The Official Invitation

This is the Official Invitation for the Festival. The 7th Women's Art Festival of Aleppo started on the 30th of November 2007, and I was scheduled to begin with my project on the 8th of December. Unfortunately, the political police invaded the festival's opening and had it closed the same night. It was a big disappointment for the festival's director Issa Touma and the present artists. Issa was taken for interrogation, but set free after 6 hours of detention. He told me they just let him waiting in a empty room for the all time, and then let him go with no explanation...

This was the second major set-back on this Festival's edition. First they were offered the usage of the Old Health Center exhibit hall for the festival, which would allow it to happen in a period of ten days, concentrating the artists and the art events in one building and in a shorter period of time. This would also increase the impact of such an event, of course. Later, they got the news that the space was no longer available, though it has been abandoned for many years. That was the moment when Issa Touma and the festival's organization decided to spread the program over a few weeks, enabling all the works to be exhibited in their home base, the relatively small Le Pont Gallery in Aleppo.

And then, this... Closing the event on the day it begun! It's hard to work against all odds.

So, I was asked if I could come later, as the organization would need time to reorganize the event. On the day I was supposed to fly to Aleppo I managed to postpone my tickets (very nice people at www.tickettracker.nl) and fortunately our visas were valid until March 2008, so we were able to postpone the all thing. The sponsors were also ok with it, so it was with a slightly awkward feeling that I just stopped thinking about the project and concentrated on Christmas instead!

But now it's for sure! We are coming!

The Monster in Amsterdam

Here are some photos I took in Amsterdam on the 12th December 2007. With the collaboration of Ji-Huyn Youn, the model inside the costume.

More Pictures

These are the two pictures I am using for this project. The original photos were taken by Issa Touma (the Festival's Director) in a December morning in Aleppo. They were then worked upon by Joana Morais (www.manamana.pt). I have taken the photos of the monster in Amsterdam, Ji-Huyn Youn being my "model" inside the suit.
I have chosen the second photo for my webflyer and the first photo was chosen by the Festival's organization for their catalogue. I prefered the second photo because a woman and a child are depicted in it, and those are my communication targets in this project. The first photo, where you can see in the background a picture of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is also good: no matter where you are in Syria you constantly see depictions of their leader in different formats all over public spaces. It reminds you that "he is watching you". But of course, it could also be "his kind eye looking upon his people"... it depends on how you choose to look at it. The political aspect of my project is very important as in Syria it is an overwhelming issue, but I rather address it through human contact than through direct referencing.

The web-flyer + project description

(click on it for a bigger image)

THE GREEN MONSTER IN ALEPPO

A green monster walks the streets of Aleppo everyday for a few hours. It’s a friendly monster, not a bad one.

The monster is a tourist, he’s sightseeing in Aleppo.

He goes only to nice, outdoors, public places where social interaction occurs, like parks, terraces, maybe a market, maybe a school. A cameraman films the monster. He makes contact with people, but never speaks. He communicates by gestures. He also can do a little dance.

One hour before the monster’s walk, I will go out with the cameraman on my regular clothes (discreet western clothes) and do exactly what the monster will do after me. I will be the regular Western Girl. A carefully planned choreography will enable me to time the activities in such a way that the exact amount of time will be spent. An example could be that I leave the hotel, I walk on a street, go to a park, buy a drink and sit on a bench reading. Or that I go to a fruit shop and buy myself some fruit, walking back home through a different street.

An hour later, the monster would do exactly the same thing.

I’d like to be freed from my "western woman" role and experiment interaction on a different level. Inside my monster’s outfit, people wouldn't be able to see my face, or hands, nothing. People wouldn't know who or what I am. The cameraman would film me, not the people around me, unless they come close enough.

In the evening, a short film (about 10/15 minutes per day) is showed on a TV in the exhibition space at the Women’s Art Festival. By the TV one can see the monster suit and head, resting on a chair. This short film tells about the Monster’s adventures of the day. The footage of both the Monster and the Girl’s “siamese activity” are mixed. Gradually, as days go by, one looses track of who is whom. This project will last 4 days.

This weblog will be daily updated with information about the project and links to the short movies. This will be only possible if we can break through the tight local control on internet. If not, we will upload the films and the information upon our return to the Netherlands.

With this project I would like to learn from Syrian people getting through the layer of strict social conduct that kept me away from them before. I’d also like to learn from the experience and input of fellow artists/collaborators.
This way I would have fun as a green monster in Aleppo, record it, show it. I’d be in touch with the surroundings, and show my experience in a light form that enhances what people have in common and not what separates them. It will also probably enhance the different treatment women and monsters get…

HOW TO BECOME A MONSTER - Workshop with children

I would like to do a workshop on “How to Become a Monster” with children in collaboration with a local school. It would be a one hour grim and dance workshop where I would like to invite children to “become” monsters themselves, by painting their faces green and adding some props (fake ears, for instance). We would then do some dancing in a playful way. Accepting difference, embracing difference and having fun is the goal of the workshop.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? - Debate Proposal

After the 4 days of filming and the workshop with children I would like to organize a debate with about 15/20 women from Aleppo in which I would show them some material from my project and some filming done in Amsterdam. I would like to organize a discussion about the issues that led me to do this project and ask them what do they think about it. My intention is to create a self-spoting amusing piece of material that would provoke laugh, and from laugh go into more deeper concerns and questions. This debate would be filmed.


Post - Production

The result of this work would be edited into a DVD and showed in Amsterdam.
I also which to do a series of DVDs were the monster goes other places in the world.

Marta Pisco: concept, performance, design of installation.
Zoot Derks: cameraman, video-editor, webmaster.
Joana Morais (www.manamana.pt): graphic design.
Magda Chrost: costume making.

Working plan (2008):

- 1st Feb.: flying Amsterdam/Damascus/Aleppo
- 2nd Feb.: meeting with fellow Syrian artist and preparations. Building of installation in exhibition space (Le Pont Gallery - Aleppo). Preparations for shooting.
- 3rd/ 6th Feb.: daily filming and editing. In the evening, showing of edited daily adventures on video installation.
- 5th Feb.: workshop with children.
- 7th Feb.: debate with women from Aleppo.
- 9th Feb.: leaving Aleppo.

Supported by:

- Le Pont Gallery - 7th Women’s Art Festival of Aleppo
- DasArts (www.dasarts.nl)
- Kosmoplis (www.kosmopolis.nl)
- Mondriaan Fonds (www.mondriaanfoundation.nl)

Many thanks to:
Issa Touma, Chris Keulemans, Rachida Azough, Elizabeth Shirinian, Anat Stainberg, Jeanette Groenendal, Mark Jansen, Arlette Munchter, Maha Hassan, Hassan Choubassi & Maya, Joana Toste, Ji-Hyun Youn, Reuben Wijnberg