NEW MIRRORS -Jordan

Preparing photoshoot with Rafique,  Amman March 2012

The Arab world lives in New Times & has New Heroes.  Focussing on Jordan: it's a place with new identity.  From an urge to liberate themselves from imposed ideologies, restrictive gender-concepts & social conformism; a progressive generation reveals itself in a series of portraits: New Mirrors.  Young people reflect on society who they are -rather then what their society wants them to be- by showing us an imagined identity.

The Metamorphoses are a way to undo the burden of uniformism and masquerade; to liberate a truth self-image.  By exposing those portraits in the street; we claimed the 'front-models' a place, a visibility and a role in the society of the capital Amman.

"New Mirrors" combines outspoken statements on gender, women-rights, prejudice & spirituality with poetic & playfull images.

"This is the resting place of a journey in search of a location: the middle-point"
Lina Soufan 

"Is this how a woman has to look in order to be recognised?"
Ban Majali

"I am who I am, giving by nature, even when I feel strangled and held back.
Still reaching out to give more."           Razan Mubaideen 

"I am a sinner.  But at least I'm honest with myself."
Alaa Samman

"I am a tuned white mirror"
Rawia Sabella

"I reveal myself as a Phoenix, rising from the ashes."
Rafique Nasereddin

"I feel great, funny, ridiculous, beautifull and strong. While I thought I would be scared."
Riham Issac

"I represent freedom.  By doing so, I face the city for the first time in my life."
Ziad E. Hajir

"My Mermaid is my immortal companion.  She lives inside of me, she completes me."
Shereen Zoumot

"Society turns us into things, while I insist on being a human.
I want to be a gypsy, living in the moment." Lubnah Juqqa

"My roots are strong; I grow everywhere and anywhere."
Sameera El-Asir

"Belonging to now place in particular: flying to all skies, landing to all grounds."
Marie

"I purify myself from all the judgements in our society."
Ammour Zacarneh

AAT FESTIVAL:

New Mirrors is created during the Aat-Festival: a cultural event in Amman/Jordan which celebrates International Woman's day.  The organizing 'Aat Network' establishes a debate on gender-equality and identity.  The festival creates a space to liberate expression and improves the discussion on gender-issues.  Within its frame, both sexes are defending the regional and global Women Rights.  The festival is directed by Lana Nasser and organised at Al-Balad theater.   

Watch The "New Mirrors" videos:

                   Interview about New Mirrors on RO'YA TV 

                                             Flower-bomb in Downtown Amman, with Riham Issac. 

                                                            A freedom of expression with Ziad E. Hajir

Behind the scènes; the making up for Ban Majali's 

statement on woman-hood, collaboration with 

Walid Zou'bi & Sleiman Tadros. 

Driving the Dead Sea Road with Lina Soufan 

for a photoshoot with knifes.

"New Mirrors" was a collaboration with Aat Network, at Al-Balad theatre.  Art Space 'Makan' offered me an atelier during the creation-proces.  The work is a result of many peoples warm involvement; thanks for the heart-related energy.  I thank all the people portrayed in this project for their braveness, beauty and their 'becoming'.  

Project, photographs & instalation by Kristof Persyn, March 2012.

Links:

Aat Festival & Aat Network

Makan Art Space

            

"Rêvolution" An article in Theatre-Magazine 'Scènes'

Maison Du Spectacle 'La Bellone' in Brussels has published a new issue of 'Scènes'.  The magazine is titled 'Rêvolution' and is dedicated to the theatre-arts involved in the nowadays Arab Spring.  Among many interesting interviews and articles, there is a  writing about LIVE! from DEAD SEA -created this year in Jordan- by pARTnership Lana Nasser & Kristof Persyn.  

Reflecting on the title of 'Scènes' issue Rêvolution (a French word-game mixing Dream with Revolution) we explain how the uprisings in neigbour-countries has empowered us for our own awakening as art-activists.  Specially when the motive of demonstration is on Ecology, and about the highly politicized water sources in the Midlle-East, the courage of all revolting people has been supportive in a challenging proces.  

The new 'Scènes' is available.
Click HERE for the website of 'Maison Du Spectacle La Bellone.

Postcards from the Dead Sea -exposition in Brussels

Opening door to the gallery 

The biennale "Parcours d'artistes" in the arts district Brussels Saint Gilles was the setting of my exposition "Mer Morte".  The picturesque gallery 'La Charcuterie' opened its door for the special expo FORMAT CARTE POSTAL.  Eight photographers presented eight images as postcards.  Among these pictural voyages I exposed a selection of photographs from the Dead Sea-project created with Lana Nasser in 2011.  I liked the intriguing shape 10 x 15, associated with landscapes for far away, for it accentuates well the mysterious beauty of the Dead Sea at the Jordanian banks.  Travelling by eyes has always been the aim of such postcards, and travelling is a sensation I love to evoke in my work.

 A talk on radio FM Brussel about the exposition - click here

Cosmos Cosmos' gallery La Charcuterie - Click here

For images and info about the Dead Sea-project - click here

Anne Pollet, La dame du gallery, in conversation with King Kong-radiomaker Johan De Smet 

LIVE! from DEAD SEA - Jordan

The Dead Sea   /Persyn&Nasser 2011

The Dead Sea is in danger!  The water level of this precious nature-phenomena drops over 1 meter a year.  The lake's main tributary -The River Jordan- is drying up.

During the Arab spring, Lana Nasser & I started creating "LIVE! from DEAD SEA"; an artistic awareness campaign about the lake's eco-disaster.  Our collaboration is a Theatre and Photographic project, based on research about the Dead Sea's cultural importance and the ecological impact of its decline. A poetical protest against harming our Earth.

In times of big global changes; we envision natures revolt in the uprising of new Mythological characters, Icons & Goddesses.  This is an imagination we photographed.     'The dead sea is the womb of this planet, its drought symbolises a global state': on the stage of Al-Balad theatre in Amman we were giving voice to Nature's outcry, by projecting the photographs with related stories.  

Dried up Dead Sea 

Mozes

Landscape

Sinking In

Salt wrapped stones

The Birth of a Stone

Jordan Valley Tree

Holy Sidr Spirit

Salt, Water & Stones

Dead Sea's Awakening

Reportage about the performance by Maggie Kabariti.

For a reportage on Aramram-TV click here to their website.

Copyrights on all images above (Jordan/2011)

LANA NASSER -pARTner

Lana Nasser   /Persyn&Nasser 2011

Spring 2011 kicked off the collaboration with Lana Nasser.  She's a multidisciplinary performing artist, director, storyteller & published writer based in Jordan- with whom I initiated an artistic campaign about the decay of the Dead Sea and the dehydration of the River Jordan.

I am honoured to be involved in the international tour of her one-person play In the Lost & Found in which she questions her identity as woman in an Arab- and Moslim culture, a critical statement on identity in general.  

Check Lana Nasser's website HERE

The NILE song -Egypt

The Nile song   /K.Persyn

Concerned about the disappearance of Myths & Folktales, I travelled along the Nile collecting popular Egyptian stories about supernatural powers living in the River.  

Son of the Nile

Storyteller in Qena

Storytelling in Aswan

Praying on the shore

Looking for something

I asked people on the road to 'perform' Nile-fables in front of my lens and collected photographs showing their stories and its characters.  In collaboration with Shady El Dali, this research was transformed in a theatrical play; a docu-style performance which toured trough Egypt.

Swimming Saïd

Unknown girl in boat

Son of the fisherman

Drowned Diver

Nile is my mirror

Bride in mourn on her wedding day

He lost his brother by a Dogr

About the Performance...

Shady El Dali & Kristof Persyn
performing "The Nile song" in Al-Mania

On stage we tell the story of Shady who enters the Nile-river at night and disappears. Since his body has not been found there's lot's of legends about his disappearance.  And soon, many more young Egyptians vanish at the Nile's shores. Shady's friend Kristof decides to look after them and travels along the Nile, from Cairo till Sudan. During this travel he askes villagers what could have happened to the missing people.  In all the explanations supernatural powers are involved. Paradoxically in Egypt, rich with cult of dead and pyramids, dead itself does not exist; the afterworld is a vivid place among Djinns, mermaids, kidnapped brides, kings and sacrificed virgins on the muddy bottom of a river.  Drowned in the Nile, the dissapeared youth has transformed in water-spirits.

A collaboration with Shady EL Dali in Egypt

Shady El Dali   /Kristof Persyn 2008

In the years 2007 and 2008 I have collaborated with the Egyptian Actor and visual artist Shady El Dali in Cairo and across his country.  Togheter we've created Cairo Nightnotes &     The Nile Song and toured in Egypt and The Netherlands.  

In the years before Egypt's revolution, Shady El Dali's art was already a form of protest.  His personal way of activism resonated well with my own ideals and artistic aspirations.  

From my Egyptian Collegues I learned how opposing forces -such as cencorship, poverty, corrupt art shools, no political support, lack of logistics and social discouragment- are not reasons to give up on art.  During the revolution on Tahrir Square I recognised Shady's urge and courage among all Egyptians in their will to break bounderies.  And art has an important role in there.  

I am a Sailor

Self Portrait   /Kristof Persyn 2009

Looking for Archetypes which mirrors elements of my personality, I have portrayed myself as a sailor.  Back in 2009, being an rootless traveller since very long, the Sailor was an Icon which helped me to understand myself.  This insight brought me to an embarkment.  In Amsterdam -where Sailors meet Sailors- I got a tattoo of an Anchor.  If someone does not find his place, he has to find it within.  The tattoo anchored me in me.  

Anchored

Sailor's Radio

THE END event - Surrealism in Brussels

THE END event   /K.Persyn 2009

Crisis in Belgium!  In a series of photographs projected in a burlesque setting with dancers, musicians, actors and a singer; THE END event portrays a dark image of Belgium's capital Brussels.  The motive starts with the death of the King, symbolising the modern decay of the country's unity.  Infected with fear,  the characters I photographed have to live with the demons they created themselves in a country that falls apart.  

The result shows the sinister quality of Brussels those days, but is a hymn to the city of surrealism where paradox governs well.  

The Performers on stage:

Nele Van Den Broeck

Valdimar Johansson

Krijn Hermans

Kristof Coenen