Tashattot

Tashattot Collective is launching at KIOSK its first series of events with an art exhibition for Arabic-speaking artists residing in Europe. Based on the theme Tashattot (Arabic for dispersion), the exhibited artworks address the themes and concepts of separation from “homeland”, distance, exile, and belonging, among others.

The curatorial choices of the subject and the selection of the works, offer ways in which, artists coming from the same geographical region, translate these notions into their disciplines; and whether (or not) similarities can be drawn from each of these individual experiences and artistic mediums. The works go beyond the mere depiction of “being away from home”, thus questioning what scattering and dispersion can mean in the modern world.

Participating artists

Asma Laajimi, Christina Atik, Clara Abi Nader, Diana Al Halabi, Firas El Hallak, Firas Shehadeh, Hussein Shikha, Joanna Kai, Kais Masood, Karen Keyrouz, Micheline Nahra, Mousa AlNana, Tarek Haddad / Laetitia El Hakim

Prologue

"Directing an exhibition center for contemporary art located on the campus of an art academy requires, in my opinion, organizing projects that reflect upon the modus operandi of the so-called art world. At KIOSK, we did this in 2021 with the anonymous presentation of commissioned artworks in the x exhibition, but also in 2021–22 with the invitation we extended to the Dutch collective Keeping It Real Art Critics.

Art organizations applying for funding from the Flemish government for 2023–27 are asked to draft their plans following the guidelines for fair practice regarding remuneration. While I was writing KIOSK’s application, many questions came to my mind regarding modalities for working with artists who work and live in Belgium but have no legal status.

I first wanted to work on a project that would offer opportunities to artists struggling with their legal status in Belgium. But after various discussions with Lebanese artist Rami Moukarzel, who needed a platform to be able to proceed with an art practice already established in his home country, we decided to organize an exhibition for which he would receive the entire budget (not only the fee).

In August 2022, Rami joined forces with artist Charbel Alkhoury and cultural producer Gaëlle Khalife, both Lebanese based in Belgium. Together they created the collective Tashattot and decided to present a group exhibition of the same name at KIOSK, bringing together the works of several Arabic-speaking artists residing in Europe. The exhibition and the collective as a whole have allowed Rami to use this opportunity while also extending it as a platform to other artists who are in the same boat." Simon Delobel

About Tashattot Collective

Tashattot (Arabic for dispersion) is an art collective based in Belgium dedicated to supporting visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, and cultural practitioners at large, originally from the SWANA region and currently “dispersed” in Europe. The collective aims at creating opportunities, collaborations, commissions, and securing funding for these expatriate artists regardless of their ethnicities, gender identities, or religions.

The word tashattot and its English equivalents scattering/dispersion, define the collective in both the literal sense of the word (pertaining to the description of the individuals scattered around the world, far from their homelands), as well as its metaphorical sense which relates to the scattering and dispersion of ideas and ways of thinking, as the word in Arabic is oftentimes used to describe the wandering of the thoughts (tashattot al afkar or scattered thoughts).

Tashattot is a work in progress and a newly launched collective with a fluid and evolving set of actions. It currently is and will always remain open to new ideas and experiences; continuously building on lessons learned and with practice. The collective strongly believes in the efficiency of open discussions, as the only way to grow and better address SWANA expat artists needs and aspirations, it therefore remains open to reviews, critiques, evaluations or any opinions related to its mechanisms.

Practical information

• Opening on Saturday 21.01.2023, from 5 pm to 8 pm
• Open daily from 12 pm to 6 pm
  
• Free entrance
• Louis Pasteurlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
• Rami Moukarzel, Charbel Alkhoury and Gaëlle Khalife will be present from Thursday to Sunday to welcome the visitors and guide them through the project

Discover also

• Tashattot collective collaborates with PhD scholar Yara Al Chehayed for an online program of films in collaboration with Le Fresnoy
• Tashattot Collective collaborates with KASKcinema for an evening of short films on the 9th of March 2023.
• On the Bookshelf: a selection of books by the Tashattot Collective