DIS/PLACE

MAKING WORK IN EXILE

DIS/PLACE is a three-stage project working with recently-arrived refugee and migrant artists who have come to0 Australia with established bodies of work. Commencing with a forum for exploring the cultural, artistic and other challenges the ‘displaced’ artist faces in creating work, the program provides support to participating artists in the re-location of their artistic production. It will culminate in an exhibition of new work by participating artists in July 2007.

The project evolved in recognition of the difficulties faced by artists and cultural practitioners who arrive in Australia as refugees and migrants, having already developed bodies of work and recognition as artists.

DIS/PLACE began in relation to the international exhibition Mona Hatoum: Over My Dead Body which opened at the MCA in March 2005. The exhibition showcased works by the Lebanese-born Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum. Mona Hatoum’s works explore themes of exile, trauma and isolation. The exhibition provided an opportunity for the MCA and ICE to develop the project partnership through a forum focused on culturally diverse artists and cultural practitioners from Western Sydney.

DEVELOPMENT AND RECOGNITION

“We were encountering a lot of refugee and migrant artists through Artfiles who had already developed significant bodies of work in the countries they had lived before Australia,” says Mouna Zaylah, ICE’s Cultural Development Program Manager. “Actually, we were encountering many artists who had come to Australia precisely because they had experienced persecution for their expression as artists.”

DIS/PLACE second phase is a series of professional and skills development activities that are structured to assist participating artists with the transition to their artistic practice in Australia. In the third and final stage, artists will be paired with professional curators who will mentor them through the process of producing new works for an exhibition at Campbelltown Arts Centre in 2007.

Dis/Place: Making Work in Exile is a partnership between Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE), Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (MCA) and Campbelltown Arts Centre. The project is funded by a grant from the Australia Council for the Arts. Another key aim of the project is to develop and nurture relationships between ICE, Western Sydney artists and communities, the MCA and Campbelltown Arts Centre, thus mutually enhancing accessibility of resources, audiences, facilities, artistic programs and information.

DIS/PLACE ARTISTS

The participating artists will explore a variety of themes communicating their experiences of exile, diasporic identity and displacement. These themes are relevant to the Western Sydney region, which has the largest culturally diverse population in NSW and Australia. The Dis/Place exhibition seeks to draw out a dialogue around these topics, between the artists, the audiences and the creative organisations operating in the region.

The participating artists have all recently arrived in Australia (between 1 and 8 years) and therefore the project will have the important role of communicating their individual experiences. These experiences are relatively un-documented in comparison to the documentation of earlier waves of migration.

2. ARTISTS PARTICIPATING IN DIS/PLACE

ABBASI, Babak—Visual artist specialising in sculpture. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature specialising in classical architecture. His large scale works, include interior and exterior friezes and sculptures which reflect symbols and calligraphic designs drawn from Persian and Roman history. Babak’s works relate closely to his cultural background and family history. AHMED, Zahid Visual artist working in installation, video and objects. Zahid is a newly arrived migrant from Pakistan who graduated from the NCA, (National College of Arts, Lahore) holding a Masters degree from the University of Central England, Birmingham. He held the position of Assistant Professor at the NCA. He has exhibited his works in England, France and Lahore and held a residency in France in 2000. Zahid’s installations portray universal issues such as alienation, exile and trauma.

AHMED, Nusrat—Visual artist who works in watercolour, oil painting and etching. She has a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Nusrat’s figurative works capture feelings of transience and isolation.

ASIF SADO, Denis—He is an emerging young writer who has participated in the Australian Writers Festival 2005. He has published on the web and has been involved in the Story Box project with ICE. Denis’ writing draws from his personal experience as a refugee, and questions the future for other refugees living in a world of chaos and hardship.

BALLA, Fathia—She is a painter and film director and has exhibited locally in Western Sydney and in Sudan and Egypt. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Cinema), Academy of Arts, Cairo, Egypt. Fathia has written scripts that focus on the experiences of Sudanese women in exile seeking a world of peace and understanding. She is committed to the promotion of harmony and social justice. Currently completing a filmmaking course and participating in professional development workshops for artists throughout Western Sydney.

GUSTAITYTE-CALABRESE, Irma—Graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts (Lithuania) in costume and set design for theatre. She is also a painter, has exhibited solo and in collaboration with other artists in Lithuania. Her works explore issues of isolation, language and family.

HAMADI, Ali Abbas—Visual artist recently migrated to Australia from Iraq. His paintings express his emotional connection to his homeland and his personal experiences. He holds a Bachelor in Fine Arts from the Baghdad Academy of Fine Arts. He has exhibited his paintings in Baghdad, Lebanon, Cuba, Syria, Jordan and Australia. Ali’s works focus on the complex process and the gestural act of painting. DIS/PLACE: Making Work in Exile

HASAN, Jasam—Visual artist born in Iraq. Holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Baghdad Academy of Fine Arts majoring in painting. Jasam is a newly arrived migrant whose first language is Arabic. He has held solo exhibitions in Jordan and Iraq and has participated in collective exhibitions in Rome, China, Bangladesh and Sydney. Jasam works in the figurative tradition, his works explore the notions of gender and identity, personal history and memory.

KHALIF, Abshiro—Abshiro migrated from Somalia to Australia at the age of 12 with her family. She is a visual arts student at the Southern Cross University. She creates wearable art, sculptures, prints, 3D designs and installations. Her work is influenced by her cultural heritage, between two worlds, Western and Eastern. She uses traditional materials and found / recycled materials and objects. She has participated in community based projects as well as often exhibiting her work through university related shows.

KYAW, Min—Visual artist, poet and political activist. He arrived to Australia as a humanitarian entrant from Burma. He lived in isolation and as refugee in Thailand before arriving to Australia. Min’s calligraphic and graffiti works explore language in the context of war, oppression and contemporary issues of inhumanity.

NAJIM, Faiza—Faiza migrated from Afghanistan to escape the war. She is a self-taught visual artist who enjoys drawing using crayon, and painting with watercolours. Her work expresses her experience as a migrant woman living in the West, and her feelings for her family, homeland, culture and traditions. She enjoys combining calligraphy, images of women, and landscapes.

NAQSHBANDI, Ruhullah—Ruhullah is a refugee from Afghanistan and a painter. He has thirty years experience in the arts and worked as a lecturer at the University of Kabul, Afghanistan. His works reflect on his memories of his country and identity as well as his experiences in his new homeland, Australia.

YOOL, Chemar—Performance artist specialising in pantomime. Performed in Sudan and Egypt. He is currently participating in community based projects in Western Sydney. He has an interest in developing his skills in filmmaking and has attended workshops at ICE and participated in Shooting West (2005). He featured in the Egyptian film ‘Amir Al Zalam’ (2002). His work explores themes of exile, transience and diaspora.

ZAHID, Fozia—Fozia graduated from the National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan. She was Head of the Fine Arts Department at Queen Mary College, Lahore. Fozia’s paintings draw from the Ottoman tradition incorporating contemporary themes within the miniature style. Her works critique the positioning of women in Pakistani tradition and explore alternative feminist perspectives.