You Are Not Alone – International Call for Artists

During this time of self-isolation, the Penticton Art Gallery (Penticton, B.C., Canada) in partnership with the SYRIA.ART association (Nice/Berlin), invites artists from across the globe to participate in an unprecedented art exhibition entitled, You Are Not Alone.

Like a message in a bottle, we are sending out into the world this call to artists working in any and all media, to serve as a testament of our resiliency, creativity, and our collective humanity in the face of these extraordinary times. We hope this exhibition will not only celebrate the power of art, but will serve as a poignant testament and celebration of our diversity, culture, and an important reminder, that regardless of where we live on this planet, we are not alone.

In an age where our society was already becoming increasingly insular, the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic serves to only isolate us even more. In the spirit of the penpal and Mail art movement, this exhibition will create a permanent and physical document of our existence in this unprecedented moment in history.

This is your opportunity to reach out to a global audience and share your story and celebrate the beauty and creativity you have brought into this world through your art and by your existence. More now than ever, we need to come together to celebrate our collective humanity in all its diversity of colors, shapes, and sounds.

As part of this project, one can connect and share their art with a global network of artists. Our hope is that through the act of sharing, deep, rich, and meaningful connections will develop that will not only bring us together but may help build bridges of friendship and understanding. No one is immune to this pandemic, and we hope this will help us to get through this time by allowing us to share our stories, celebrate our diversity, mourn our losses, and heal as a planet.

Submission Information:

– Submission of physical works are to be no larger than 11” x 14″
– All the 2D works will be matted and stored in crystal clear bags
– 3D works will be dealt with on an individual basis
– Video and audio are also welcome and will be complied online.

Closing date:

01 June 2020

Physical works can be sent to:

Canada:
Paul Crawford c/o The Penticton Art Gallery
199 Marina Way
Penticton, British Columbia
V2A 1H5 Canada

Email: curator@pentictonartgallery.com

Germany:
Humam Alsalim
Fischerinsel 4
10179 Berlin
Germany

Email: Syria-art@outlook.com

France:
Khaled Youssef
590 avenue de la Paix
06190 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
France

Email: asso.syria.art@hotmail.com 

* All submissions will be fully documented and uploaded to a virtual exhibition

Digital submissions, including audio and video, can be sent to:

Humam Alsalim
Email: Syria-art@outlook.com

Khaled Youssef
Email: asso.syria.art@hotmail.com 

In addition to the online exhibition, all the submitted works will be included in a physical exhibition at the Penticton Art Gallery at a date to be determined. They will also remain as a permanent online exhibition that will be curated and built based on the artworks submitted.

Due to the nature of the exhibition, the works will not be returned. They will be kept as an archive, a time capsule, a document of this moment in our cultural history, by the Penticton Art Gallery. The collection will be made available for loan to other galleries and museums across the globe.

With each submission please include the following information:

Artist Name:
Country:
Contact information:
Website:
Brief Statement:
Brief Biography:

For more information please contact:

Humam Alsalim, Founder/Curator at Syria.art and the Cyrrus Online Gallery
Email: Syria-art@outlook.com
Phone: +4917644465896
Web: https://cyrrusgallery.com/, https://en.syriaartasso.com/

Paul Crawford Curator Penticton Art Gallery
Email: curator@pentictonartgallery.com
Phone: (250) 493-2928
Web: www.pentictonartgallery.com

We thank you all for your time and consideration. Due to the nature of this exhibition, and the fact we are all volunteering our time and creative energy, we are unable to pay artist fees. In the spirit of the Mail art movement we are organizing this exhibition to serve as a collective affirmation of our creative resilience in light of our shared experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. That being said should there be some opportunities in the future for revenue to be generated from this project, the revenue will be shared amongst all the participating artists equally.

We want this project to be as accessible as possible. We will be creating an online exhibition featuring all the submissions, as well as a physical exhibition that will be easy to transport and display. It will be made available to any museums or galleries interested in hosting this exhibition at a date in the future. Please feel free to reach out and contact Humam Alsalim or Paul Crawford for more information regarding this call for artists, or to make arrangements for hosting this exhibition at your venue.

Thank you all again for your time and consideration of this project, and we wish you all good health and hope that you, your family, and community remain safe during this global crisis.

Cyffwrdd Syria ~ Touching Syria

A collaborative project connecting the arts of Wales and Syria.

Cyffwrdd Syria ~ Touching Syria exhibits SYRIA.ART’s first UK collection of contemporary art created from within Syria and from the Syrian diaspora, alongside Welsh contemporary artists at Storiel, Bangor from 12th January 2019 for 6 weeks.

A project organized by Cyffwrdd Celf Cyf and SYRIA.ART in collaboration with Arts Council Wales, Pontio and Storiel.

1st venue: Storiel Museum and Art Gallery, Ffordd Gwynedd Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 1DT, North Wales, UK
Dates: January 12, 2019 – February 23, 2019

2nd venue: Pontio Arts Centre, Bangor University, Deiniol Rd, Bangor LL57 2TQ, North Wales, UK
Date: January 19, 2019

Featuring work by following Welsh and Syrian artists:

Ffion Dafis, Khaled Youssef, Lisa Gwilym, Ifor Ap Glyn, Omar Shammah, Catrin Menai, Bashar Farahat, Nizar Ali Badr, Manon Steffan Ros, Tania Al Kayyali, Menna Thomas, Humam Alsalim, Huda Takriti, Obaidah Zorik, Ammar Khaddour, Ayham Jabr, Maeisam Mallisho, Blodau Gwylltion, Oasis World Choir and Band.

Curators:

Angharad Griffiths,  Paola Dyboski-Bryant, Mishelle Kit, Menna Alwen Thomas (from Cyffwrdd Celf Cyf, a socially conscious and progressive arts organisation dedicated to using the arts to connect people and cultures), Khaled Youssef and Humam Alsalim (from SYRIA.ART), in collaboration with Arts Council Wales, Pontio and Storiel.

Cyffwrdd Celf Cyf  and SYRIA.ART are very proud to present this wonderful project that Angharad Griffiths,  Paola Dyboski-Bryant, Mishelle Kit, Menna Alwen Thomas, Khaled Youssef and Humam Alsalim have been working on for two years. Thank you to Arts Council Wales, Pontio and Storiel for helping us turn our idea into a reality and sharing our vision to showcase the work of incredibly talented Syrian artists by working with Welsh artists and art establishments.

There will be a 6 week exhibition in STORIEL and a day of events at PONTIO – interviews, talks, films, poetry, music and food that will celebrate Syrian and Welsh culture.

For more info: https://www.cyffwrddcelfcyf.org/ 

Mostra Documentaire : Hors Syrie

Syrian Open-Air Film Screenings: “Mostra Documentaire : Hors Syrie”
Hosted by: CASA DOC’ and SYRIA.ART
Date: July 20, 2018 from 8:30 pm
Venue: CASA DOC’ – 5 rue du 24 Mars, 06100 Nice, France
Participating video artists: Rania Kaddoura, Mayar El Nouri, Ayla Abiad, Huda Takriti, Rohân Houssein, Majd Zaghir

SYNOPSIS – “Mostra Documentaire : Hors Syrie”

Because we believe in the virtue of difference and in a multi-faceted approach of the truth, SYRIA.ART and CASA DOC’ highlight independent Syrian video makers who offer a different perspective on today’s Syria, for the span of an evening.

Stories, cities, people, children, joy despite the war, a dance among the ruins, the smile of a kid torn from his house and school, the dream of rebuilding and of continuing life.

This projection is an invitation to take a journey, to cross a bridge through what you thought you knew and through an elsewhere which, despite the suffering, has not yet lost hope, and a people who, despite the disarray, has not yet said his last word…

 

The Syrian Experience as Art 3

An exhibition organized by Castleton University, Rutland, Vermont, USA

Venue: The Great Hall – 100 River Street, Springfield, Vermont, USA
Dates: June 7, 2018 – August 15, 2018

“The Syrian Experience as Art” is an exhibition representing the work of twelve Syrian artists trying to express their individual and varied responses to the devastation of their country.

Featuring work by following Syrian artists:

Photography: Issa Touma, Khaled Youssef, Dani Hasrouni

Digital Arts: Julie Nakazi, Khaled Akil, Bassam Alemam, Omar Shammah, Tania Al Kayyali, Amr Fahd, Ayham Jabr, Humam Alsalim & Rami Bakhos

Curator:
Castleton University, www.castleton.edu/arts/art-galleries
With the assistance of SYRIA.ART – Association pour la Promotion de l’Art Contemporain Syrien, syriaartasso.com 

Make Bubbles Not War

Photographic exhibition and projections: “Make Bubbles Not War”
Hosted by: Uni-vers-photos and Khaled Youssef Photographie et Poésie
Dates: Mai 11 – 26, 2018
Venue: 1 rue Penchienatti, 06000 Nice, France
Opening: May 11, 2018 from 18:00 to 22:00
Participating artist: Khaled Youssef, Syrian photographer and poet

“Make Bubbles Not War”

In a world full of uncertainty, violence and complexity, Khaled Youssef attempts, through this new exhibition, to bring moments of joy, inspiration and wonderment. And it is through the lightness and transparency of soap bubbles that adorn an empty space with the colors of the rainbow, that the photographer and poet travels across countries and continents to capture and immortalize a moment of grace and hope, and draw a smile on children’s faces. From Nice to Havana and from Iran to Burma, these creatures made of light air erase all frontiers to prove that humanity and the innocence of childhood are the path that unites us all.

Raconte Ton Voyage

Exhibition: “Raconte Ton Voyage”
Organisation: Réseau Education Sans Frontières (RESF) with the participation of Nizar Ali Badr, Syrian sculptor from the SYRIA.ART collective
Dates: 14/04 – 26.04.2018
Venue: Saint-Joseph Church, Square Lenglier in Pontivy (Brittany)
Opening: Saturday, April 14 at 11:00
Free admission

Participating artists: Nizar Ali Badr, Rol, Alain Goutal, and others

“Raconte Ton Voyage” is a cultural project initiated by Réseau Education Sans Frontières (RESF) – Pontivy, with artistic expressions and exhibitions in different places, as well as with the participation of Nizar Ali Badr, Syrian sculptor from the SYRIA.ART collective.