Continuous cooperation and long-term culture bridging were the focus of a press conference held last week at the Goethe Institute to launch a new project called New Orient II: Cairo, Beirut – a three-way initiative between Egypt, Lebanon and Germany.
Centered on creating cultural dialogue, the festival will be held in three major German cities between September and December this year based on the idea that “culture is the essence of bridging nations, according to Bernd Erbel, the German ambassador to Cairo.
Artists from Egypt and Lebanon will present modern day art – including literature, film, theater, music, art and dance – at a series of seminars in Dosseldorf, Bonn and North-Rhine Westphalia, in venues situated on the river Rhine.
New Orient II is a continuation of a series of cultural seminars that took place in Bonn, Cologne and Dosseldorf in 2005 under the title “Modern Art and Culture from the Arab World, which was met by great reception in Germany and eventually gave birth to the second event.
According to the organizers, cultural exchange is the strongest political tool.
“This [cultural exchange] is the new direction the whole world is adopting, said Gamal Gheitany, Egyptian novelist and journalist, who is one of three organizers of the project.
Gheitany, among Lebanon’s George Khouri and Ludwig Krapf, are the coordinators of the project
Despite recent media advances, some people continue to foster misconceptions about “the other. While cultural differences are an asset we should utilize to our benefit, our history of political interests has overshadowed such rich differences, according to Khoury, a journalist and an expert on Middle East studies.
“Literature, fiqh and art are the only bridge that enables us to fully understand the other, added Khouri.
New Orient is not a festival in the classical sense. While religious discussion will take center stage, the series aim at opening a forum of discussion between artists influenced by Islam and those influenced by a Christian culture, according to Khouri.
“Religious dialogue will be incorporated into the series of discussions taking place at New Orient II, emphasizing that religious fanaticism as it exists in present Germany resembles a migrant community that finds a safe haven in their religion amid living in a foreign environment, Khouri reiterated.
While leading icons such as Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz and filmmaker Youssef Chahin have left their marks on international audiences, modern artists such as “Yacoubian Building’s Alaa El-Aswany and “Taxi’s Khaled El-Khamissi are still not widely recognized in the West, according to Friedrich Dahlhaus, director of the cultural section at the Goethe Institute.
“The idea is to offer a wider platform of information on new activities in the region. moving away from the traditional forms to the next generations, with new approaches and new wishes, Dahlhaus told Daily News Egypt.
Choosing to specifically focus on artists from Cairo and Beirut was not an arbitrary decision. Both cities have been cultural hubs in the Middle East in the 19th century; they have come to contact with many civilizations along the years that have placed them on the forefront of cultural capitals in the region.
While New Orient may sound like an oxymoron, from a German perspective it stands as a precise depiction of the nature of the country’s perception of the region. While cultural exchange between Germany and Egypt dates back to early publishing and religious texts, contemporary art is yet to be communicated. ‘New’ refers to modern art which will be the focus of the series.
Speaking about future plans, the organizers emphasized the importance of continuing such initiatives and regard the festival as a building block to future cooperation. “We hope that cooperation will resume between participating nations after the festival, Khoury said.
More information about the festival will be released in July.
