as if the creative industries can help with the economy of Lebanon. The talk touched upon the infrastructure of the city of Beirut, what that means to culture, if foreign entities through funding, have an influence on the arts and culture of the country and if the top down approach that there sometimes is, does too. The talk centred around the politics of Lebanon, if the fusion of arts and politics can bring people together and mainly by discussing and going through the notions of art, culture and soft power, the hard politics can be leaned into, the politics of the country can be understood, and all perspectives listened to.
The event started with a wonderful introduction by Professor Stephen Hopgood who very kindly paved the way for the evening, which was a great success, a full house, and the ambassador was very gracious and generous with his time and his brilliant talk.
Lebanon is a country filled with meaningful art and culture. It is also a country that has seen war, pain and destruction. Yet through it all, the Lebanese have put their best foot forward through soft power.
On Wednesday 6th June, discussing this perspective, Lebanon's Ambassador to the UK, HE Rami Mortada shared his thoughts on Lebanon, Culture, Soft Power, and Politics. The talk covered the Ambassador's career, getting into politics, his views and thoughts on culture and how it affects the politics in Lebanon, the refugee crisis, memories of war and how culture, the arts can unite people of all faiths. We also discussed how politics and economy go hand in hand with culture and soft power and how a balance is needed, as well as if the creative industries can help with the economy of Lebanon. The talk touched upon the infrastructure of the city of Beirut, what that means to culture, if foreign entities through funding, have an influence on the arts and culture of the country and if the top down approach that there sometimes is, does too. The talk centred around the politics of Lebanon, if the fusion of arts and politics can bring people together and mainly by discussing and going through the notions of art, culture and soft power, the hard politics can be leaned into, the politics of the country can be understood, and all perspectives listened to.
The event started with a wonderful introduction by Professor Stephen Hopgood who very kindly paved the way for the evening, which was a great success, a full house, and the ambassador was very gracious and generous with his time and his brilliant talk.
HE Ambassador Rami Mortada and Nour Saleh-Art Breath founder
Professor Stephen Hopgood introducing the evening
Tuesday 28 November 2017 Art Breath x SOAS "Light on the Middle East through Art, Humanities and Social Sciences"
with Venetia Porter and James Watt CVO
There is always light on the Middle East and lately much has been talked about in the news politically with what has been going on in Saudi Arabia and the repercussion that has on the region and much talk has been on the opening of the beautiful new Abu Dhabi Louvre. This new museum sheds a light onto the Middle East, as have the other museums in the region. Both art and politics are highlighting angles.
Light shed can be the image of what we see, what certain powers want us to see or showing a different perspective of the region, the perspective of artists and people from the region or working in the Middle East.
Art and contemporary art, humanities and social sciences are obviously huge subjects and the Middle East a vast area, during the evening, in the time there was, we heard from our speaker's perspective, their view of what they see the Middle East bringing forward and from their expertise in the region and about the region.
Venetia Porter discussed how art, contemporary art, is shedding light and bringing forth perspectives from the region. Venetia Porter shared with us the art that the British Museum has recently acquired and how that art reflects part of the Middle East, how artists are depicting war and politics in art.
James Watt shared his experience and expertise in the Middle East, how the region may have changed from when he first worked there and how he saw art being utilised. He presented the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL), the work that is being done in the region and what he hopes to achieve.
with Venetia Porter and James Watt CVO
There is always light on the Middle East and lately much has been talked about in the news politically with what has been going on in Saudi Arabia and the repercussion that has on the region and much talk has been on the opening of the beautiful new Abu Dhabi Louvre. This new museum sheds a light onto the Middle East, as have the other museums in the region. Both art and politics are highlighting angles.
Light shed can be the image of what we see, what certain powers want us to see or showing a different perspective of the region, the perspective of artists and people from the region or working in the Middle East.
Art and contemporary art, humanities and social sciences are obviously huge subjects and the Middle East a vast area, during the evening, in the time there was, we heard from our speaker's perspective, their view of what they see the Middle East bringing forward and from their expertise in the region and about the region.
Venetia Porter discussed how art, contemporary art, is shedding light and bringing forth perspectives from the region. Venetia Porter shared with us the art that the British Museum has recently acquired and how that art reflects part of the Middle East, how artists are depicting war and politics in art.
James Watt shared his experience and expertise in the Middle East, how the region may have changed from when he first worked there and how he saw art being utilised. He presented the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL), the work that is being done in the region and what he hopes to achieve.
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Thursday 29 June 2017 Art Breath x SOAS "Memories, Art and War" with Hrair Sarkissian and Scott Redford
There have been some incredibly heartbreaking incidents in the UK recently and the world. These sad events stay in our memories, whether we experience them first hand or not. The memory of a war, destruction or an event can evolve, it can develop it can even transform itself throughout time, we each have our own perspective of a lived experience, or a shared experience.
Memories of destruction, war, conflict can of course be particularly traumatic. Art is a form of expression that can help with these memories, an aid and tool to deal with trauma, and yet as art helps keep alive a memory, a moment in history, it is for some who want to destroy elements of history, what they look for in their quest of destruction.
The evening's guest speakers were Professor Scott Redford and artist, photographer Hrair Sarkissian.
Hrair Sarkissian discussed his artwork in realtion to his childhood, memory, war, destruction and his artwork on the journey the refugees take and why he chose to depict these subjects.
Professor Scott Redford shared his expertise on the use of historic preservation in ongoing cold conflicts, peacebuilding and archeology, focusing on the use of historic preservation as 'confidence building' in ongoing cold conflicts.
There have been some incredibly heartbreaking incidents in the UK recently and the world. These sad events stay in our memories, whether we experience them first hand or not. The memory of a war, destruction or an event can evolve, it can develop it can even transform itself throughout time, we each have our own perspective of a lived experience, or a shared experience.
Memories of destruction, war, conflict can of course be particularly traumatic. Art is a form of expression that can help with these memories, an aid and tool to deal with trauma, and yet as art helps keep alive a memory, a moment in history, it is for some who want to destroy elements of history, what they look for in their quest of destruction.
The evening's guest speakers were Professor Scott Redford and artist, photographer Hrair Sarkissian.
Hrair Sarkissian discussed his artwork in realtion to his childhood, memory, war, destruction and his artwork on the journey the refugees take and why he chose to depict these subjects.
Professor Scott Redford shared his expertise on the use of historic preservation in ongoing cold conflicts, peacebuilding and archeology, focusing on the use of historic preservation as 'confidence building' in ongoing cold conflicts.
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Thursday 20 April 2017 Art Breath x SOAS "From Conflict to Art" with Michaela Crimmin and Benjamin Dix
The evening disclosed the speakers' reasons and experiences on working in the field of art as a medium to showcase conflict. They also shared their perspectives on the work of some artists. The discussion highlighted why art is an important tool to depict war and conflict; the correlation between art, politics, conflict and war; and what it is about art that makes us see wars or conflicts differently.
Michaela Crimmin from Culture + Conflict shares with us how her organisation is highlighting and helping artists deal with difficult subjects such as conflict, as well as showing us different artworks and different artists who have tackled conflict, politics and war in their work. Benjamin Dix from Positive Negatives, shared with us his journey that led him to start his foundation and the charity WhyComics? and relayed to us different journeys and stories people have shared with him, which Positive Negatives have turned into comics for us to understand and relate to the trauma and sadness in the world.
Both speakers brought forth that art can be used for empathy and be a language to communicate with others difficult situations.
Michaela Crimmin from Culture + Conflict shares with us how her organisation is highlighting and helping artists deal with difficult subjects such as conflict, as well as showing us different artworks and different artists who have tackled conflict, politics and war in their work. Benjamin Dix from Positive Negatives, shared with us his journey that led him to start his foundation and the charity WhyComics? and relayed to us different journeys and stories people have shared with him, which Positive Negatives have turned into comics for us to understand and relate to the trauma and sadness in the world.
Both speakers brought forth that art can be used for empathy and be a language to communicate with others difficult situations.
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Thursday 24 November 2016, Inaugural Event:Talk & Soirée, " Art as a Political Tool"
To Kick off the series of Art Breath X SOAS, the evening's event "Art as a Political Tool" looked at the angle that the speakers Professor Charles Tripp and Hayle Melim Gadelha engage with, and in relation to why through their own work, see a relationship between the notions art and politics.
Professor Charles Tripp discussed Art & Power in relation to the Middle East and Hayle Melim Gadelha Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Paintings in WW2.
Through that journey they took us on, we were informed if and why art is a political tool and if and how art can help us to understand politics.
Professor Charles Tripp discussed Art & Power in relation to the Middle East and Hayle Melim Gadelha Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Paintings in WW2.
Through that journey they took us on, we were informed if and why art is a political tool and if and how art can help us to understand politics.
Hayle Melim Gadelha, Charles Tripp, Nour Saleh
Charles Tripp
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Hayle Melim Gadelha
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