Exhibition Opening and Panel Discussion
Migration and the Arts

Thu, 06/16/2016
Goethe-Institut Washington

Panel discussion with Martin Keil (REINIGUNGSGESELLSCHAFT, Berlin) and Salameh Nematt (XOL Gallery, Baltimore)

People are fleeing from war and persecution in Syria and other countries in the Middle East. They leave their households behind, separated from friends, relatives and families. They search for a safe life, embarking on arduous treks in hopes that they will arrive in places where they are welcome. Do their suffering and painful life experiences reflect in the arts, and if so, how?

The topic of migration has become an international issue and continues to be in the headlines. The exhibition by Rotraut and Martin Keil (Berlin) is an example that shows this topic has become part of the artist language in Germany and other countries. Why would a German artist make the topic of migration a theme for their art? What else can an artist do in empathy with refugees? How does the arts organization REINIGUNGSGESELLSCHAFT develop its agenda, which is focused on promoting participation and emancipation through the arts?

How do artists from the Middle East reflect upon traumata they and the people around them experience? For them, it is not a public topic in the media but personal experience that has changed their lives. What is art for them? What is beauty in times of personal loss of home and family? Salameh Nematt, founder of XOL Gallery, and others will share their experiences of working with artists from the Middle East.



Panelists:

Salameh Nematt, 53, is an artist and art collector, as well as owner/director of XOL Gallery, a contemporary art space based in Baltimore, MD. Born and raised in Jordan, Nematt worked as a journalist and political commentator on Middle East issues for over 25 years, reporting from across the Middle East, Europe and the United States, before he returned to his original passion of painting and collecting art in 2009. XOL Gallery showcases work by prominent and emerging artists from the Middle East, as well as recently-discovered artists in the Baltimore area. Nematt splits his time between the U.S. and the Middle East.

A visual artist, Martin Keil works on interdisciplinary projects. He co-founded the project group REINIGUNGSGESELLSCHAFT (RG) with Henrik Mayer. In their projects, REINIGUNGSGESELLSCHAFT uses contemporary art to reflect social developments and to open spaces for their representation. In a society which is becoming increasingly aware of social, economic and ecological risks, there are opportunities for active participation in art in the public interest. As visual artists who address social processes, RG intervenes in public spaces and uses methods from the fields of organizational development and qualitative social research. Their artistic praxis aims for an active role in the design of societal transformation. In a response to the situation of refugees, they established Atelier Global inside an emergency shelter for refugees in Berlin.

In collaboration with the Middle East Institute's Arts and Culture Program. With additional support from Friends of the Goethe-Institut.

Organized in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition Escape Routes, on display at the Goethe-Institut June 16 – August 31, 2016.