With the participation of Zineb Sedira, artist and founder of ARIA (Artist Residency in Algiers); Ammer Abo Bakr, street artist; Rachida Triki, art critic, curator and Professor specialized in Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art; and Nuria Medina, coordinator of Culture at Casa Árabe.

This round table will focus on the role of artists and cultural producers from the Arab world with regards to the current affairs and uncertainties that are affecting the region. We will try to seek answers to questions such as: where do we stand today, after five years of Arab uprising?; what are the most important issues affecting cultural institutions and artists across the region?; which are the perspectives for the youth, and among them, many artists? Although obstacles, extremism and censorship are increasing and affecting many critical intellectuals and artists in some countries, are there signals of a cultural revolution happening behind the headlines? In this regard, how determinant is being the technological change and global connection? In this context of change and instability, how artists and cultural producers deal with the tradition and memory of their cultures?

Zineb Sedira (Algeria, United Kingdom, France)
Artist and cultural producer, founder of ARIA (artist residency in Algiers), a residency program to support the development of the contemporary art scene in Algeria through international cross-cultural exchanges and collaborations. As an artist, her work has been shown in solo group exhibitions all around the world, enriching the debate around the concepts of modernism and modernity and raising awareness of artistic expression in North Africa. She found inspiration initially in researching her identity as a woman with a singular personal geography. Preserving and transmitting memories of the past in order to leave a legacy for the future has often been at the core of Sedira’s work. Sedira has worked in installation, photography, film, video and she has recently returned to object-making.

Ammer Abo Bakr (Egypt)
One of the most well-known street artists from Egypt. He became very famous after the Tahrir Revolution in 2011. His murals are provoking and comment on political and social issues. In his works he grapples with developments and events in his homeland. Furthermore, his works are influenced by Egyptian history and Islamic culture. Incorporating pop art, old traditions, religious art, muralism and graffiti, he develops a collage-based style, that is representative of the dialogue between form and content. Bakr himself describes his approach as wanting to confront the Egyptian people with art that fills them with enjoyment. Besides Egypt, he has painted public murals at museums and open spaces in Europe.

Rachida Triki (Tunisia)
Art critic, curator and Professor specialized in Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art. Is the president of the Tunisian Association of Aesthetics and Poetics (ATEP), member of the Executive Board of the Euro-Mediterranean association for Art History and Aesthetics (AEPHAE). She has organized numerous international meetings on the contemporaneous problems of the creation in Arts and has published books and articles on the subject. She has also produced a series of documentaries about the Tunisian artists in their workplaces and has curated numerous exhibitions in Europe and Africa.  During the Tunisian revolution of 2011, Rachida Triki initiated an appeal for the democratization of culture, for the support of free and independent art criticism, and for the encouragement of young artists and cultural NGOs.