2 februari 2012

On Thursday 2 February, cookbook writer Claudia Roden will be interviewed by Hanneke Groenteman at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. As part of the exhibition 'Judaism: A World of Stories', the Prince Claus Fund and the Nieuwe Kerk organize this evening with Claudia Roden who will share the stories of her quest for Jewish dishes around the world.Widely admired as both a great cook and a fine writer, she has written classic works on Middle Eastern,  Mediterranean, Italian and Spanish food. The Book of Jewish Food was granted 8 awards. After the event, the Dutch edition of this book on the Jewish kitchen will be for sale. Claudia is willing to sign the book which besides giving recipes, tells the story of the Jewish people through their food.

When: Thursday, 2 February, 2012

Where: The Nieuwe Kerk, Dam Square, Amsterdam

Start Program: 8:00 pm. The entrance card is for both the exhibition and the talk so come a bit early if you wish to visit the exhibition

Admission Nieuwe Kerk: Adults: € 15, CJP / City pass: € 12, Museum: € 3.50 charge, I Amsterdam Card and Friends of the Nieuwe Kerk: free.

Language: English  

Register: through this link  Even though tickets are bought at the Nieuwe Kerk we like to know the number of people attending

 

Claudia Roden 

Claudia Roden was born in Egypt. She started out as a painter, but was drawn to the subject of food partly through a desire to record her lost heritage when her family had to leave the country. The way people in Egypt enjoyed food, the light, the colors and scents and the special hospitality, warmth and humor, made a lasting impression on her. With the publication of the bestseller ‘The New Book of Middle Eastern Food’ in 1968 Claudia Roden brought a revolutionary change in Western appreciation of the cuisines of the Middle East. Since then, Roden wrote numerous cookbooks, including the acclaimed The Book of Jewish Food.  In 1989 she won Italy's two most prestigious food prizes, the Premio Orio Vergani and the Premio Maria Luigia, Duchessa di Parma. She has also won six Glenfiddich awards and several Amercian awards. In 1999, Claudia Roden was granted a Prince Claus Award.

 

The Prince Claus Awards Committee wrote: ‘Claudia Roden (1936, Cairo, Egypt; currently based in the UK) is both the originator and the leading exponent of research into the culinary cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. She practices a form of culinary anthropology and history in which there is room both for the scientific approach and for the personal experience of chefs, consumers and herself. She creates a space for the culinairy culture within the cultural heritage of the Mediterranean region from which she comes.’

 

Hanneke Groenteman

Hanneke Groenteman (1939) worked from 1962 to 1973 for newspaper the Parool. She presented various VARA radio programs and for VPRO television she presented De Plantage, the arts program on Sunday afternoons and the NPS program Books on Sunday. The first book by Hanneke Groenteman,Doorzakken bij Jamin (2003), about the role that food plays in her life and how she deals with it, was a great success. More than 75,000 copies sold and in 2007 an audio book edition, read by the author, was published. She continued to explore the theme of eating and the body in among other The fat lady(2006), in which she describes the life of Henk van Beurden, who as "fat lady" performed at fun fairs throughout the country. What motivated him from his adolescence on to dress like a woman and present himself as a curiosity at fairs? Again Groenteman analyses the dilemmas surrounding food and fat,  and she interweaves beautiful memories of the Fat Ladies and her own experiences, her shame and her desires. (Source: www.debezigebij.nl)

The Jewish Kitchen

 A history of the Jewish people according to the Jewish kitchen, in two different sections in this book, Claudia Roden describes the flavors and the development of the Ashkenazi and Sephardi cuisines. The 800 recipes, many never before published, are treasures that Claudia Roden accumulated from the diaspora through nearly 15 years of traveling around the world. She tasted the dishes and talked to cooks, market vendors and recipes from people who know the tradition. The result is these magnificent stories and recipes in this monumental book. 

 

24 januari 2012:

On 24 January 2012 the Prince Claus Fund will organise a book launch of the photo book My Journey as a Witness by Shahidul Alam. In Foam Amsterdam Shahidul passionately told the story of his journey to becoming among other a photographer and a cultural activist who in his own way fights for justice and equality in his country Bangladesh.

Speakers were Shahidul Alam who in addition to photographer is writer, activist, and social entrepreneur andRosa Maria Falvo, writer and curator specialised in Asian contemporary art. After that Bas Vroege, photographer and director of Paradox, had a public discussion with Shahidul and the audience was able to ask questions. American Photo magazine selected 'My Journey as a Witness' as one of the 50 best photo books of 2011. The book was sold at the event and Shahidul Alam signed copies. In the Netherlands the book is sold at 42,99 Euros at www.bol.comand it is internationally avaiblable at www.amazon.com.

When: Tuesday, 24 January 2012, Where: FOAM Amsterdam, Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam, Entrance: Free, Start programme: 20.00h.

Register through this link (please register as space is limited)

My Journey as a Witness

My Journey as a Witness is an insight into the evolution of one of the most significant movements in contemporary photography, through the eyes and voice of the man who shaped it. An extraordinary artist, Shahidul Alam is a photographer, writer, activist, and social entrepreneur who used his art to chronicle the social and artistic struggles in a country known largely for poverty and disasters.

Lucid and personal, this much-awaited book includes 130 photographs tracing Alam’s artistic career, activism, and the founding of photography organizations. From early images shot in England to photographs of the last two decades in his native Bangladesh, this is a journey from photojournalism into social justice. Alam’s superb imagery is matched by his perceptive accounts, at once deeply intimate and bitingly satirical. Edited by Rosa Maria Falvo.

 

'One of the most important books ever created by a photographer, and it goes far beyond photography' John Godfrey Morris, 11 November 2011

Shahidul Alam, who as founder and director of Drik Picture Library is connected to the Prince Claus Fund as network partner, was born in 1955 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Alam is a photographer, writer, activist, and social entrepreneur who has led us through the social and artistic struggles in a country known largely for poverty and disasters. He is profoundly influenced by inequality in his country and the liberation war, pursued a life in photography to challenge oppression and imperialism in all its forms. Attacked, arrested, and threatened with death, Alam built what many consider to be the finest photography school in the world, an award-winning agency, and the world’s most diverse photography festival. Widely celebrated, Alam claims as his achievements not the awards and exhibitions but the people he has trained and the lives he has transformed.

Rosa Maria Falvo is a writer and curator, as well as Skira’s international commissions editor, specialising in Asian contemporary art. She lives in Italy and Australia, travels throughout Asia, and curates exhibitions of the work of a variety of contemporary artists from this region. She has travelled through Bangladesh and participated in the Chobi Mela International Photo Festival and presented at Pathshala, the South Asian Media Academy, and the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts in Dhaka.

Bas Vroege studied economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam (1976-1979, BA) and photography at Academie Sint Joost in Breda (1979-1981). From 1981-1993 he was director of Perspektief, centre for photography in Rotterdam, and the Fotografie Biënnale Rotterdam (1988-1992). Vroege founded Paradox in 1993 and has been the organisation's director since. Paradox produces photography-related projects (exhibitions, books, films, websites) driven by a social agenda. As an independent curator, he has been responsible for a number of cross-media festivals and exhibitions. He is currently member of the International Board of Advisors of the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (Beijing, China) and sits on the Supervisory Board of World Press Photo (Amsterdam). As a photographer he had a number of international shows, held mainly between 1980-1990. His work can be found in a number of public collections, including the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

 

19 januari 2012:

What is the importance of cultural emergency response for cultural heritage? On 19 January 2012 Bijzondere Collecties (Unique Collections) of the University of Amsterdam (UvA), in cooperation with the Prince Claus Fund and NAi Publishers, will organise a panel discussion revolving around the book Cultural Emergency in Conflict and Disaster. This groundbreaking handbook for cultural emergency is published in the framework of the Prince Claus Fund’s Cultural Emergency Response (CER) programme.

‘All that we’re wrecking is stones’ was the Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar’s description of the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyan in March 2001, the largest standing statues of Buddha in the world. The Taliban’s aim was not to smash stones, but to break the soul of a culture, the spirit of the people who venerated other gods. The guiding principle of this publication, Cultural Emergency in Conflict and Disaster, is that culture is a basic need. Combining theoretical approaches and case studies, this collectively authored publication draws upon the experience of academics, practitioners and international experts in the field.

Panel Discussion

The guests in the panel of 19 January all had a different approach. Deborah Stolk, Programme Coordinator CER, shared her day to day experiences within the CER programme, Irma Boom, who designed the book Cultural Emergency in Conflict and Disaster, explained the role of a designer. Els van der Plas spoke as the editor of the book. Steph Scholten, director Uva Erfgoed, moderatored the event. 

Cultural Emergency Response

Cultural Emergency Response (CER) is the Prince Claus Fund’s aid programme for cultural heritage that has been damaged or destroyed in man-made or natural disaster. By providing rapid and effective support, CER aims to stabilize the situation and implement basic repairs. Launched in 2003 in shocked reaction to the looting of the National Museum of Iraq, the Prince Claus Fund is convinced that cultural heritage can play a positive role in the reconstruction of communities affected by conflict and disaster. 

13 december 2011:

This year’s Talk Show Who needs beauty? precedes the 15th presentation of the Prince Claus Awards and took place on 13 December in Tuschinski Theatre. Leading international artists and thinkers will explore the meaning of art, culture and beauty and its impact on the lives of people. Host Ghida Fakhry, presenter for Al Jazeera English, will interview guests who share their inspiring stories and elaborate on their experiences in creating beauty in difficult circumstances and spoke about their motivation to stimulate social change with their work. Fatoumata Diawara will enchant the audience in between discussions when she played guitar and sing her songs.

 

Programme:

 

 

Interview with 2011 Principal Prince Claus Laureate

Ntone Edjabe, South Africa, founder of Chimurenga, 2011 Principal Prince Claus Laureate

Panel 1: Beauty opposes Conflict

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Pakistan, film producer, journalist, co-founder of the Citizens Archive of Pakistan

Odile Gakire Katese, Rwanda, theatre director, playwright, founder of Rwandan Professional Dreamers

Panel 2: Beauty breaks Silence

Regina Galindo, Guatemala, performance artist, 2011 Prince Claus Laureate

Rena Effendi, Azerbaijan, photographer, 2011 Prince Claus Laureate

Panel 3: Beauty in Context

Rahul Mehrotra, India/USA, architect, professor of urban design and planning

Salma Samar Damluji, UK/Yemen, architect specialised in Islamic and vernacular architecture of the Middle East

Musical performance between panel discussions by Malinese singer songwriter and rising star Fatoumata Diawara (aka Fatou)

Below you can find more information on the three panel discussions and the participants.

 

12 december 2011:

Prince Claus Fund Gallery, Amsterdam – 12 December 2011 to 9 March 2012

The exhibition Lives Behind with photographs of 2011 Prince Claus Laureate Rena Effendi (Azerbaijan) was opened on 12 December in the Prince Claus Fund Gallery by Rena Effendi who spoke of her work which is an eloquent testimony to human dignity and resilience. The exhibition focuses on people’s extraordinary ability to adapt to any situation. Included are photographs from various series of photographs by Rena Effendi. It can be visited in Amsterdam till 9 March 2012

When: 12 December - 9 March 2012

Where: Prince Claus Fund Gallery, Herengracht 603, Amsterdam

Photographer Rena Effendi (Baku, 1977) creates work that is an eloquent testimony to human dignity and resilience. Rena Effendi is honoured with a 2011 Prince Claus Award ‘for her remarkable portraits of individual lived experiences in zones of silence, for documenting the social impact of rampant, profit-driven ‘development’ and for raising awareness of social realities in contexts that require developmental support.’

The exhibition Lives Behind follows Effendi’s ten-year journey of documenting the struggles and small triumphs of people, mainly living in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Yet the story of the exhibition transcends geographical borders to become a collective portrait of people who have survived isolation, ruin and devastating pollution. Somehow they are maintaining an independent existence despite being caught between an unstable past and a frightening future. Lives Behind provides photographic proof that too many people are stranded in the wake of industrial development, expansion and capitalism.

In the exhibition Effendi chose to use a series of photos she will also publish in her upcoming book on environmental issues in her native Baku (Azerbaijan). Effendi combines and contrasts the urban decay of her series ‘Oil Village’ with the butterfly collection of her father, a dissident entomologist, who amassed more than 90,000 specimens before his death in 1991. In this combination the beauty of nature blends with the bleakness of the human condition, its resilience and fragility. Another series included in the exhibition is ‘Chernobyl: Still life in the Zone’. In Chernobyl (Ukraine), Effendi documented the strange yet heroic existence of old women living in the Zone: the restricted area around Reactor 4. In the aftermath of nuclear catastrophe, they returned to reclaim their homes from an inhospitable world where most of the food they produce still contains dangerous levels of radiation. Nonetheless, these women keep subsisting on their orchards and sheer perseverance. For them, the idea of abandoning their homes is even more terrifying than radiation poisoning.

As Effendi continues to highlight the themes of isolation and loss in the face of progress, her most recent work focuses on Egypt’s struggle for reform and justice in an uncertain future. Here too, the hopes of millions of people for a better life remain unfulfilled.

Curator of the exhibition is Bas Vroege, Director of Paradox.

 

7 juli 2011

4 mei 2011

Op 4 mei doe ik verslag van mijn reis naar Ramallah en Cairo in het buitenlanduur van Villa VPRO. Zie media.

26 april-4 mei 2011: reis naar de Palestijnse gebieden en Egypte

Van 26 april tot 4 mei bezoek ik Ramallah, de bezette gebieden en Egypte. In Ramallah reikt het Prins Caus Fonds een prijs uit aan het Decolonizing Architecture Institute en op de westelijke jordaanoever bezoeken wij kunstenaars en organisaties die het Fonds ondersteunt, o.a. in Nablus, Jenin en Oost-Jeruzalem In Cairo praten wij met culturele actoren die wij ondersteunen en anderen die de revolutie op Tahrir plein hebben meegemaakt over hun plannen vor de toekomst. Voor een dagboekverslag zie mijn facbook account (cmeindersma).

15 april 2011: Opening of exhibition video installation Mecha in Nederlands Instituut voor Mediakunst in Amsterdam

Mecha is a two channel video installation created by video artist Miguel Angel Rios, who is originally from Argentina, that focuses on the explosive and intriguing Colombian Tejo game. According to Rios the game involves taking apart a firearm and inverting the act of shooting, the bullet (in this case the disc)is thrown at the gun (the detonator) and the player literally throws down his or her weapon in the act of playing. I is an exciting game  that involves continuous explosions, shots, shouting by the players, ooh and ahhs by the spectators. All of which evoke war movies and CNN reports from the front. In Tejo Rios found an innovative way to visualize his critique on the high degree of violence which occurs in Colombia on a daily basis. The video is shot in 2010 and Rios recruited actors from the favelas in Bogota, where Tejo gains in popularity by the day.

Artist Miguel Angel Rios will attend the opening of the exhibition of

his video installation at the Dutch Institute for Media Art (Nimk) on

15 April. Rios will talk about his work in which beauty and violence are often inextricably linked. The video installation is can be seen at the Nimk on the Keizersgracht 264 in Amsterdam until 29 April 2011.

31 maart 2011: Aankondiging tentoonstelling

On 31 March 2011 the opening of the exhibition Fragments of Tradition, Beauty and Hope, Photographs by 13 young men and women from Bamiyan takes place at 16.00 hours in the Prince Claus Fund Gallery. The Prince Claus Fund is honoured that HE Mr Ben Knapen, Minister for European Affairs and International Cooperation, has kindly agreed to open the exhibition. In the province of Bamiyan, situated in Afghanistan’s central highlands, thirteen young men and women (amateur photographers) from different districts were invited to look at their environment through the lens of a camera.

The exhibition shows the results of a workshop offered by the 3rd Eye Photojournalism Center and supported by the Prince Claus Fund. The photographs illustrate the resilience of people in the midst of conflict. These photographs also give a unique and personal insight into the geographic, social and political context of life in Afghanistan and the reconstruction and peace-building efforts that are going on. These pictures of Afghan society, culture and landscape will enhance our understanding of Afghanistan through the eyes of young Afghan photographers. The aim of the workshops was to build the capacity of young amateur photographers in Afghanistan. In the workshop, photography functioned as an instrument for social development, cultural reflection and preservation, women’s emancipation, capacity building and youth empowerment.

18 maart 2011:

Today, Prince Claus Fund director Christa Meindersma signed an agreement with the International Federation of Library Associations to support the construction of a treatment centre to preserve valuable documents and archives.

Haiti’s massive earthquake of 12 January 2010 resulted in a humanitarian disaster that left much of the island in ruins. It greatly damaged the country’s cultural heritage while important and fragile archives vanished beneath the rubble. The Prince Claus Fund’s Cultural Emergency Response Program assessed the damage immediately after the earthquake. Along with a number of partner organisations, the Prince Claus Fund subsequently launched a joint action to save Haiti’s vulnerable archives and important library collections. Thanks to the support of ICCO and Kerk in Actie, the Prince Claus Fund has been able to provide € 242,500 for the restoration of these important documents. In turn, this contribution is creating a solid foundation for Haiti’s cultural reconstruction.

The damage incurred by the archives and libraries threatens the conservation of Haitian cultural history while profoundly affecting the country’s society as a whole. Numerous Haitians caught up in the earthquake have been desperately searching for official papers such as marriage certificates, permits and other important documents. For many victims, the safeguarding of these documents represents the first step in a restoration process where the recovery of personal identity is playing an important role. In co-operation with both local and international partners such as Blue Shield, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and the International Council of Archives, the Prince Claus Fund and ICCO have set up an operational centre to co-ordinate the securing of the collections still buried under the rubble. All the archives and library collections found beneath the debris will be treated at this Port-au-Prince centre by a team of approximately 300 national and 700 international experts. Working on a voluntary basis, the international experts are helping to train and support the local professionals. Once they have been treated, the documents will be stored in especially acclimatised containers where they will be kept safely until they can be transferred to a permanent place. This project will help to sustain the blueprint of Haiti’s cultural identity. Through the archives and historical library collections, Haitians will be able to reconstruct the community that existed before this devastating earthquake. The Prince Claus Fund believes that the preservation of material history will be essential to the Haitian people as they rebuild their country. The project also ensures that library collections and archives can once again be made open to the public at large. This provides Haitians with an opportunity to draw on information and knowledge so that they will be able to contribute to the country’s sustainable reconstruction. Moreover, the libraries offer essential services such as education for people who are currently living in refugee camps.

14-17 maart 2011:

From 14-17 March I will visit Sharjah and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to attend the opening of the Sharjah biennale, the Dubai artfair and to meet artists and intellectuals from the Arab world.

4 maart 2011

On 2 March 2011 the Chinese film maker Jia Zhang-Ke was presented with the Prince Claus Award by the Dutch ambassador in China, Rudolf Bekink. Jia Zhang-Ke was awarded  for his beautiful and socially engaging films. He is one of eight Chinese award winners since the Fund’s inauguration in 1996.

Film maker Jia Zhang-ke told the guests present at the ceremony that receiving the Prince Claus Award from ambassador Bekink meant a lot to him. According to Mr. Jia Zhang-Ke the Netherlands are a gateway to the rest of the world for his movies. “Ever since my first movie Xiao Wu from 1998, nearly all my movies had their international premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival!”

According to ambassador Bekink, Jia Zhangke’s work is seen as an important contribution to China’s cultural development. The jury report of the Prince Claus Fund stated: “Mr. Jia Zhang-Ke is honoured for the outstanding aesthetic and intellectual qualities of his work, for his committed social engagement in focusing on the realities of ordinary contemporary lives, for his significant contribution to local cultural identity and confidence, and for creatively transcending and altering the frontiers of reality.”

While receiving the award mr. Jia Zhang-Ke modestly thanked his mother for her support and assured his fans that he would keep on making movies the best he could. 

http://www.princeclausfund.org/en/news/copy-of-presentation-award-to-jia-zhang-ke.html

3 maart 2011

Professor Nasser D. Khalili speaks about his collection in De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam, from which the exhibition 'Passion for Perfection, Islamic art from the Khalili Collections'was created.

In the winter of 2010/2011, De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam presents highlights from one of the world’s most renowned collections of Islamic art. Passion for Perfection will include some 500 objects from the collection of Professor Nasser D. Khalili. From 11 December 2010 to 17 April 2011, De Nieuwe Kerk will glitter with richly illuminated Qur’ans and manuscripts, paintings, gold, jewels, textiles, ceramics, glassware, lacquerware, metalwork, and wood carvings. These are works of great historical and artistic value, illustrating the refinement and grandeur of Islamic art and bearing witness to a quest for perfect craftsmanship. Passion for Perfectionshows that Islamic art is a masterly expression, not of a single national culture or civilization, but of the many peoples joined by Islam for more than 1,400 years. At the same time, the exhibition demonstrates the passion and expertise of Professor Khalili, who has assembled an unrivalled private collection of exceptionally fine Islamic art objects. The exhibition designer is Siebe Tettero, particularly known for his work for the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and the fashion house of Viktor & Rolf.

2 maart 2011

The Prince Claus Fund, the Mondriaan Foundation and Premsela are organizing an Orientation trip from 2 till 14 March for a group of cultural professionals. The participants will visit artists and cultural organisations in Bamako and Segou (Mali), Dakar (Senegal) and Casablanca (Morocco). The goal of the Orientation Trip is to connect professionals in the cultural field with their counterparts and to stimulate an inspiring intercultural exchange. The Prince Claus Fund invited designer and educator Jogi Panghaal  from India, museum director Amila Ramovic from Bosnia, Abir Boukhari, founder of All Art Now from Syria and Luis Romero, chief editor of Pulgar Magazine fromVenezuela to participate in the Orientation trip.

The Prince Claus Fund believes that it is important that artists and cultural organisations from the countries where the Fund is active connect with counterparts from other parts of the world. This intercultural exchange will bring opportunities for the development of activities and network of the cultural actors in the countries that are visited as well as the participants that travel there. Artists from Mali, Senegal and Morocco will get the chance to meet new people and start new collaborations. Attendees within the group will gain insight into local cultural developments, make new contacts and have the opportunity to create new ideas & initiatives.

1 maart 2011

The Prince Claus Fund supported a photo contest in Armenia on the theme of water that resulted in an exhibition and a book ‘Our first Element’ with photographs of water by photographers from various countries. Water and the access