November 2016 Issue

Deconstructing Authority November 2016

Editorial Note

Our first issue was originally due for distribution on Sunday the 16th, until we received an email about a week or so before, announcing the cancellation of booth reservations and activities on the Sunday and Monday of that week to give precedence to the series of events undertaken as a part of the inauguration ceremony, an event that left many in awe, and many more in a far more critical mood. But seeing that the theme of our current issue is Art, what interests me is the way in which the administration constructs its relationship with the community, particularly us students, a craft which I find to be rather artistic. The way our relationship, our positions of relative power is represented, is telling.

It ranges from the implicit assumption that the inauguration is far more important than student activities, that whatever is student-made is inappropriate for showcasing in front of VIP guests accustomed to grandeur and waiting to see lordly sights as they march through the Plaza. Our position is represented in how the Student Union president sits at the very end of the stage party and is not the one whose investiture the AUC president seeks, but instead that of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, while the SU president just stands there, holding the box containing AUC’s gold medallion; it is represented in the ceremony being held in an auditorium at the far end of campus; at the majestic largesse that is the descent of the VIP attendees and the administration to Bartlett Plaza to the sound of fanfare and bellowing music unbeknownst to many members of the community who were unaware of the cause of all the commotion; let alone the wedding-like tents covering the usually untouched gardens, the stage prepared entirely for the cultural entertainment for an administration that we rarely ever see on campus. It was, is, an odd scene; one of detachment, and artificiality, to be topped off with an email to the community thanking each member for their work. But no, this event was not for us students, nor for the faculty, nor the workers. It was for administrative elites of the university and their VIP guests, running their fundraising business, wowing guests and closing deals; those hierarchical elites who consistently detach themselves from us, those who view us as an inevitable bulk populating campus: present, but denied any agency.

There is art in this representation, for it is well constructed and the message is delivered with finesse; and yet it is a bit of an exclusive art for not everyone has grasped the meanings or the rationale behind it, as all they see is their money being spent on unnecessary extravagances. Then again let’s not rush, this issue is about art, whatever that concept may be, and in our mission to deconstruct authority, we tackle it here as well, for authority is present everywhere, even in Art. Aseel

photography committee

Whether you’re a surrealist or a realist, with us you will find the environment that will enable you to create the best of both worlds. If you want to create pictures for the articles and/or contribute to the pictures break section with this newly established photography team, send an email to s.elfishawy@aucegypt.edu with samples of your work.

Multimedia and graphic Designers needed

AUCTIMES is now recruiting. If you’re interested to join our multimedia committee, please send an email to auctimes@gmail.com with your name, phone number, and samples of your work, if available.

Editor-In-Chief Aseel

Photo Editor Sally El-Fishawy

English Managing Editor Roxanne Vigil

Comic Artist Mahmoud Shaltout

English Associate Managing Editor Farah Elkholy

OC & Logistics Head Mohanad El-Tantawy

English Editors Aya Shaaban Noha ElTawil Hady Nabil Doaa Magdy Bahira Amin Fatimah Badawy Mostafa Sadek

Fundraising Head Arsani Sinout Fundraising Head Assistant Ahmed Ismail PR & Marketing Co-Heads Jaydaa Shaalan Nashwa Shaaban

Copy Editors Aya Shaaban Sarah Ahmed Amal Idheileh Mohamed ElNokrashy

Financial Coordinator Dunya ElMagrabi

All uncredited photography and/or artwork is either used upon permission or licenced for noncommercial use.

Disclaimer AUC Times is a student publication. All opinions expressed in the publication are the writers' own and do not reflect those of the magazine or the AUC administration.

HR Head Nour Beshir

Academic Supervisor Ramy Aly

Highlights 6

Why Artists are Usually Freaks

22 The Mother of Art

Copyrights

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The ‘Social Skin’: The Evolution of the Tattoo

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Getting lost in the world of fiction

20 Blending the Line between Art and Technology

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Is Advertising A Form of Art?

politics/history Mariam Satour Memoir Installation Displayed in Roznama, Medrar Gallery

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st Century

ART FORMS Miriam George

The question of what qualifies as art - let alone what qualifies as “good” art - has proven to be a tricky one. From the sky high expectations of the Renaissance Era, to the daring stylistics of the Modern Era, to the breakthroughs of contemporary art, the way we both see and have come to define art has changed dramatically throughout the ages. Today, one doesn’t have to be commissioned by a wealthy aristocrat to create art. One does not need to be validated, nor do they have to receive critical acclaim to call themselves an artist. One can sketch, skew, splash, flip, drench or even recreate their own idea of a canvas. One does not have to have a canvas at all. Postmodern art, which emerged to challenge some of the aspects of modernism, is boundless. What it has to offer, or, more accurately, what contemporary artists have made out of it, is almost unfathomable in the sense that artists are now opting for a more dynamic range of mediums by which to express themselves. In other words, the

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artist has full control over their piece and the message they want to deliver through it, and that includes experimenting with all the possible mediums.

As mentioned earlier, one doesn’t need to limit oneself to one type of canvas to make art. Reverse 3-D imaging, for example, is a contemporary artform which uses real-life props and human subjects, and makes them look like a drawing or painting. The most notable artist in this area is Alexa Meade who uses non-toxic acrylics to paint directly unto the human body, making her subjects look like inanimate, 2-D paintings. The objective here is to create the illusion of flatness, which is the exact opposite of what Renaissance artists have generally tried to achieve. While Meade uses humans as subjects, Cynthia Greig, a Detroit-based artist and photographer, uses ordinary household items as her subjects, coating them with white paint and charcoal so that they look inanimate.

Even though the artist’s choice of a canvas is particularly important in determining the fate of an art piece, it’s their creative choice of medium that has really pushed the envelope. In fact, some artists are now creating works using bodily fluids, including urine, blood and semen. Some artists, like Vinicius Quesada, a Brazilian artist, are known to work with their own blood only, generally refusing donations, or animal blood.

The true reason behind this is solely up to the artist to determine and, in many cases, remains unknown but should be respected nonetheless. No doubt, this has come about with popularity of shock art, whose principles are in line with the belief that nothing is off limits. It’s necessary to note, though, that this type of art isn’t just there to shock audiences. Like any form of art, body fluid art takes into account the different colors, shades, and textures that should result from the different combinations. Andy Warhol, for example, used to prep his canvas with copper-based paint, later using urine as a medium. The reaction between the acidic urine and the copper created a vibrant mix of yellows, oranges and greens.

Another thing that has shocked audiences over the past couple of decades is the extensive use of technology in art. Illustrators and graphic designers, for example, utilize modern technology and computer programs to produce digital art. From animation, to illustration, to web design, art and modernday technology have proven to be quite the pair when it comes to producing art. If anything, art has become more dynamic. It has expanded to accommodate the digital realm, which, in combination with traditional art, has shown us spectacular results.

Nourhan R. Maayouf My Bathroom Photography Displayed in Roznama, Maashrabia Gallery

If one were to come to define art as a creative depiction of reality, then humor definitely qualifies as an artform. Internet memes, for example, have spread so extensively in recent years that they’re now used as a means for commentary, imitations, and parody all over the world. Although the art of humor has been around for much, much longer than Internet memes were, it’s not crazy at all to assume that those squiggly line characters have as big of an impact on modern day society as any artform. Memes are often used as a platform for political commentary and satire, and when propagated and replicated by Internet users, have the power of influencing a limitless audience. If one were to come to define art as a means of revolting or bringing about change, then Internet memes can, again, qualify as an artform in their own right.

The fact that the term “art” has grown to accommodate boundless forms of self-expression has led up to the conclusion that art will only continue to expand. There is not one way to paint a painting.

There is not one way to interpret a painting. Art maybe a depiction of reality. It may have depth, but it can also be flat. A flat perspective doesn’t mean an ugly painting, and purple skin doesn’t mean the subject isn’t human.

Playing with mediums is good. Experimentation is good.

Art may not have a solid definition, but one thing’s for sure; as long as time progresses, then so will art.

Photography: Lamees Abdelaziz

psychology

Why Artists are .....................

Usually Freaks .....................

VIOLA GEORGE

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A friend once showed me a scene from the movie “American Beauty” and it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The scene illustrates a mundane moment during which the character records fifteen full minutes of a plastic bag dancing in the air. And with a voice over, the video describes: “ … this bag … like a little kid begging me to play with it … That’s the day I realized that there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly benevolent force that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever.” The character saw meaning behind a breeze of air swaying the bag with the movements of the gusts of wind. To the rest of the world, this might just be silliness. Throughout history, it has been noticed that artists and abnormal expression and behavior have some association. Could it possibly be that they are just nuts? Or is it that we do not see what they see? It is fair to say that artists are the species of us who covered the greatest distance to the rawest natures of mankind. From this premise, we can claim that artists have similar traits. One such example is the experience of severe traumatic events in their primary years of youth that stayed with them throughout their lives. Therefore, they retain a distinguishing lust for something they have been deprived of growing up, or have a fear of something they have been coerced to do in their past. Lord Byron, an English poet of the eighteenth century, had a house with eight dogs, three monkeys, five cats, an eagle, a crow, and a falcon. Had we not known that it dates back to when he was not allowed to keep his dog at school dorms, this Noah’s ark would not have been justifiable by any explanation that a society would find logical.

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Another artistic attribute is social anxiety. This is inflammable in artists not only because of their public exposure that makes them more naked to criticism and harassment, but also for the sensitive characteristic of an artistic nature.Various artists held a phobia of the discourtesy of people. Michelangelo used to walk away mid conversation to avoid contact. Artists’ particular sensitivity also makes them exclusively susceptible to the burdensome intensity of life overall. It is estimated that writers for instance are 121% more likely to get bipolar disorder and 50% more likely to commit suicide. This tragic end is found in the epilogue of Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf, among others.

P h o t o g r a p hy : Ya s m i n E l N a w a w y B i g Fa t T h a n k Yo u t o : Hossien Shash Mora Fahmy Farah Nour

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Widely, this intensity and complexity of life was graphically reflected in artwork as well. American painter Jackson Pollack specialized in it. He mastered abstract painting which he claimed was a detailed map of his brain.

Though the artistic status of this genre of expression remains questionable to this very day, the chaos that can be seen at first glance is nearly impossible to imitate haphazardly if void of intent and meaning. In addition, Pollack was a heavy drinker whose end was an accident perpetuated by this habit as well. Noteworthy, addiction is another answer that helps explain artists’ behavior.

In addiction they either find inspiration, like Balzac’s 50 coffee cups a day which kept him awake writing, or they find escape from the acute reality. To anyone who has not experienced the vividness of the statuses that their addictions put them in, they are merely reckless addicts.

With reference to the quality of life that artists choose to pursue, hooked on and consumed in meaning and purpose, it is subsequently very logical for physical wellbeing to be of least interest to them. For example, Michelangelo very rarely bathed, rarely changed clothes, and, according to his assistant, slept in his shoes. It was not that his poor social encounters were the reasons why he never for example noticed that he smells, but rather his titanic dedication for his work. It is therefore not so bizarre to see an artist with hair all over his face leaving no cheek room for the superficial luxury of cologne.

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Finally, artists are troubled, usually radically, by the aggregate manner their societies perceive them. On the one hand, it is frequently noted that artists display egoistic statuses. And sometimes this reaches absurdity.

Kanye West said: “I am Picasso. I am Disney. I am Steve Jobs.” Artists sometimes, especially recently, are treated like gods. It is therefore sensible to believe this rhetoric if the treatment demonstrating it bombards you everywhere you go. On the other hand, some societies are more favorable toward the celebration of scientists over artists. Even today art is not widely embraced as a formal path of living. Artists then feel like outsiders and identify with a constant characteristic of resistance that may not rationally correspond to how threatened they really are if at all.

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There must be a clarification that the previous effort merely represents an explanation and not the explanation to the artist’s psyche. Art is the extension of us that happened to simultaneously be larger than us. It remains up and breathing by this free and dynamic nature of it, a nature that we can never really pin down to an exact science. What matters behind artistic traits is not only the reason behind them but the fact that there is a reason behind them, a story, a motive, a suffering, or a fight. What matters is that art has meaning and madness, has reason, even if we never agreed on what the meaning and the reason actually are. Authentic artists we consider geniuses today embraced their abnormality at a time when it was more of a shame than prestige, and celebrated like now; when it drew less people to them during their life and not more fame. They taught us that the holy spirit comes first then we can speak the language. Not vice versa. They taught us not to try too hard. But rather to feel too much. So cheers to artists. Cheers to freaks.

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psychology

Mental Health and the Arts : Double the Stigma?

KHALED SALAHELDIN

It is quite conspicuously understood that the arts can be very beneficial in dealing with a plethora of mental health issues. Unfortunately, that fact doesn’t change the stigma that relentlessly girds it.

Therapy with the arts helps a lot of people from different age groups and backgrounds deal with different issues in regards to their mental health.

Its stigma is manifested in various ways: there’s the common misconception that many afflictions, such as depression for example, are made up by the person, or at least it is thought that it is the person’s fault. On the other hand, many people who need help refuse to acknowledge they even have a problem to begin with.

Depression specifically often brings about shame and carries social stigma, making people feel like they are less worthy than others. The irony of it all is that this only makes the depression worse, perpetuating the vicious cycle. In response to these negativities, society must be more open minded to issues such as depression, and there needs to be better mental health education on topics as sensitive as this.

This is where the arts are of use across the spectrum as a whole. They can show different points of view to the general public and they can give mental health patients something to focus on to help with their recovery, without relying on medication. These practices with various forms of art not only work as healers, but they also remind everyone how common and widespread some of these issues really are.

Therapy spans a range of art forms: from writing, to painting, to drama, to dance...The link between the arts and mental health has long been recognized and goes far beyond the cliché stories about artists being tortured souls. The notion of using the arts as therapy first began in the 40’s and 50’s when Adrian Hill and Edward Adamson pioneered art therapy as a practice, and it has now become recognized at schools of medicine, according to the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. But then again, that recognition doesn’t seem to have simmered down the stereotypes despite all the therapeutic advantages.

These art forms have been successful with hospital patients, particularly in areas of mental stimulation and alleviating depression. And in spite of its dire need, many obstacles hinder serious investment in such programs which are beneficial in the long run. The trouble lies in the idea that it is not only mental illness that has received a bad reputation, but also the arts

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themselves have been subjected to poor mass media propagation. With that in mind, the potential treatments are automatically viewed in a negative light. The truth is that many people view art professionals as pretentious and as wielders in elaborate costumes. They imagine that all art therapy does is offer finger-painting to whinging adults. This completely undermines the potential of this specific medium and it overlooks the real benefits that can be found when we take people beyond the silly stereotypes.

The arts can actually help challenge stigma and discrimination by enabling audiences to ‘walk in the shoes of others’. They allow audiences to begin to understand and feel what it might be like experiencing mental illness. Art therapy also puts the focus back on the person’s individuality and their creativity, acts as a catalyst for escape, release, and most importantly self expression. They can form connections between people and the physical world that can explain things without having to actually explain them.

They provide a much needed perspective on a person’s life. Many people report being with another group of artists has helped them see themselves in another light and, in turn, challenged their own self stigma. They are also a means of empowerment and creativity, which is key for our personal wellbeing.

Art therapy has been seen to improve various mental and physical symptoms including, but not limited to, reducing pain, anxiety, and tension. It can be especially beneficial to those who have mental disorders, like PTSD and bipolar disorder, emotional abuse, cancer, and a variety of other serious afflictions.

Basically, the benefits of art therapy can be quite broad; it can improve lives by helping people improve their mental, emotional, and even physical states. It can raise the quality of life for many people, and it’s worth considering if it can aid someone in some way or another. There is little argument about the idea that the arts can help people with mental health issues. The real challenge is going beyond the existing stigma for both the problem and the solution. Art therapy doesn’t mean finger painting for attention seekers. It means providing non-medication-based treatment that works from the inside. And like most disciplines, financial support is always essentially required. Viewing health improvement in a purely clinical perspective may overlook the golden opportunities that the arts have to play in health and rehabilitation.

S o c i e t y / c u lt u r e

COLORLESS

ARRAY MARIAM SALEM

When you think of the word art, what comes to mind? What do you see? Is it a drawing- maybe a famous painting, or a loop of colorful scribbles? Is it much more than that? Well, whatever it is, most views towards art do not represent what it actually is, not because they’re wrong, but for the sole reason that art is always more.

art because we need an outlet, but also because we need to feel for one another, and feel that we are felt. We need art because art touches us in a way we are rarely touched, and finally, we need art because we want to be affected, and because we want to affect.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off of our souls.” -Pablo Picasso.

For me, art is whichever method I can use, without stress or worry, to

Loss of art is loss of express the feelings and humanity’s backbone. It’s thoughts that I cannot loss of empathy towards express in any other way. And one another, loss of selfaccording to Oscar Wilde, “Art expression, loss of rawness, is the most intense mode of and a loss of a history that individualism that the world even those Ancient Egyptian has known,” and to Marsel scribbles on those walls P h o t o g r a p hy : Ya s m i n E l N a w a w y Proust it is “only through art wouldn’t exist without. But [that we can] emerge from it’s not just that; it’s the loss of ourselves and know what another person sees.” Every that stupid messy painting you made as a kid but still person has his own perspective of what art means remember or even keep, it’s the loss of those familiar and that’s because it is an intimate experience; one heartwarming folk ballads, loss of great architecture, that belongs to each of us separately, yet unites us as the Taj Mahal, the beautiful Italian cathedrals, the a whole. intricate ancient churches and the sophisticated Arabic calligraphy. Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe.

Recently I’ve come to the realization that most Beethoven, concerts, and even Star Wars. And that of our problems are rooted in our inability to express; dust put on our souls, it would always remain there. to not just say and describe how we feel, but to put our own feelings into another person’s soul. Through

In a checked life, art allows the unchecked writing, literature. Through paintings, drawings, flow of emotion, so where would we be without it? doodles, sketches. Through music, and musical lyrics.

Well, that plant you saw growing out of cement- it Through plays and acts and vivid facial expressions. will just be a plant. That colorful splotch on the Through the beautiful symphony of dance and body Calculus textbook- well, it wouldn’t even exist. Our language. Believe it or not, art is everywhere. Art is appreciation of beauty will vanish and the sunset that plant you saw growing boldly out of the cement. in the sky will not be a beautiful array of colors and Art is that vivid splotch of paint on a plain Calculus patterns, but merely the sun setting. textbook. Art is the deeper meaning behind the simplest of things. Art is beauty, but more importantly,

So picture this with me, a grey world devoid art is your perception of beauty. of all its colors and of all which makes humanity worth living. A life devoid of all that gives us hope for

We need art. We need art because a world tomorrow, and even that which a lot of times saves without it is not a world suitable for living. We need our lives. Imagine with me, a world without art.

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S o c i e t y / c u lt u r e

The ‘Social Skin’: The Evolution of the Tattoo Mostafa Khaled El Sadek

Contemporary scholarly literature in the realm of body art has been focused on issues of modernity, identity, hybridity, deviance, popular culture, gender, appropriation, authenticity, and globalisation due to the evolution body art has faced. While some may argue that body art has become a mere trivial fad due to art and the body’s increased materiality, others argue that in a world where body art has become more popular, it now represents a sustained effort to reverse this dematerialisation of art, by making the body matter.

“The streets have become a mobile gallery offering glimpses of elaborate monochrome patterns, intricate faux jewellery, fantasy creatures, and images appropriated from Van Gogh, Botticelli, and Picasso,” wrote Fedorenko in her case study dealing with contemporary tattoo culture.

The form of body art that has witnessed the most peculiar evolution, however, is the tattoo (as it is generally called in contemporary Western literature). Tattooing, which has been defined as the insertion of pigments under the skin to create a permanent mark, is an ancient cultural practice that continues until this day. “Tattoo,” derived from the Tahitian word tatau was first used by a French explorer to describe the body decoration of the Tahitian natives in his voyage. Similarly, new dating methods have estimated that the earliest example of tattooing dates back to the Neolithic Period of history, some 5,300 years ago.

One’s body was traditionally seen as surface waiting for the “imprintation of culture.” Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss wrote, “the purpose of tattooing was not only to imprint a drawing onto the flesh but also to stamp onto the mind traditions and philosophy,” thus creating a sort of collective “socialised body” among those tattooed individuals. In Polynesia, Gell observed that “with tattoos, the body multiplies; spirits, ancestors, rulers and victims take up residence [on the body]… which begins to take a life of its own.” Not only does the tattooed skin negotiate between the individual and society, and between different social groups, but also among persons and spirits, the human and the divine.

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In the West, however, the volatility of body markings is demonstrated. Ancient Greeks, Romans and Celts used tattooing for “penal and property uses,” tattooing the names of masters onto their slaves. With the introduction of Christendom, tattoos were adopted by pilgrims to the Holy Land as symbols of religious piety and observance.

Despite the criticism of churchmen, tattoos became synonymous with magical rites and sorcery, as well as medicine. Mystics used to tattoo astrological symbols on the sick to cure them. These practices were not sanctioned by the Church, but occurred with the simultaneous importation of tattoos from the Holy Land into Medieval Europe.

In the nineteenth century, tattoos evolved into occupational emblems (sailors used to tattoo their names onto their skin so that if they are found at sea, they can be identified and buried), religious insignia, personal mementos, and symbols of patriotism and loyalty to the state. Although many people who were not criminals got tattoos, the popular understanding of tattoos at the time was that it was a form of negative deviant behaviour. Despite the

Photography: Laila Sherif

odd nobleman with the tattoo, generally, lower-class populations dominated the Western tattooing scene until the mid-twentieth century. Tattoos then began to gain in popularity during the 1960s as social movements - from feminist, punk, goth - and were used as a way to affirm their collective as well as individual identity.

Tattoos, as well as other forms of body modifications, crossed class boundaries, and moved into the media as a part of celebrity culture and fashion. By the turn of the millennium, tattoos became more synonymous with fashion statements, now dissociated from sailors and pilgrims who once claimed them.

Tattoos thus developed into a form of empowerment, expression and resistance. Feminists declared that tattoos on women were not made to maintain and punctuate their roles as “the workhorses of the culture’s symbolic, inhabiting the overdetermined constituent in gendered pairings: mother to father, wife to husband, desirable to desiring, victim to perpetrator, beauty to beast.” Tattoos, to them, meant self-expression and resistance against societal norms; acts of transgression intended

to destroy cultural inscriptions, to broaden their sense of body aesthetics.

Tattoos - as a method of making the body more culturally visible - also integrated into prison culture around the world. Prison tattoos are seen by prisons as a “subversive bodily act” in that they reestablish the convict’s authority over their own body and challenge the system that imprisoned them, as tattooing in most prisons is illegal. They represent a visual defiance against “the man.” Similarly, prisoners also got tattoos to express cultural categories of class and ethnicity on the body. Therefore, it can be said that tattoos allow the wearer to reassert their personal identity, which is a particularly important act in a prison setting, where the prisoner experiences their identity stripped from them.

This concept of reasserting one’s identity is one that is central to tattoos, for they are a sign of civilisation, culture, and belonging.

A form of art that sublimated class and caste distinctions under the rubric of civilisation. A form of art capable of imprinting one’s autobiography onto one’s skin.

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S o c i e t y / c u lt u r e

We are the heroes of our time Chadi Ben Ghanem

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a dystopia is “an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.” A place that is usually set in the future.

Since the birth of film, around 200 motion pictures have been set in distant dystopian futures.

Over 120 of those films were released after the year 1990. The highest-grossing film, with over 2,700,000$ in revenue, is Avatar, which may be considered a dark interpretation of humanity as a whole. Coming in as third on the list, despite happening “a long time ago,” the Star Wars franchise is another dark representation of our possible future in the cosmos, and is worth $30 billion. Our fascination with this particular setting is equally present in literature: around 200 dystopian novels have been published during the 20th and 21st century - 110 in the 21st century alone.

The amount of literature and film centered on this dystopian setting represents how we have become increasingly obsessed with this bleak interpretation of the future. Which poses the question: Why is it that such a genre, and those similar to it, of cinema and literature have become so popular in this day and age?

The representation of the effect of one nuclear bomb (Tsar Bomba) on Cairo

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One reason may be what has been described as the scapegoat of the century, technology. Weapons, historically seen as tools of oppression and devastation, have now become capable of ensuring peace and human annihilation. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remains a testament to the destructive capabilities of modern day weaponry. Advancements in transportation have also made a dystopian future more possible, for they have made travel easier, and the possibility for the outbreak of an international pandemic higher. For example, it took the World Health Organization three months to go from the declaration of the emergence of swine flu to calling it an international pandemic, resulting from the increased interconnectedness the world has experienced since the rise of air travel.

Another cause for the spread of fear is climate change. It seems that the United Nations’ statement that “almost half the world’s population will be living in areas of high water stress by 2030... in addition, water scarcity in some arid and semi-arid places will displace between 24 million and 700 million people.” is reminiscent of the endless deserts and barren wastelands portrayed in the Mad Max saga. The cry “do not ... become addicted to water. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its absence!” in Mad Max has become, although absurd, more understood. Thus, the threats depicted in dystopias are no longer distant dangers, but real ones. The stories have become a reflection of our current fears, and struggles. So, the audience is capable of easily connecting with the dystopian narrative, which partially explains the reasons behind its popularity.

Our connection, however, is not only to the general setting of these narratives, but also to the characters themselves. The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen has become a teenage icon; The Matrix’s Neo a pop culture legend; and V, along with the Guy Fawkes mask, of V for Vendetta, the image of freedom movements worldwide, namely the hacktivist group Anonymous. These characters have become so central to us because they are like us. The characters in dystopian settings are usually children of an oppressive

world. They do not have superpowers, they are not otherworldly, and they are in no apparent way exceptional. It is their determination, grit, passion, perseverance, and kindness that get them through the obstacles they face. They feel real. Moira Young, an award winning science fiction writer whose work is being adapted to the big screen, stated that, “The outer, global journey of the characters is matched by an inner, emotional and psychological journey.

These are no cartoon superheroes. They […] have to deal with recognizable concerns and problems, including friendship, family, betrayal, loss, love, death and sexual awakening,” most of which we all face, no matter our age. These are universal struggles that the majority could relate to. Young writes, “It all comes down to the story. The story comes first, and the setting – extraordinary though it may be – is of secondary importance.”

To fully understand the proliferation of the dystopian story we should also consider the writers.

With the plethora of dangers the world faces, writers who are “worried about the planet, the degradation of civil society and the bitter inheritance [they’re] leaving for the young, write dystopian books” (Young). These books and films become a call for an awakening, a call to action, since “by giving us worstcase scenarios of the future, maybe our current society can be jolted enough to avoid those scenarios eventually happening in real life,” as stated by Dave Astor.

Finally, these stories provide us with a critical element: hope. We create harsh and violent worlds that are dark and sometimes bleak stories - but not lacking in hope, for we must “always leave a candle burning in the darkness” says Young. These average individuals are able to surpass the toughest of challenges, defy societal norms, stand up for their rights, overthrow the oppressor, grow, and in the process change the world. They are our inspiration, and our motivation.

I feel that we like dystopian narratives because they are the closest to our hearts. They are a representation of our fears, our challenges, our hopes and dreams, both personal and societal.

With the rise of the role of the individual, we have all become heroes of our own. With the risks and bleak representations of the future, of death, starvation and Armageddon scenarios thrown at us by the media, we could all actually be heroes one day. What if we already are? Aren’t we currently struggling with the elitist dominance and military authority depicted in The Hunger Games? Isn’t the colonization of Mars becoming a reality? Isn’t the rise of artificial intelligence already happening? Doesn’t each of us have a hand in all this?

Photography: Fatma A . Farrag

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S o c i e t y / c u lt u r e

The power of NORHAN WAFAIE

Although we might not often recognize the significance of colours in our everyday lives, they always bring life to anything they touch. Surprisingly, colours affect how we perceive things.

Regardless of one’s nationality, or age we almost always connect celebrations and events to colours; but nationality might affect what each colour is associated with. Such change can be due to different languages and semantics, varied weather patterns, and religious backgrounds. The Shona language in Zimbabwe for instance and the Boas language in Liberia have no words that distinguish red from orange.

Therefore, people are unable to perceive separate colours because of language limitations. Moreover, those who live in climates with a lot of sunlight might prefer warm bright colours; while those from climates with less sunlight prefer cooler, less saturated colours.

One colour may have several different meanings in varying cultures. Blue is the way to go since it’s the “risk-free” option around the world. Blue is affiliated with positive vibes in places like North America and Europe because it represents peacefulness, trust, security and authority.

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On the other hand, it is sometimes also associated with sadness, or loneliness.

Hence the idiom, “feeling blue”. In other countries however, blue symbolizes healing and evil repellence where there are blue shaped amulets to protect against the evil eye which are commonly seen in Greece, Turkey, and Egypt.

“Feeling blue” isn’t the only commonly used idiom to colour references; “you’re green with envy” is a popular expression often used to indicate jealousy in Western cultures, although it also represents in them luck, wealth, and environmental awareness .

Furthermore, green is an emblematic colour for Ireland, which earned its sobriquet “The Emerald Isle” from its lush green landscapes.

Green is Mexico’s national colour that stands for independence, yet it is forbidden in some countries like Indonesia. In the Middle East green symbolizes youth, fertility and a new life, whereas in China, it’s considered a taboo if men wear green hats as it’s a sign that their wives cheated on them.

Red is a significantly important colour. It is usually associated with passion, power, love, and danger in Western cultures.

In countries like Russia, red is allied with communism and revolution. Asia is not

Installation Bauhaus, Dessau, Germany Photography: Fatma Farrag

shy about its love for the colour red, as it symbolizes luck, joy, prosperity, and longevity. Since it’s such a favorable colour, brides wear red instead of white unlike many Western countries. In India, red is related to purity, sensuality, and spirituality, while in African countries it is connected to death.

When you think of purity, light, elegance and cleanliness, white is typically the colour that comes to mind, as is the case in many religions as well as western cultures. But contrary to popular belief that black is the default colour to go to when sad, or in mourning, in Asia white is the colour that represents death, mourning, and bad luck and therefore is traditionally worn in funerals; in India you would probably find people wearing white in a funeral due to the significant presence of Buddhists and Hindus who affected the whole culture through their religious beliefs related to the colour white. Speaking of funerals, we’re going to the dark side: black. Black is always linked to evil, death, magic, and bad luck. However, it is also associated with formality and sophistication. In addition, in Africa, it symbolizes age, maturity, and masculinity.

People are oblivious to the power of colour; colour psychology is the study of hues as a determinant of human behavior and its application is not only shown in celebrations and religious symbolism, it is everywhere. Film makers, for example, use different colours to get people to react emotionally to a scene.

Album covers display different colours to depict the mood or vibe of the songs in the album, as in many instances the album has a theme about breakups where you would see many greys and blacks. Advertisements usually have many colours to grab attention, but these colours are not chosen randomly; researchers have shown that men like the colour blue more and so if a product is marketed for men, the colour blue will probably be present. Colours also affect our mood; wearing a bright red dress to make a girl feel bold and powerful.

Furthermore, colours can also enhance the effectiveness of placebos; red, or orange pills are generally used as stimulants. It’s unbelievable how such a small seemingly insignificant thing such as colour can not only manipulate, but also articulate feelings and emotions. A world without colour would be utterly depressing

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S o c i e t y / c u lt u r e

“Your fashion is your

Self-identity” Roba Mazroua

Walking through Cairo Festival City mall, I leave my sensory receptors to roam freely observing the lights, odors, sounds, and colors that have shaped my construction of familiar brand names. These brands having already become part of my unconscious procurement that have shaped my identity and belonging in society. This feeling has context in the marketing field, referring to “Self concept attachment” which is a concept that describes consumers’ purchase for certain brands as they help to establish their user identities.

Modern-day fashion is a powerful art and influential in our discourse within our everyday life. Fashion has become as significant a character because it conveys to the world personal style. Style is therefore a form of communication that reflects personal attributes, and displays individual preference of brands.

Fashion enables a person to not only display his/her personality and personal preferences, but it also boosts self-confidence and self-esteem.

The art of fashion paves the way for everyday renewed creativity skills because it gives the opportunity in everyday to mix and match of pieces, colors, and designs and therefore, a powerful art that enhances creation. All people pass through initial stages of fashion through their every-day morning phases, whether dressing to go to university, or work, or even going to a serious interview for a new

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”

job. Hence, one has to choose the right combination of clothing to secure his/her overall image and establish an effective self-identity.

Currently, brands have become a powerful discourse and a communicative language of people.

They are excessively influential and highly consumable and therefore have become a determinant of one’s prestige, social class, and modernity. Brands are a social norm that is blindly followed and adopted; items sold by recognizable brands are integral to our culture. Hence, it is no longer odd to find branded printed pants, ripped jeans, boyfriend jeans, and backpacks displayed as you pass on your everyday route to school and work.

Overview of cloth market:

Mohamed Mazroua is the owner of two companies in Egypt manufacturing garments and fabrics and a heavy exporter to the United States and Europe. Mazroua produces for branded and nonbranded clothing companies. He manufactures for both genders within different age groups of all sizes.

He classifies the fabric market into two categories. The first is the net-wear consisting mainly of sports and casual wear such as t-shirts, tops, sports-wear, shorts, polo-shirts, and sweatpants. The second is wovenwear, encompassing denim, blazer, leather jackets, and chemises. The most highlighted difference between both categories is “mechanical elasticity,” whereby netwear is more elastic than that of woven ones.

On the other hand, the garment market is categorized into three segments. The first type is mass production in which huge quantities are produced at lower quality and sold at lower prices. It usually targets the lower segment, so that Mazroua can produce up to 100 thousand pieces per order and they would be still heavily consumed. Such products are marked with low quality of fabrics where mixture of cotton and polyester can be used to reduce costs and deliver adequate price.

Mazroua states that the price of basic denim ranges from $9.99 up to $12.99.

The second type is the ready to wear targeting the middle class. This market is supplied under famous brand names such as Zara, Bershka, Tommy-Hilfiger, Guess, H&M, Calvin Klein and Levi’s. Those brands are not mass-producers as those of the mass-market, so they ensure higher quality and innovative designs.

They charge higher prices: so in-that denim prices start at $19.99 up to $49.99. The ready to wear market produces a maximum between 40,000 and 50,000 pieces per design. Its designers ensure being up-todate with modern-day fashion and delivering new ideas to the renewing everyday market. Regarding that production type, Mazroua stipulates that, “You have to take WRAP (Worldwide responsible accredited production) certificate that authorizes your factory to produce for them.”

The last and most fleek category is the “Haute Couture” which in English means high-end fashion.

This category is highly known for its production of very

few pieces and very fine finishing. The use of special weaving fabrics that is mostly hand-made. Its designers produce limited quantities with prices starting from $500 and more. This type includes worldwide known brands such as Burberry, Gucci, Christian Dior, and Roberto Cavalli.

Art of selling:

Focusing on the most consumed outfit products in AUC community, the ready-to wear selling patterns will be examined closely. The stores of that market are powerfully pushing you to procure their designs.

The creative assemblage and match of pieces form an impressive portrait that arouses the passions of the consumer to imitate it. The collection displayed on model varying between top, bottom, shoes, bag, and sunglasses creates a satisfactory influential environment for the consumer. It can be a normal quality of bag, or even unsustainable fabrics, but by just placing those brands’ names on them, the products are totally transformed into an authoritative stage where they are perceived as reliable. Consequently, brand names and trend obsessions are formed, by deploying fashion display as a tool of establishing self-image and prestige.

Different middle-class females attempt to answer the question of whether brands shape their identity or not.

Nuran Hisham, a sophomore student, confirmed that brands and fashion are authoritative influencers whereby they change our daily look and keep us modernized by following newly arriving trends. Brands are also an indicator of social class, since not all of the social classes would be able to procure brand in terms of financial means and also social values. Lower classes do not have the mindset encouraging them to keep following with the famous celebrities or fashion icons.

Hisham stated “You are what you wear,” in-that your style definitely reflects your self-identity and social image.

Amira Hussam, a junior student, said that, “I was not a heavy consumer of brands till I entered the university and figured out that brands are (a) social norm that have to be followed.”

Males also emphasized the significance of brands. Ibrahim Muhammad, sophomore, stated that, “Society shapes our choice of clothing; a person would rather purchase a branded product rather than purchasing a good styled non-brand one that he initially liked.” He always procures Hollister and Abercrombie basics as they are easy to wear and establish a sense of prestige as well.

Fashion is a powerful art and brands are powerful painters. They constitute a huge rising phenomenon, whereby their influences are exceeding dramatically across the globe. Brands actually became on the micro level part of one’s daily life, and on a macro level an integral social norm.

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S o c i e t y / c u lt u r e

The Marginalization of Poetry Ahmed Ibrahim

When writing about or discussing art, there is always a little apprehension with regards to the notion of authority; art was/is never conjured with the intention to be criticized and policed, so who are you to attempt to do so? An interesting thought, however, emerges from that wariness: what is art?

Without delving into the realm of the existential - let’s leave that to your Philosophical Thinking class we can agree, at least for the purposes of this article, that art is a creative act capable of withstanding it’s own demise, as per the acclaimed Gilles Deleuze. Be it used for resistance, catharsis, or anything above and beyond, it is generally a piece that can be consumed differently by different people. Similar to the notion of “beauty [being] in the eye of the beholder,” the artist had something in mind, consciously or otherwise, whilst creating it, which is not necessarily how it will be perceived and conceptualized by its audience, with their own hopes, fears, and the lot. This characteristic multiplicity possessed by art, with regards to means of expressions and manifestations, opens the door for the question of how we consume art; how we come across it, like it, hate it, share it, etc.

You might have noticed that, traditionally, certain types of art seem to be reserved for certain occasions, tastes, even classes – see: literature for the educated elite versus sha3bi music for the baladi. This is also largely construed by mainstream/popular culture, in the sense that there are some art forms that are more readily accessible than others, and with exponentially more hype.

Poetry has arguably seen the worst of this practice, and, if I might add, unrightfully so. Conventional poetry, much like anything with words on paper that you actually have to read, is often associated with those dreaded high school Literature classes where you couldn’t tell which you hated more: the teacher, or the failed, life-determining institution that forces you to

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find the parallels between [insert obscure poet’s name here]’s upbringing and the imagery they use, when you could be literally anywhere else – Literature majors, I apologize. Considering that association, the sooner you don’t have to read another poem, the better. But does that take away from poetry as an art? With increasing emphasis now, in this corporate playground in which we live, on what will sell, it is no surprise that the word artist has come to boast a broader, more commercialized, set of connotations. And, to some, the Wests and Swifts of the general art scene are given copious amounts of attention, as opposed to the Nerudas and Qabbanis.

Poetry here is made to be marginal, while other creative expressions move to the center, though a host of interpretations and opinions on this exist. The issue here, moreover, is whether or not poetry has a place in this modern world.

However, like anything else that is marginalized, poetry continues to thrive, and its marginalization does not have to entail its erasure. In an effort to adapt and, as mentioned above, resist, contemporary poetry has found its footing in different platforms. Take for example the genre of slam, or spoken-word poetry, the biggest proponents of which are Button Poetry, and the budding Egyptian community The Word Project. Poetry here has adopted an almost theatrical ethos, with performances, live and on YouTube, garnering large audiences and followings.

Recalling that aforementioned multiplicity, it is important to note that, because of the diversity of art, it is not for me or anyone to claim one form superior to another, or to dictate which is worthy of the attention of the masses. Anyone can admire, value, or make art; in the words of Pablo Picasso, “everything you can imagine is real,” and exploration of different possibilities and styles may prove fruitful. So maybe try going to the next art exhibit, or reading some of the poetry you hear about so often.

TT M he werker’s

c r e at i v e p i e c e s

anifesto

Ahmad Mahana

BREAKING NEWS - Dustin Jieber Found Twerking on Coachella Stage.

Upon performance of his major new hit “Sorry”, Jieber was found to have ripped his pants off, revealing underneath a strawberry red thong. Moments after establishing confusion amongst the audience and on-stage dancers, Jieber commenced twerking in an aggressive fashion. The stunt proved to be controversial amongst the audience and witnessing press.

Audience reactions seemed to vary; in one of several brief interviews, one woman remarked,“I’m not surprised. Jieber always has been and always will be the truest form of what an artist may be. I simply loved the show – his twerking was an admirable masterpiece, even the slightest jiggles and waves perpetuating themselves on his buttocks truly demonstrated the agony and the tragedy behind the song ‘Sorry’.” Nevertheless, the cuteness of Jieber’s butt did not suffice in meeting the majority of the audience’s approval. One man commented on the show, “I could not have possibly been more repulsed or disgusted by a show. How dare he strip naked in front of an audience like that? Dustin Jieber is the reason the music industry is losing its lyrical and rhythmic entertainment. Jieber’s lack of self-worth is the reason he won’t be recognized in the list of the ‘greats’ alongside Vicki Mirage and Diggy Mazalea, whose music and dance truly ‘erect’ the human condition.”

In further news, developments of the “Jieber conundrum” have reached the AUC Times’s headquarters, and Jieber had finally decided to take action. In response to the negative publicity, a group of male artists led by Jieber himself, Sean Vendez, and ManDrake have called for a press conference to resolve the now global crisis.

To tackle the situation, the artists have called out for the formation of B.U.L.G.E., (Boys Union in Leading

Gender Equality). Upon announcing the formation of B.U.L.G.E., Jieber made his opening statement, “It took me months to practice and perfect the dance moves I have demonstrated on-stage, repetition upon repetition just to ensure that the dance routine was compliant with the emotional value of the song. Yet, once I have decided to show the world my true self, I was rejected and outcast. Immediately after my show had been prematurely suspended, a female artist had taken my place and she twerked vigorously, and the crowd went wild. I then realized there was only one possible explanation, we live in a matriarchal society, and our B.U.L.G.E. will ensure that this will continue no longer.” The statement proved to be provocative and many questions were laid out by the press.

One of the main concerns of the press addressed to Jieber was whether or not he agreed that the general exposing of the female body was a reflection of viewer desires rather than “matriarchy.” Jieber responded, “Women always have and always will be able to achieve what they want whenever they want, this has nothing to do with the female body it only concerns the gender rights that we as men deserve.”

The previous statement marked the premature ending of the conference. News of Mihanna’s transparent dress on the red carpet led to the immediate exit of the press members, who were eager to cover the ‘story’ - ManDrake rushed behind.

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Science/technology

Unnumbered Sparks Interactive Art Installation

BLENDING THE LINE BETWEEN ART AND TECHNOLOGY FARAH SEIFELDIN

Remember ChalkZone, the cartoon about a kid with a magical piece of chalk that allowed him to draw through air and bring his illustrations to life? In 1998, when this animated series was created, the whole premise of the show seemed closer to fantasy, but today, with the rapid rise of digital technologies, this idea has become a reality. One can see a connection between the emergence of new tools based on scientific advancements and the creation of new art mediums which allow novel art forms to come to life. While technological innovations may produce completely new methods to create new forms of art, they also digitize traditional tools which generate works of art that can be boiled down to a series of zeros and ones. Instead of carrying a tangible set of brushes, a canvas, and a palette of colors, you can carry a graphics tablet that includes all the tools you would need to produce a work of art. This single tablet becomes a medium in itself that encompasses a variety of other mediums. The computer controls the interaction between the artist’s touch and what appears on the digital canvas. It becomes an instrument that helps manifest the artist’s thoughts into something that can be appreciated by others. Computers do not stop there; with the aid of interactive technologies, they are also redefining the relationship between the spectator and the artwork.

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Throughout history, countless discoveries have been a catalyst to the invention of new technologies and indirectly new art forms. A very common example is the development of photography. Photography could have never existed without the invention of cameras. Cameras later evolved to become digital.

Again, this greatly influenced the art of photography.

Photographers were making the shift from using film to using digital cameras. The same can be seen with the rise of 3D animation and graphics. As computers became capable of performing more complex tasks, 3D imaging technology evolved at a similar rate. Sculptors can model different sculptures using computer software, and later enhance these models with motion to create 3D animation. Similarly, with developments in 3D animation and the manipulation of objects and light using computers, virtual reality has become reality. As mentioned earlier, the concept behind ChalkZone has manifested into today’s world. Google invented a tool called “Tilt Brush” which allows people to draw through air into a 3D virtual reality canvas. The connection between art and technology is not exclusive to visual arts, for it is also present in music technology; synthesizers and music software facilitate the process of producing music. Simply, as science and technology rapidly advance, art evolves.

The rise of computer technologies has augmented the connection between viewers and the artwork. Interactive art has increased significantly with the digital revolution. It is a genre in art in which the spectators interact with and contribute to the artwork. This genre has been given more attention lately, especially in museums and art exhibits where a piece of art relies on a certain technology that allows the audience to interact with it. This can be seen in Unnumbered Sparks, an interactive installation in Vancouver, in which hundreds of people affect the sculpture simultaneously by playing around with colors and waves on a Chrome browser on their smartphones.

Another example is art produced using Virtual Reality.

With technologies like 3D animation, the artist can create an immersive experience for the viewer. Instead of contemplating a piece of art as you stand in front of it, technology allows you to become an integral part of the piece itself. In one of his TED talks, immersive artist Chris Milk, explores the possibilities of Virtual Reality as an art form. He says that VR “makes the jump from our internalization of an author’s expression of an experience to our experiencing it first-hand”. Again, this is all the result of a huge leap in computer technology and the availability of different gadgets to experience VR like Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear. Artists are now utilizing machines to produce works of art which are digitized, interactive, and collaborative.

After a countless number of artists have been making the transition to more digital forms of art, some people would like to argue that the digitization of the process of making art is destroying the sanctity of art, or that it is diminishing the role of the artist. While one may feel that the accessibility and ubiquity of digital tools to create art gives anyone the chance to become an artist, he/she often forgets that the use of

these digital tools requires as much skill as mastering traditional tools. Technology is not necessarily making the process easier, but it is allowing artists to explore different directions of artistic expression. It is a common misconception that creating digital art is easier than creating traditional art. This holds true only in the sense that one can easily undo any mistake without damaging the rest of the artwork, and that one can use distinct layers to create the final product with the ability to edit and access any layer easily. Otherwise, digital art is not really as ‘easy’ as a lot of people think. Both methods of creating art require an extensive knowledge of the tools present and the skill to master the techniques applied in them.

Virtual Reality Canvas Google’s Tilt Brush

Out of this human-machine relation arises another question: if artists become immensely dependent on computers to create art, then who is the real artist? It is important to note that machines are merely tools which obey the instructions we give them.

It is the artist who is inspired by his own experiences and surroundings. The artist creates the vision, and the machine simply executes it. Even in extreme arts that solely depend on machines like generative art for example, the artist remains the brain of this machine.

Generative art is one of the largely fascinating genres of art that allows us to critically assess the relationship between the machine and the human artist. Through it, the artist writes the code for a computer, or creates a machine that autonomously follows the process determined by the artist to create art. Artists can also teach computers how to obtain data from the real world to create a creative piece of art. After finishing the piece, the computer assesses itself and critiques its own work. In this deeply complex process, the computer reflects on its own journey of creating art and laces these perceptions within the art it makes. With these innovations becoming a reality and not science fiction anymore, we are brought back to some thoughtprovoking questions, what is art? Who can create art?

And is art restricted to humans?

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Edit: Georginea Bassily

Science/technology

The Mother of art Amina Abdel-Halim

“Firmitas, utilitas, venustas”: firmness, commodity and delight.

The earliest surviving written work on architecture is Vitruvius’ De Architectura, in which the Roman architect poses the three principles of his discipline: durability, utility and beauty. The Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Temple of Jupiter: the Empire’s legacy is no less indeed than the gift of Venus to mankind. Vitruvius’ doctrine of visual delight lived on to the Renaissance, when Michelangelo’s brush stroke brought life to the walls of the Sistine Chapel. Towards the end of the twentieth century, Banksy, Basquiat, and Lady Pink still found no better canvas than the walls of the city.

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Throughout the centuries, architecture and art have thus been intertwined. The question is: can they actually be seen as interdisciplinary?

Can architecture be considered an art?

Architecture is commonly defined as the profession of designing buildings, open areas, communities, and other artificial constructions and environments, usually with some regard to aesthetic effect. According to the Cambridge English dictionary, art is “the making of objects, images, music, etc. that are beautiful or that express feelings”. The definition varies between cultural movements, yet generally comprises two main elements: aesthetics and expression.

“The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. All art is quite useless.”

-Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Born in France in the nineteenth century, the Parnassian movement was built on Theophile Gautier’s doctrine of “art for art’s sake”: the belief that art should be regarded as a science, one with the sole purpose of aesthetic creation, leaving behind the “excessive sentimentality” of Romanticism.

Architecture does not, seemingly, fit this definition, as its primary purpose is to provide shelter and adapted spaces for particular activities. While this can be achieved with no regard to aesthetics, not all elements of a building exist to accomplish a task.

Gargoyles, a common feature of Gothic architecture, are grotesque figures ornamenting the walls of buildings, modeled after ancient mythological creatures. Technically, gargoyles do have a function which is to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building. However, the ornaments proved quite inefficient over time, and were progressively replaced by drainpipes, the use of which was made compulsory in London by the 1724 London Building Act. Nonetheless, the peculiar figures were still kept solely for their aesthetic value. To this day, life-like chimeras, winged serpents and dragons emerge from the stone walls of town halls and cathedrals, their marble eyes piercingly glaring at onlookers…

We can thus conclude that, by Parnassian standards, an architectural feature can be perceived as artistic creation.

As previously mentioned, the definition of art comprises two elements: aesthetics and expression.

The latter is usually thought of as the outpour of emotions, views or beliefs: the Romantic notion of selfexpression, a form of rebellion against tradition and societal norms.

“We have given this academic title either to a fool or a genius. Time will show”, said Elies Rogent, director of the Barcelona School of Architecture in 1878. The new graduate was a deeply Catholic young man, a lover of nature and a vegetarian.

Antoni Gaudí, the father of Catalan Modernism, was an individualist. His one-of-a-kind architectural style resembles none of the movements which inspired it.

His most prominent work is the Sagrada Familia cathedral. The “Nativity Façade”, dedicated to the

birth of Jesus, combines Gaudí’s piousness and his love of the Earth, as it incorporates many elements of flora and fauna. The two tortoises at the foot of the columns represent the land and the sea, each symbols of the irreversibility of time; while in contrast, the two chameleons on either side represent change (brought on by the birth of Christ).

Gaudi’s work, into which he poured elements of his two passions, serves as a window into his soul, and as evidence of the expressivity of architecture.

Artistic expression is not, however, limited to that of individual perception.

Melencolia rests her head on her plump, childlike hand, seemingly lost in some sorrowful daydream. The winged female figure in Albrecht Durer’s engraving is the personification of melancholy, a perfect example of art’s capacity to express not only personal feelings, but universal, abstract concepts as well.

Vanitas Vanitatum: vanity of vanities. The presence of skulls in Renaissance still-lifes serves as a reminder of the ephemeral nature of life, warning the powerful against the vainness of vanity. Symbolism is not exclusive to the fine arts, many metaphorical allusions to religious or philosophical concepts can be found in architectural works, particularly so in places of worship.

“Nothing is more the child of art than a garden” -Walter Scott

A walk through the gardens of the Buddhist Byōdō-in temple in Kyoto leads visitors to a narrow wooden bridge, which links the Phoenix Pavilion to an island of stones, symbolical home to the Eight Immortals . The bridge signifies the passage to paradise and the afterlife. Japanese gardens are the physical embodiment of serenity, with each element carefully chosen to portray one aspect of natural harmony, or of Buddhist philosophy: the presence of water and rocks, for instance, two opposite and complementary elements, a metaphor for the yin and yang.

This is yet another example of how architectural works can be as rich in symbolism as any other artform.

“Architecture is the mother art”, such were the words of American writer and architect Frank Lloyd.

Buildings, bridges and cities are shaped by the artistic mind, and in the same manner as a sonnet, a novel or a painting, beautiful edifices shape and inspire the creative mind. The Modern Times saw the rise of Haussmanian Paris, crown jewel of architectural artistry, and muse to many a fine painters and poets, among them Van Gogh, Baudelaire and Hemingway.

From the sight of a beautiful city can emerge the same transcendent feeling as that of losing oneself in a fascinating crime novel, or being swept away by a soulful jazz tune, a feeling only brought on by a powerful artwork.

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Science/technology

The Invisible Art of

Filmmaking YASMIN MAMDOUH

Art has the ability to spur an inescapable emotion inside us as human beings, and it is not one nor the same emotion that each of us experiences. Cinematography and editing within a film’s production are invisible elements that can affect the viewers on an emotional level directly. Even though these elements may seem to be supporting elements in a movie, they are the movie.

Before I took film courses, I had no idea what cinematography was. And even after a couple of classes, I thought it was essentially lighting. But it is actually everything that goes into the act of photographing or filming a movie, including lighting, camera framing, camera movements and much more.

The effect of this production generally goes unnoticed when viewers watch the finished product, but its contribution to the making of any movie, though elemental, is the most important for great films to be produced. It can make or break a film because the storyline, a character’s introduction and development, and how we relate to them are based on these concepts that are so rudimentary to the filming production. For example, shooting a character from a low angle shows that that person is one of power, which is obvious in many superhero movies with heroes and villains.

Also, lighting someone from a low angle can give them an evil look which can foreshadow them as someone who will turn on the hero of the story. It is a result of these camera angles that we, as viewers, often say, “I had a feeling he was a bad guy,” or “He’s obviously the hero of this story.” It is not simply a feeling; it is the art of cinematography unconsciously giving your brain hints and clues about each character. This opinion is not random; it is a calculated outcome that cinematographers, as well as directors, aim for. But its subtlety is what makes it an art.

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Cinematography can also provide effects that will not cartoonize the characters, but leave genuine impact on the audience.

These effects can alter how a person or object looks with a very real feel, as if there is no effect done at all. A very poignant example of that is in the movie The Devil’s Advocate, in which Al Pacino plays the devil.

In one of the last scenes, when the main character (played by Keanu Reeves) finds out Al Pacino is the devil, Al Pacino is superbly lit, making his eyes look haunting, as if he is looking straight into the audience’s souls and producing genuine evilness and fear. Without these cinematography skills, the scene would have looked ridiculous and silly, because to see a human pretending to be the devil is a bit childish. Adding to Al Pacino’s sublime acting, the cinematography made the scene an undeniable piece of art.

Another hidden art form in filmmaking is editing, and while many may think editing is simply cutting out “the boring bits,” it’s actually one of the key elements in plot formation. Editing is knowing exactly how much of the footage is to be in a shot, and where in the movie it will produce the desired effect. The beauty in editing is its undetectability in what is called continuity editing. Used in most films, it is why the shots, cuts and transitions are so smooth that they are not detected by audiences unless they are looking for them. Editing techniques can also be used to complement certain genres using what is called pace of cuts. For example, in action movies, especially in fight scenes, the pace of cutting between shots is very fast to incite urgency and anticipation in audience which is not the same for other genres. In horror movies, for example, a very common technique used is a somewhat long shot followed by an abrupt cut of a much shorter one, to achieve an anticipating and startling

effect that would be replaced by predictability if not for the art of editing. Editors also use shot placement for narration, for example putting a shot of a man then continuing with a shot of a boy causing the human brain to try to fill in the gap so the audience can start to make their own assumptions based on this particular cut of the scene. If the cinematography conveys a man as a good character, the audience can ponder that maybe he is another character’s father, or perhaps his uncle. If he is conveyed as an evil man, the audience can think he means him harm. Editors rely on the brain’s ability to fill in the gaps with conclusions that can be drawn from very simple information, and this editing power along with careful shot placement are what really makes up what we call a movie plot.

“My father held a gun to his head, and my father assured the bandleader that either his signature or his brains would be on the contract.” “There are many things my father taught me here in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” “Fredo, you’re my older brother, and I love you.

Shot placement can also be used for But don’t ever take sides effect withand anyone against theis Family a prime example of that the movieagain. Ever.” “Get him The Godfather (yes another Al Pacino movie. a drink. Don’t be afraid, Come make my sister a widow?

I amCarlo. a big fan).

In a on, scenethink whereI’d Michael Corleone is being baptized in a church, he had ordered the murder of a huge groupyou of people.

I’m godfather to your son.”

“Ah, that little farce played with my sister. You The effect of editing is evident with a cross cutting between “My both scenes to give a sense of think that would fool a Corleone?” father held a gun to his head, and my irony that is essential to the character and the movie as a whole. The precision of the editing father assured the bandleader that signature process makes theeither plot, thehis effects, and shapesor his brains would be the audience’s reaction to achieve the true on the contract.” “There artistic are many things quality of a film. my father taught me here in this room.

Elements and closer.” “Fredo, you’re He taught me: keep your friends close,suchbut asyourediting enemies cinematography may be underappreciated, they are undeniable cornerstones for sides film my older brother, and Ibut love you.

But don’t ever take with anyone against lovers, both those involved in the production those who appreciate its finished the Family again. Ever.”process “GetorThis him a drink.

Don’t be afraid, Carlo. Come on, product. is the invisible art of filmmaking that sparks our emotions without us even you think I’d make my sister a widow? I’m godfather to your son.” “Ah, that little realizing. farce you played with my sister. You think that would fool a Corleone?” 25

opinion

Getting lost in the world of fiction Samar Saadallah

You’re sitting by the window with a steaming cup of coffee on the table beside you, and your nose is buried in your new book.

Life continues around you, but you’re not paying attention because you’re too busy living in a different world, one that resides inside your book. In a scene like that, are you just reading or are you escaping? You’re up by yourself late at night and you’re completely exhausted, but you press the next episode button because you feel that you cannot go on without knowing what happens next.

You live on its rush. In that moment, are you just watching or are you escaping? How many days have we spent more engrossed in an imaginary world than in our own realities? The answer is most probably a lot. Because in the relatively brief time that we have been alive, we have vicariously lived through a hundred other fictional existences and not only as ourselves, even if it was merely for a few hours. We often accept these realities without pausing and putting them into retrospect. And why should we, you may ask; it’s just something that tends to happen to us. But the reality of the matter is, we don’t carelessly lose our ways and accidentally end up lost in a world of fiction. We go there knowingly and we go there on purpose. But why?

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“We live in a time when everything that is wrong with the world whether on the news or elsewhere is a click of a button away...”

One of the most underestimated, and potentially lethal drives that are often standing hidden behind our motivations wearing a cloak of invisibility, is boredom. The notion of escapism through fiction is no exception. Gradually, our lives often mold themselves into patterns without our awareness until the mundanity of it all drives us to that need for flight.

And what better place to run away to than somewhere where anything is

a blessing and a curse, because while it could be said that we are knowledgeable, we are also often depressed.This constant awareness of world issues, crimes, and war can be mentally and emotionally exhausting. So, we tend to want to go to a place where the world is “good” again even if we don’t get to go there physically. We escape to a place where there are happily ever afters and less pain, but unfortunately, a place like that is only available to us as a product of another person’s imagination.

Not all the reasons behind our escape to fiction are motivated by external forces, sometimes the source of this need is born within us. In books and movies the hero usually has a purpose, a clear cut destiny that they were always meant to achieve even if they are not aware of it from the start. In reality our identities are not formed so easily whether in terms of our careers or academics, or selves in general which leaves us feeling tremendously lost. As a result, a desire to feel like we are fated to do something extraordinary becomes embedded inside of us. We want to feel like we were meant for something that matters, so we live through someone else’s life that clearly does. And in the face of this singular fate, the extraordinary hero in fiction is usually special in one way or the other, whether they have for example powers, strength or charm. Even if their special quality wasn’t always obvious, it ends up becoming the heart and lifeline of the story. We, on the other hand, are faced with our ‘ordinary’ reality, with all of our ordinary characteristics that don’t allow for a similar sequence of events. And since we cannot ,by some twist of fate, possess the power to rule the winds and tides, we become that hero inside our minds.

P h o t o g r a p hy : Ya m s i n E l N a w a w y

possible? What better place than somewhere that doesn’t follow the basic, often quite boring rules of reality, where you can go anywhere, be anything, where you are free of limits, constraints and obligations. The world of fiction is often the escape that our minds unconsciously tells us to go to, and we don’t protest, because let’s be honest, why would we?

We live in a time when everything that is wrong with the world whether on the news or elsewhere is a click of a button away, and we carry all these problems around with us everywhere we go on our devices. We are the generations that grew up more in sync with the events going on everywhere on earth, more so than any of the ones that came before us because of the internet. This awareness is both as they say

Perhaps one of the least mentioned yet equally as important reasons in my opinion prompting our escape to fiction is the central plot to any story: the obstacle. In fiction, the obstacle or the enemy is often something tangible, a malicious villain planning to kill innocent people; a monster that is out to destroy the world. The hero encounters and battles all these struggles until finally, a quarter of an hour before the credits start to roll, or a few pages before the book ends, the hero conquers and wins. The rain stops pouring, the sun starts shining, and all peace and harmony is restored. In reality however, things are quite different. The obstacle is not so clear, often our own fears, our own anxieties and our own self doubt are the antagonists that we must try to defeat, but that is much more complicated than raising a sword and triumphing.

We resort to fiction because we feel that it is everything reality seems to lack, but that is not entirely true. If we can find something that fills us with so much passion, life’s tedious routine can become something we look forward to everyday.

If we manage to be of help to someone, we will feel like our existence in this world matters and our sense of insignificance can diminish. We can’t go to places that are fictional, but there are places in the world that can make one speechless. If you feel like you’re trapped in your life, you can always do all that you can to change it. We are not powerless in this matter, in fact we have all the power in the world. Why should we always settle for ordinary, why not force a bit of magic into our lives?

And hey, if for some reason we can’t do that, there’s always fiction.

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A opinion

EVER WONDERED JUST WHAT THE

DEFINITION OF ART IS?

The definition varies from one person to another. Some consider anything abstract art - anything they don’t really understand - others think that it’s anything that pleases the eye. Some claim it’s whatever can affect emotions, while others think it’s anything with a deep meaning behind it. Additionally, some believe it’s anything that has a message. Thus, in reality, everyone has different personal views on what art is, and there is no real, universal definition for it. Even in the dictionary, you’ll find many, different definitions of the word and, maybe, that is for the best as art is not meant to be defined. Art is not meant to be restricted and perhaps defining it would do just that.

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A

Necessity vs. Luxury

With no single definition available, it becomes obvious why there are many forms of art as visual, auditory, and performing arts. Paintings, videos, poems, fashion, and graffiti, everything you can think of, is considered art to someone. So, with that in mind, would you say art, in all its abstractness, is a necessity or a luxury? Let’s try to break this down a bit. Starting with art in education, we’ve all had art class in school before, and it was the favorite class for some and just another mandatory, get it out of the way, type of class for others. But, I think we can all agree that art class was a break from the strains and pressures of regular school work.

There’s also the fact that some people do not excel within the more scientific aspects of education, instead, they excel within the arts and, for those individuals, art integration in education is not a luxury, it’s of vital importance to their future success.

Just like art class provided a break for most of us from the stresses of school work, it’s the same in our daily life. It’s a common occurrence that when someone feels upset or stressed, they go listen to music to feel better. For those who excel in the arts, they use art to express their emotions and let their creativity breathe.

When emotions intertwine together, something is needed to express them and that’s when art interferes. So, our second breakdown is; art in life. With all that’s been said so far, what’s your opinion?

Our third, and final, breakdown is art in times of resistance or, in other words, creative resistance. Art is an

ART BY

Merna Ahmed expressive form of nonviolent resistance. It has the ability to deliver a point, have it touch people’s hearts and get them to truly appreciate the artist’s point and not just hear it and move on. Question, with art being one of the vital forms of nonviolent resistance, can it be considered just another luxury?

Art, as everything in our lives, leaves an impact; but what kind of impact? If we look at it positively, art is an emotional let out for many, it provides work opportunities for those who aren’t meant for traditional jobs and it is needed by those who do not excel at - or just don’t like - traditional academia as it has them realize their potential, and it is a vital form of resistance.

That was art’s positive impact, what about the negatives?

For one, as art has no real definition; people can call anything art, which is great a lot of the time, but could that lead to an abuse of the word?

Most wouldn’t want to say art can be taken too far as that would mean we’d need to restrict it, and that’s unfavorable with most, but there comes a point where someone does something that is, maybe, the opposite of art, and calls it art.

A good example here is Jack the Ripper; for those who don’t know, he was a serial killer that preyed on women in London in the 1880s.

Jack would never leave their bodies alone though, he would mutilate them horrendously and, to some, that is considered art, but is it? On the same wavelength, but slightly lesser in consequence, is graffiti. It is considered art by quite a number of people - me included - but many say it constitutes a destruction of property. It is also, in most cases,

done without a permit and thus it breaks the law. I don’t know whether to call the previous examples negative impacts of art or just abusing art - or maybe neither? But I thought I should mention them all the same.

Back to the main question, is art a necessity or a luxury?

The opinions on that topic vary from person to person and from time to time. In the past, art was considered a luxury by most, it wasn’t as accepted as it is now to major - for example - in arts. If you were to say your job was an artist…That wouldn’t turn out too well. On the other hand, now, it is relatively more accepted - in some places more so than others.

If you say your job is a YouTuber, a photographer, or a painter, people will now have a far higher regard for you than in the past. Though, your great grandma might still wonder when you’re getting a real job; don’t you want to be a doctor, kiddo?

Personally, I think art is both a necessity and a luxury. Hear me out; art is necessary for our lives. As mentioned before, some people rely solely on it to survive some bad times and others simply have it as their job, but for most it’s just a luxury. They enjoy looking at paintings in their free time, or they enjoy listening to music every once in a while - or every single day - but it isn’t a necessity to them. Just as there is no concrete definition for art, there can’t be one say about whether it’s a necessity or a luxury.

Then again, what is life without luxury and is it worth living? If the answer is no, then wouldn’t that make every luxury a necessity?

29

opinion

I Read Fanfi

6 Mariam

Fanfiction has recently erupted on the literary scene due to its rapid promotion through the Internet, causing several literary discourses on whether fanfiction can be considered literature o r not. It’s a phenomenon that cannot be ignored anymore; a form of writing that can no longer be sidelined nor left to fester in the dark corners of the Internet. People are slowly becoming more aware of the creative products everyday, normal people - like you and I produce, and how those innovative writings allow for an easy way of artistic expression.

Fanfiction is a whole new world of possibilities that tugs on the strings of our hearts; we all want our own ending and sometimes we don’t want any endings at all. But let us first ask ourselves, what is fanfiction - or fanfic? In basic terms, it’s written stories, created by fans, through borrowing certain elements (characters, locations, and plotlines) from a previously established setting. The fanfic writers offer a new scenario to the already known setting of a story by either creating an alternative plotline to change the sequence of events - save a favorite character from death, reverse a world domination attempt, or let the princess save herself for once - or add new characters to live through the original setting.

Secondly, the dictionary meaning of literature indicates that it consists of written works which have superior and lasting merit. Such definition can link fanfiction to literature. Who exactly can say what’s superior and what’s not? What can be considered superior? The answer here is anyone and anything; in the end, it’s only different opinions that set us apart. Nonetheless, there comes a time when a literary piece gains acclaim and people believe it is worthy of an award/prize, such as the Pulitzer prize for instance. The misconception here is that only “original” works of art are eligible to win international awards, but there are several fanfiction novels that have earned awards such as A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, a modernized alternative universe of Shakespeare’s King Lear. And March by Geraldine Brooks, a parallel adaptation of the famous American novel Little Women.

Literature can also be further identified by its lasting merits, by measuring how long works have stayed around and how much buzz was created in the society around them. Two examples include, James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake; an infamous novel well known for how no one understands the plot nor the characters. Some people are even unable to read it due to its strange, linguistic structure. The novel has confounded literary critics yet somehow it’s popularity transformed it into an important piece of literature in our modern times. My Immortal, the popular Harry Potter fanfiction is another bizarre piece of work with a freakish setting of Harry Potter characters whom are gothic,

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ction, Sue Me.

69 El Ashmawi

vampire wizards. This particular fanfiction, although badly written and almost mad, has created a sensation in the fanfic community, making it one of the most virally read fanfictions of Harry Potter.

Another argument that affirms fanfiction synonymity with literature is how most Western literature is adapted from something else. The Illiad, for instance, is a fanfiction of Greek mythology adapted into a poetic epic through the imagination and wording of Homer, the poet. The same pattern is later seen with the Aeneid, an unauthorized sequel of the Illiad, written by Virgil—a major fan of Homer’s epic poetry. Moreover, every single Shakespearian play lacks original plotlines, and instead is based on pre-existing historical accounts, dramatized into plays by the wordsmith himself. No one really believes that the prince of Denmark, Hamlet, spent half an hour talking about offing himself; that was Shakespeare’s own take on the what “could’ve been”. Last but not least, the master of the entirety of older fanfics; Arthurian Legends. The Middle Ages’ literary scene was one big fanbase for writing stories on Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table; no one was waiting around for a new original character to appear, they were so keen to know what new adventure Arthur and Lancelot were going to embark on, or whether Queen Guinevere can sneak out with Lancelot without her husband, Arthur, noticing. Three hundred years ago, a good writer was one who was capable of tinkering with real, as well as fictional, stories creatively for their dramatization into a new narrative.

However, during that time, unless you were of a certain social standing, influence, or popularity, it was of great difficulty to circulate works of writings or receive praise. However, nowadays there is a direct connection between the Internet and fanfiction, through which the Internet presents an easy method to circulate material that is instantly shared with others around the world. With fanfiction, if you have a computer and a bright imagination, you are able to create worlds or build upon them for others in a community, or “fandom” as it’s called, where what you write means something to them. Fanfiction writers and readers are not silent consumers of literature but instead let themselves shape and be shaped by it.

Fanfiction is literature; a medium for expression with a lasting artistic imprint on authors who are willing to create and innovate their writing narrative for those in the fandom who wish to consume such imaginative works. Whether fanfiction can be as superior as “original” literature is as close to asking if one book is superior to the other; it all falls down to opinion. We cannot simply base a logical case on the inferiority of fanfiction on nothing but opinion. So in the meantime, until a logically reasonable argument can be pitted against fanfiction, can we begin to acknowledge it in the literary sphere; without falling prey to prejudice?

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opinion

Is Advertising A Form of Art? ®

Amr Helmy

Advertising is a worldwide phenomenon that has been around for centuries, as early as ancient Egypt where the Egyptians had wall posters and sales offerings on papyrus. Yet, it has only become prevailing and conventional in our time. it’s present in our everyday lives even if we may not be always aware of it, but did you ever consider it to be art?

The debate whether advertising is a form of art or not is a recent and very relevant one to our reality in a dominantly capitalist world. One of the main arguments against advertising being an art, is the fact that it is actually made with the main aim of promoting business products and services to generate more profit. It’s made by and for materialistic purposes, and uses persuasive methods and techniques to convince and win over customers.

Similarly, another point of argument is how modern-day advertising firms appropriate psychological and social techniques to manipulate the public.

Hence, it’s engineered to serve a purpose and isn’t an expression of emotion. In addition, art is regarded as a form of expression that focuses on aesthetics, detached from materialism and technical matters. Therefore, it’s sensible why some may not consider advertisements artistic or a form of expression.

On the other side, advertising may be an artistic way of persuasion

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that can actually be expressive and definitely aesthetic. To make the distinction between what is art and what is not, it’s important to know what art is. Art is the expression or application of creativity or imagination to produce works appreciated for their aesthetic or emotional power. To what extent is this present in advertising? The purpose behind the advertisement is to inform the viewers about the product and persuade them to buy it. Even though communicating the advertising message could be as simple as displaying the product and information about it, advertising has become more complex with the advancement of society.

By time, it became evident that for an advertisement to persuade its viewers effectively to desire their product, advertisers needed to try and primarily target the viewers’ emotions since appealing to emotions is the one most powerful way to persuade a person. What better way to target emotions than art? Advertisers today tend to focus on aesthetics, creativity and the visual appeal in their advertisements. it’s common to see colorful and creative attractive designs in different kinds of advertisements like local posters

T

®

did not create art for the sheer purpose of creating admirable works of art, but they also made many works in order to draw attention to certain subjects like science and religion. Artists were commissioned by churches to create arts pieces in churches, or to design mosque interiors in beautiful artistic ways, all to make their places of worship pleasing to the eye and attractive.

Equally, countless artists drew to reanimate or encourage science such as Raphael’s School of Athens painting for the Vatican which celebrated historical scientists, and paintings made by Vermeer such as The Astronomer and The Geographer that promoted scientists.

P h o t o g r a p hy : Ya s m i n E l N a w a w y

in your town or university campus for an upcoming event or TV ads for major brands like the famous Coca Cola and Pepsi advertisements.

In fact, businesses often hire artists and directors who design the advertisements for the message they are trying to convey. In their creations, they work on aesthetic and emotional appeal in order to capture the viewer’s interest and persuade him. In picture ads, the designer creating the ad often tries to use creativity and skills to entice the consumers. With this in mind, it’s noteworthy that famous artists throughout history like Michelangelo used bright colors and skilled creative drawing techniques in their paintings to make it more appealing to the eye, and not solely express their feelings. As a matter of fact, they

®

In video or animated ads, the creators try to build on certain feelings such as joy, sadness, and surprise. They do so by using comedy, tragedy, drama and so on in their creations to express and transfer those feelings to the viewer that may relate to the situations portrayed through an artistic method. Such is the way in the filmmaking industry: theater and filmmaking are considered art for their application of creativity and imagination expressively to create works that are appreciated for their aesthetic or emotional affect. In a similar manner do directors and animators create works, with the only difference being the purpose behind that work which may be seen by many as an immoral use of art, even though successful movie productions entail large amounts of revenues.

Although art is subjective, the definition of art is not. In the same spirit, whether one may think that the aim of commercial art is immoral, another may believe that it does not manipulate us into wanting what we did not already innately want in the first place. Not to mention, one may even believe that advertisements are essential for the survival of free, open access channels and platforms for sharing many different works of art in different fields and promote it.

In a strict sense, art forms are limited to arts that use simple and absolute media namely painting, singing, acting, and so on. In an abstract sense however, any activity could be considered art because one can apply creativity to almost any activity in an artistic manner, including marketing techniques.

In a word, advertising may or may not be considered a form of art depending on whom you’re asking. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that it employs art to a great extent. The only difference between it and conventional art is the purpose behind it, which through the years differed between works of art from sheer expression to culture, religion, and art. So what if the new major motivator for art is money? If one wishes to look upon the matter objectively, advertising is definitely as artistic and creative a practice as many others.

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NLP

THE

I

E

Music By the River, For the River

ROJECT BY

Bahira Amin PHOTOS

Habi Girgis & Sally ElFishawy On October 20th, the Nile Project played at Darb 1718 in Cairo. The following day, as the sounds of 20 drums floated through the window from their percussion workshop, AUC Times sat down with Mina Girgis, the project’s founder, as well as Kasiva Mutua and Asia Madani, two of the group’s musicians.

Mina Girgis is an Egyptian ethnomusicologist who co-founded the group in 2011. He is now the group’s producer and CEO. The group now includes artists from 11 Nile countries, blending musical traditions and creating conversations at a time when impending water conflicts loom over the horizon.

Kasiva Mutua is a percussionist, drummer, and vocalist from Nairobi, Kenya. Though she has never studied percussion, she has been playing since the age of 5, and smiles as she calls it her “God-given talent”.

Asia Madani is a Sudanese percussionist and vocalist with the Nile Project. She sings Sudanese folklore and writes her own music and lyrics.

The Nile Project is an initiative that brings together the musical traditions of many different Nile countries and cultures and produces completely new music. What is that creative process?

Mina: Every year, we have residencies where we invite a cohort of 12-18 musicians to collaborate on making music. We’ve developed our own collaborative-creative process where everyone’s a leader and everyone’s a follower.

You have an Egyptian teaching the group about makam or the musical scales of the Arab world, a Ugandan

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teaching polyrhythms, an Ethiopian pentatonic scales, and the result is everyone learning from everyone else, and feeling humbled by how much they still need to learn.

Kasiva: I realized that my knowledge was like a drop in the ocean, so I have to shut up and listen to people. You teach them what you know, but most of the time you’re listening.

How does it work? I’m from Kenya, you’re from Egypt.

We meet up in El Gouna. You teach me malfouf, how to hold def, and I realize that your doum is not the same as my doum on my drum, so I try to figure it out. I try to fit something of mine into your stuff, and then you start singing and I play a rhythm and they come together. It sounds strange, but it’s really beautiful. It works. That’s collaboration.

In bringing together these different musical traditions, have you noticed any commonalities?

Asia: I think everyone in touch with the Nile has a unique connection to music. The movement of the waters has a tune and a rhythm of its own that I think the cultures of the Nile are very much influenced by.

For example, there’s the six-eight beats that are played in every country. Everyone plays it a little differently, but it’s the same rhythm. There’s something in the lives of these cultures that bring their musical traditions together. From Lake Victoria until it reaches Aswan, the Nile carries the rhythms of Kenya and Nubia and everywhere it passes through.

Mina: The lyres that you saw yesterday, the Egyptian

reviews tanbura and the Eritrean krar and the Ugandan ntongoli, are all basically the same instrument that’s travelled up and down the river.

These are lyres and harps that you don’t find anywhere outside the Nile Basin, but you find them in all the Nile countries.

Kasiva: I know I am connected to you, but I don’t know how. Every year, you find out little things here and there. On an Ancient Egyptian tomb there’s a drawing of a lyre that Michael Bazibu, one of our Ugandan musicians, plays. Last year we discovered there’s a music in the coastal region of Kenya that almost sounds the same as mawal here.

I’m still trying to find exactly what connects us. It keeps me going.

But they’re still different styles and traditions?

Mina: There’s a lot of diversity in the musical styles. There are traditions that have travelled, like the zar. We did a zar piece yesterday that was made up of Egyptian, Sudanese, and Eritrean zar. Zar started in Ethiopia and travelled down the river all the way to Egypt, changing at every spot. Part of what makes the Nile Project so unique is it’s an opportunity to bring together these instruments and styles that have travelled up or down the Nile for thousands of years, but have never been put together in one ensemble.

In “Allah Ba2y”, there’s a playful banter that happens between the Egyptian and Sudanese vocalists on the pronunciation of Ba2y or Bagy.

How do you reconcile differences like this on a musical level? Do you need to reconcile them at all?

Asia: I can sing in the Sudanese dialect, and you’re singing in the Egyptian dialect, but we’re in tune in the melody. As long as there’s the same melody between us, that difference doesn’t matter. It’s the same melody, just different dialects.

And that’s fine, that’s the point.

Kasiva: Even from the most basic things: it’s beautiful to hear me say (in broken Arabic) “Eih el akhbar?”

See, you’re smiling. “Mabsoteen?”

And you just giggled. It’s interesting to hear me say words in Arabic, to see me pick up a tabla and smack it in my Kenyan style. There’s beauty in that.

There’s a duality between the world that you create in workshops and on stage, that kind of communication and exchange between the Nile basin countries, and what’s happening on the ground. Countries aren’t communicating, the water crisis looms over all of us, how can your projects change that?

Kasiva: When I was teaching the rhythms, I talked about how you really have to listen.

If you don’t listen to that one rhythm, it clashes with the other, and it doesn’t work. It’s the same concept. We all end up playing our own beats and it’s not a rhythm. The same kind of people I go back to Kenya and tell to stop trashing Lake Victoria, are trashing the river here.

If Kenyans play a part, and Egyptians play a part, but Ethiopians don’t, we all fail. At the end, we all need to play a part to make this work, same as the music works.

Mina: We’re coming from a context where Ethiopia and other upstream countries are complaining about Egypt and Sudan having monopolized the Nile conversation and treaties, and that’s excluded and sidelined them from deciding on their water rights in the river. So if we want to propose an alternative method of organizing ourselves, we have to find it in music.

The creative process we’ve come up with represents that. What you see on stage is a musical roulette, where everyone is doing something and the music is shifting based on who takes leadership in that moment.

That conversation and cycle of learning brings this beginner’s mind to everyone in the room, and it allows these collaborations to be a lot more meaningful and honest, because it’s coming from a place of respect and trust that the other person knows something that you don’t. All of this - the entire process - is a metaphor for the way we believe creative solutions to the Nile problems will come.

The Nile Project is not merely a band. To learn more about their programs for amateur musicians, university fellowships, and professional networks, go to nileproject.org

35

economics

The Commercialization of Art

Farah Abdul Gawad

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In a world where capitalism relentlessly encroaches upon our livelihoods – and in Karl Marx’ words, “chases [us] all over the globe” – we seek means by which we can escape or transcend this bleak reality. The pursuit of such an escape often leads to discussions about art: one of the few remaining aspects of human life that have the potential to elude the soiled grasp of capitalism. As this notion gains traction, the nineteenth century phrase “art for art’s sake” begins to crop up once more in our modern day conversations, signifying an alternative to the utilityseeking tenets of capitalism. The phrase posits that art is an endeavor from which one cannot, and should not, derive any utility. Art is self-contained; it is its own purpose. However, focusing on art’s intrinsic benefits to the exclusion of its instrumental ones comes at the expense of the artist. In their pursuit of an entity that transcends capitalism, modern supporters of “art for art’s sake” inadvertently banish the artist from society. He is no longer allowed to partake in their commercial activities as selling his art would taint it. The artist then becomes, for all intents and purposes, an economic and social outcast.

These exclusionary measures arise in the face of the commercialization of art, or its integration into the capitalist economy. The contention on the subject essentially boils down to two questions: does assigning a monetary value to an artwork detract from its quintessential value? And does commissioning a work of art detract from its authenticity, since the artist was not driven to produce it through his own inspiration? To answer these questions in the affirmative is to claim that the works of artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn are somehow lacking. Both artists were regularly commissioned to create artwork by private individuals – and in Da Vinci’s case, by the church – and, evidently, this practice did not affect the quality of their work. Exceptional though they may be, these men demonstrate that artists can exercise autonomy in the creation of their work.

In order to refute the claims of the art “purists”, one must follow their arguments to their logical conclusion.

Firstly, to say that artists should not get paid for their work is to deprive them of their livelihoods. If an artist cannot support himself through his work, he will be forced to abandon his craft for other activities that will earn him a living.

Otherwise, he must have the funds to support himself while he creates his art, which would make the craft exclusive to the rich. Second, the fear of treating works of art like other commodities may stem from the reluctance to envision artists as assembly-line workers churning out identical products tailored for massappeal. This fear is particularly pertinent in the modern context due to the pressures of capitalism to provide identical products for all who demand it and due to the availability of technology that allows for the mass-reproduction of art. Yet, calling for an end to the mass-reproduction of art could be interpreted as saying that art is meant to be enjoyed by a select few only.

This line of reason is elitist at best and begs the question: are those who are worthy of admiring, or of acquiring art, only the rich who can afford it?

a wealthy individual sponsors an artist.

This situation allows for the existence of a middleman between the artist and the outside world, thereby shielding him from its influences. The origins of this practice date back to the classical era and records of it are found in all parts of the globe. However, the power dynamics that exist between the artist and his patron may often be toxic in nature. Historically, patrons have often exerted pressures on artists to produce work that reflected their political and social ideologies. This makes patronage a system that replaces the influences of capitalism with those of politics, and so it must be abandoned.

Thus we have circled back to capitalism. Now that we have established that charging money for art is essential for the sustenance of artists and is a means of allowing its circulation in the market, we must investigate how the price of an art piece is determined. It is important to note that this discussion deals with contemporary art and not art that holds a historical value and cannot be reproduced, like original portraits by famous painters that are desired specifically for their creator’s fame. And so, should we allow art to be governed by the laws of demand and supply? If that becomes the case, what will happen if the market predominantly demands a certain brand of art to the exclusion of all others? Will that result in the demise of art that is not “mainstream” or that is not easily accessible to the masses? What must be understood is that the artist does not exist in a vacuum. He lives in a society that values a certain code of morals and operates under a certain economic system. Hence, the artist may choose either to resist it – and live with the implications of that decision – or to assimilate both himself and his work into it. He must choose between living a comfortable life and producing work that has mass-appeal – and if he is lucky, reflects his own thoughts and inspirations – or live in destitution and produce “art for art’s sake”. It is a decision that is unique to every artist and members of society must afford them the freedom to make the decision on their own.

An alternative measure that seems to offer a solution to this doublebind is the system of patronage, wherein

37

A

philosophy

The question of aesthetics:

What

? t r

makes art

Attention, all you fosterers of art! This addresses all you readers of fiction, audiences of plays, gazers of paintings, spectators of film, and listeners of music. Have you ever stopped to think about what defines or characterises your art as Art in the first place? This definitive element is aesthetic quality. What is aesthetics? Derived from the Greek aisthanomai, meaning “I perceive, feel, sense�, aesthetics is the branch in philosophy that deals with the nature of art, its taste, its effects and its emotionally intellectual worth.

MARTA MIKHAIL

38

It has often been said that, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Nonetheless, we have universal standards of the critique of art and aesthetics where we talk collectively and critically of beauty. If what you perceive is different than what I perceive, are any of our generalised claims about it reliable, or even valid? Emotion is, universally, any relatively brief conscious experience characterised by intense mental activity and a high degree of pleasure or displeasure.

Aesthetics, in part, deals with the emotional reaction to art; art must invoke emotion. We can, more or less, safely say that because of the artist’s expression emotion is an unavoidable, universal reaction to art. In his Poetics, Aristotle phrases it as, “wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions.”

However, the range of different emotions that is experienced by audiences are based on the perception of each individual.

Different individuals’ reciprocity of that same piece is usually dependent on the individual’s personal experience, and counts as the subjectivity of art reception.

?

Taking us back to the beginnings of the history of aesthetic criticism, we look at the claims made by the Greek legendary figures of philosophy: Plato and Aristotle. Both of them talk about imitative art, mimesis.

Theatre as an art form in general is considered the most mimetic form of art, where the actor wholly adopts the character and becomes them, even if temporarily. An art movement that may also epitomise mimesis is realism. Plato and Aristotle, despite their differences, saw in mimesis the representation of nature.

However, Plato

considered it a lowly perceptual form of imitation because to him, the nature of things is their conceptual essence, their form, their idea. A physical chair imitates the idea of the chair and the poem of the chair imitates the physical chair. So, it has been distorted twice and is far away from the truth. Aristotle however, disagrees and says that art provides us with insight that we would not have seen otherwise. It acts as the magnifying glass. We attend a tragic play and there is an internal catharsis of emotion, leading to an insightful revelation.

This leads to understanding and identification with aspects of the character as parts of ourselves.

In aesthetics, there is the prominent theory of the sublime. Sublimity is the quality of greatness that is beyond calculation or measurement. It is something worthy of the utmost awe. John Dennis upon seeing the Alps, puts it as not beauty, “delight that is consistent with reason,” but sublimity, a feeling, “mingled with Horrours, and sometimes almost with despair.”

Sublimity is distinct from beauty in the sense that it generates a grandeur of negative emotion.

This mainly includes horror, terror, and pain. Even the great Immanuel Kant agrees and says it is to be attributed to a formless object or subject in contrast to beauty that is to be attributed only to that which is definitive or finitely confined. Romanticism was especially preoccupied with sublimity. Examples include the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge, painters Delacroix and Gericault, and composers Chopin and Verdi. When you encounter their art or most of the arts of the romantic movement, you will undoubtedly experience a transcendence, not in terms of the subject matter of their art, but in its ability to generate aweful emotions.

When discussing art, the issue of taste is almost always brought up onto the surface.

Aesthetic taste is problematic in the sense that concepts such as class taste will begin the attempt to find sociological answers to the problem of taste and aesthetics.

As Bourdieu and Simmel argue for an aristocratic upper hand to legitimise artistic taste, Kant believes in pure aesthetics.

Bourdieu and Simmel may seem to differ in their notion of aristocratic; Bourdieu believes in legitimacy in the ruling class and Simmel in the upper. The two are not indistinct as it is observable that those with money are usually also those with power. Immanuel Kant saw that social distinction using art is merely an aesthetic phenomenon of upper class pleasure – fashion. In a Kantian sense, this was the function of fashion and he excluded fashion from pure aesthetics because of its contents’ arbitrary nature.

Kant argues that even though he believes pure aesthetics exists, he denies any claim of standard of a good taste, which would end up being the taste of the majority or any social group. For Kant, beauty is not a property of any object, but an aesthetic judgement based on an emotional reaction and cannot be reduced to hasty democratic judgements.

These are but brief displays of what philosophy of aesthetics discusses. However inconclusive these discussions may be, they are still integral questions that must be posed when talking about the nature of art and its appreciation. This makes for better understanding and awareness of our own self-expression and creative communication.

39

Osman Andrew Young

D

Doaa Morsy

R. OSMAN ANDREW YOUNG IS AN ARTIST WHO SEES LIFE IN A UNIQUE WAY. HE SEES FRAMES, COLOURS AND BEAUTY IN THE MUNDANE. AMONG HIS TALENTS IS PAINTING, CALLIGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHY. HE TEACHES RHET 1010 AT THE RHETORIC & COMPOSITION DEPARTMENT AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO AND HE ALSO TEACHES A COURSE ON DRAWING CALLED “THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN”.

How would you define art?

What makes art such a compelling force in your life?

It depends on who you are talking to but for myself I would define art as anything that is playful, fresh and creative. I am emphasizing the fun here because that’s when you can be relaxed and experiment, while if you are too tied up then you can’t really be creative.

Painting is a way of “filling your well” as Julia Cameron calls it in her book, the artist’s way which is a guide on how to reconnect with your artist’s child.

Anything playful can “fill your well”. If you look at scientists working in a laboratory, I like to think of them as playing. They would say we are experimenting and doing serious work, but when scientist are being creative, they are just like artists, they mix techniques instead of colors and they try different new things to try and see what would happen. To me, that’s play.

A lot of the time when I am painting, I am doing a calligraphy painting. I take a traditional calligraphy which has a strong form and I find out the meaning of the calligraphy. If I like its meaning and I like its design or layout visually, I paint it. Then I have to do a background, sometimes in the past I’ve spent hours or days making a background which is in itself an abstract painting. Once I did a very red background and added a little texture so it had a patina of gold over it. I had great fun doing this red canvas and it stayed on my studio wall for at least 3 or 4 years. I enjoyed it as a red painting, if it was in an art gallery someone might say “Oh very clever, anyone could do that” but it was enormously satisfying painting it; mixing the different reds, getting it even and adding the gold wash. I really enjoyed this simple red canvas.

Art could be justified and explained in many different ways but in simple terms it’s the enjoyment while painting. It’s very therapeutic doing the painting.

If someone is skeptical about abstract art, they should get themselves a big canvas - a meter by 70 at leastand just fill it with colors that feel pleasing to them.

40

If I don’t do some form of art, if I am not keeping my eye tuned in and my hands moving, I become very cranky, dry and my well is emptied. I have a few fill ins, one is taking photographs. My photographs might not be perfect but at least I am looking.

Years ago, I used to agonize a bit whether I was an artist and a friend of mine told me “writers write, painters paint” so if you are painting, you are painting.

If you are enjoying the painting then that is all that matters, not whether you are exhibiting or selling your paintings.

Do you think artistic talent is something that we are born with or could it be taught?

Well, I can draw instinctively. It started when I was looking for a 3rd A level to choose and my mother said “You can draw, can’t you” I told her to hang on, took a pencil and I just drew a very realistic painting of

auc community our cat. I then got an A in my A level.

It came naturally to me, I don’t do it often or appreciate it that much. But from teaching my class “Drawing on the right side of the brain“ I know that anybody can learn to draw by shutting down the voices of their tyrannical left brain. The left side of your brain will tell you that you don’t have time, this isn’t serious or that it is not perfect. By following Betty Edward’s drawing on the right side of the brain process, there are exercises that help shut down these voices as your left brain gives up and stops interfering.

Left brain is logic and language and it’s the focus of modern world.

Modern education is heavily biased towards the left brain. The right brain, by definition, is nonverbal and would lose in an argument. The problem is as Eckhart Tolle explained it that when we first see something, there’s a little gap of perception by the right brain then the left brain quickly comes in and starts labeling and judging. It’s that gap between the perception and the labeling that we practice stretching so you can feel a sense of inner peace.

How has art affected the way you teach?

When I teach Rhet 1010, I make sure I have an analysis of a painting or a movie, to have something visual to suit those who are more oriented toward using the right side of the brain. I include things they can see, rather than just abstract ideas.

My degree was in art history so we studied paintings, sculptures, architecture and the progression of styles as well as artists. All these were visual reflections of what’s going on in society, they were concrete crystallization of what’s going on in the mindset at the time.

How does art affect your everyday life?

I am a visual type of person so I use post-it a lot. I have studied homeopathy and while I have the same material in books and in a computer program, I really prefer the books. I like handling the books, moving back and forward, having my fingers in different pages, that’s different from scrolling down on a “The back streets of Bulak computer screen.

is full of visual delights How does art affect the way you see Egypt? and treasures...”

If you draw and you are not used to it, you start to access the right side of your brain. It’s a process that can’t be rushed and It may be difficult at first but then when it happens, you draw and you lose the sense of time and even forget your irritations and drives that would normally affect you in everyday life.

We get stuck in our routines, so we only see a tiny slice of Egypt and that’s a problem. If you go from your house to the bus and go back and forth to AUC, it feels like a bubble. I feel much grounded if I walk through somewhere “balady” behind Al Azhar, Al Hussain or Imbaba.

The back streets of Bulak are full of visual delights and treasures, I want to take a hundred million pictures. Bulak actually means beautiful lake and it used to be a dock for ships coming up the Nile There are still dozens of chandlers and shops that sell all the mechanical gears for ships like ropes, chains and anchors. There are piles of metallic gears and cogs, in different sizes and shapes that are visually fascinating.

Normally, you don’t see these things as life have become digitized. To keep my eye in, two years ago I used to scan the streets for what I call small metal objects. I have kilos of nuts and bolts, some are brand new and shiny while others are rusty and brown. If you take close ups of these rusty cogs, then you have all sorts of wonderful abstractions.

Other people might think these small metal objects are rubbish or junk, but I like to play with them and assemble little sculpture gardens.

41

Sally El Fishawy

Aly Moose

Ya s m i n E l N a w a w y

Ya s m i n E l N a w a w y

Sally El Fishawy

Sally El Fishawy

Laila Sherif

Lamees Abdelaziz

Lamees Abdelaziz

Ya s m i n E l N a w a w y

‫أهميــة تجعــل الرجــل اســتثنائيا أكثــر مــن كونــه شــاعرا جيــدا‬ ‫أو مغنيــا أو ملحنــا ذا جمهــور واســع‪ .‬غيــر أنــه فــي رأيــي‬ ‫أي تأييــد لمنحــه جائــزة نوبــل ال يجــب أن يكــون مبنيــا فقــط‬ ‫علــى األهميــة االســتثنائية للرجــل واال جعلنــا المجــال مفتوحــا‬ ‫أمــام كل مبــدع اســتثنائي للحصــول علــى الجائــزة دون النظــر‬ ‫ان كان مــا يقدمــه أدبــا أم ال‪ .‬إن الجــدل حــول منــح ديــان‬ ‫نوبــل لــأدب هــو جــدل حــول األدب وماهيــة األدب باألســاس‬ ‫وليســت القضيــة قضيــة تقديــر الرجــل مــن الناحيــة األدبيــة‬ ‫فقــط‪.‬‬

‫ليــس ل”نوبل” أن تملي علينــا مفاهيمها لألدب‬ ‫ ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫قائــا أن اللجنــة تشــجع التطــور لمفهــوم‬ ‫قــد يحتــج البعــض‬ ‫األدب و اتســاعه ألنمــاط معاصــرة‪ ،‬وهنــاك بالفعــل عــدد مــن‬ ‫األكاديمييــن الذيــن تناولــوا كلمــات ديــان فــي أبحاثهــم‪،‬‬ ‫ولكــن‪ ،‬هــل األغلبيــة مــن النــاس تنظــر لألغانــي كتطــور‬ ‫طبيعــي لــأدب؟ األغانــي ال تُعتبــر أدبًــا بالنســبة لمعظمنــا‪،‬‬ ‫وضــم األغنيــة للخانــة األدبيــة هــو اختيــار لجنــة مــن‬ ‫األكاديمييــن ال يعكــس أي مفهــوم عــام شــعبي‪ ،‬وقــد أبــدى‬ ‫الكثيــرون اعتراضهــم وعــدم فهمهــم للقــرار وظهــرت اآلالف‬ ‫مــن تغريــدات االنترنــت والمقــاالت مــن نــوع “أٌحــب بــوب‬ ‫البعــض يعتبــر أن أغانــي ديــان ال تعتبــر أدبــا اســتنادا‬ ‫ديــان لكــن هــذا قــرار ســخيف”‪ .‬قــرارات نوبــل يجــب أن تٌــدار ‬ ‫حســب مفاهيــم النــاس العظمــى بـ ً‬ ‫ـدل مــن أن تُديــر وتملــي علــى أن القصائــد الغنائيــة تنتمــي لفصيلــة أخــرى مــن اإلبــداع‬ ‫تعتمــد فــي تكوينهــا علــى الموســيقى و مــا يصاحبهــا مــن‬ ‫علينــا تصنيفاتهــا لمــا يجــب أن ينضــم لــأدب‬ ‫لحــن وايقــاع‪ .‬و البحــث عــن إجابــة لســؤال هــل تعتبــر أغانــي‬ ‫ديــان أدبــا أم ال يقودنــا إلــى تعريــف األدب‪ .‬فــإن كانــت‬ ‫ليس ال‪ pop‬بــاألدب‪ ،‬بل هو أفضل منه‬ ‫يبــدو قــرار اللجنــة كمحاولــة غيــر مفهومــة لوضــع ثقافــة الموســوعة البريطانيــة مثــا تعتبــر أن األدب هــو التعبيــر‬ ‫“البــوب”‪ ،‬أو الثقافــة الشــعبية‪ ،‬تحــت مفهــوم األدب‪ ،‬وهنــاك الجيــد عــن األفــكار الجيــدة عــن طريــق الكتابــة وال يبتعــد‬ ‫مــن يــرى أن الثقافــة الشــعبية هــي أهــم وأعظــم مــن أي تعريــف األدب عنــد غالبيتنــا عــن ذلــك كثيــرا فــإن ذلــك يجعلنــا‬ ‫مفهــوم كالســيكي لــأدب الرفيــع‪ ،‬فالثقافــة الشــعبية هــي نتســاءل متعجبيــن كيــف يمكننــا أال نعتبــر القصائــد الغنائيــة‬ ‫المهيمنــة الواقعيــة المســيطرة التــي ال تحتــاج ألكاديميــة الجيــدة أدبــا؟ وهــل لــو اقتصــرت أعمــال ديــان علــى النشــر‬ ‫فــي الســويد أن تمنحهــا تقديــرا‪ .‬عظمــة الــرأي الشــعبي وليــس الغنــاء العتبــرت أكثــر قربــا لــأدب؟ وال نحتــاج كثيــرا‬ ‫هــي األســاس‪ ،‬وليــس مــن المفهــوم أن نحــاول أن نُقــر مــا ألن نبحــث لنعــرف أن تعريــف األدب عنــد نوبــل لــم يختلــف‬ ‫كثيــرا عــن التعريــف المذكــور أعلــى علــى مــدار تاريخهــا‪.‬‬ ‫اُج ُتمــع عليــه مــن األســاس‪.‬‬ ‫فالجائــزة لــم تكــن يومــا مقصــورة علــى أصحــاب األشــكال‬ ‫التقليديــة لــأدب مــن شــعر وروايــة وغيرهمــا وإنمــا ُمنحــت‬ ‫هــل “التقليــد الغنائي األميركي” هو مــا يحتاجه العالم؟‬ ‫عنــد التصريــح باســم الفائــز‪ ،‬علقــت اللجنــة بــأن ديــان أيضــا لمفكريــن أمثــال جــان بــول ســارتر و هنــري برجســون‬ ‫كوفــئ “ألنــه ابتكــر تعابيــر شــعرية جديــدة داخــل التقليــد و غيرهــم‪ .‬وانطالقــا مــن هــذا نجــد أن الجائــزة هــذا العــام‬ ‫الغنائــي األميركــي العظيــم”‪ ،‬لكــن مــاذا عــن المناطــق ليســت انحرافــا ال عــن مفهــوم األدب عنــد الغالبيــة وال عــن‬ ‫األخــرى مــن العالــم ذات التقاليــد العظيمــة؟ مــاذا عــن مفهومــه عنــد الجائــزة علــى مــدار تاريخهــا‪.‬‬ ‫الصراعــات والحــروب التــي يخوضهــا أدبــاء كثيــرون وكثيــرات‬ ‫البعــض يذهــب إلــى القــول أن أهميــة الجائــزة ال‬ ‫لإلنســانية فــي جميــع أنحــاء العالــم؟ كثيــرا مــا ذهبــت جائــزة ‬ ‫نوبــل للكتــاب الذيــن عوقبــوا بســبب دفاعهــم عــن حقــوق تقتصــر علــى األهميــة الماديــة أو المعنويــة فــي تقديــر‬ ‫المدنيــة‪ ،‬فهــل مــا تحتاجــه أمريــكا فــي العــام ‪ 2016‬هــي كاتبهــا بــل تمتــد أهميتهــا إلــى كونهــا تلفــت انتبــاه المالييــن‬ ‫جائــزة نوبــل أخــرى؟ وهــل يحتــاج العالــم أن يقــر بعظمــة حــول العالــم إلــى كتّــاب عظمــاء يســتحقون االهتمــام ولــم‬ ‫رجــل أبيــض غربــي آخــر بعــد أعــوام وأعــوام مــن عــدم يحصلــوا عليــه لســبب أو آلخــر وفــي ذلــك التقديــر الحقيقــي‬ ‫لألديــب‪ .‬أصحــاب هــذا الــرأي يــرون الكثيريــن أجــدر بهــذا‬ ‫االعتــراف بغيــر هــذه الخانــة مــن البشــر؟‬ ‫التقديــر مــن ديــان الــذي هــو مــلء الســمع والبصــر علــى أيــة‬ ‫حــال‪ .‬والحــق أن هــذا النــوع مــن التقديــر غيــر ُمنكــر فنوبــل‬ ‫ال نحتاج فوز ديــان بجائزة نوبل‬ ‫ســلطت الجائــزة األضــواء علــى الكثيريــن فعرفناهــم وبدأنــا جعلــت مــن أديــب كنجيــب محفــوظ أكثــر حظــا فــي نشــر‬ ‫التعمــق فــي أعمالهــم‪ ،‬فكانــت فرصــة لهــم للظهــور أمــام أعمالــه علــى نطــاق أوســع فــي العالــم كلــه وحوّلــت شــاعرا‬ ‫العالــم وفرصــة لنــا كقــراء للتعــرف علــى أعمالهــم‪ ،‬لكــن كطاغــور مــن شــاعر يكتــب لعــدة مالييــن يجيــدون اللغــة‬ ‫أضاعــت الجائــزة هــذا العــام فرصــة لالحتفــاء بكاتــب عظيــم البنغاليــة إلــى شــاعر لإلنســانية جمعــاء‪ .‬لكــن تلــك الحجــة‬ ‫آخــر فــي عالــم يحتفــي بنجــوم الــروك كثي ـرًا بالكتّــاب قليـ ً‬ ‫ـا‪ .‬تعيدنــا إلــى معاييــر اختيــار منــح جائــزة نوبــل‪ .‬فالجائــزة تعــرف‬ ‫نفســها كجائــزة تمنــح للمتفوقيــن فــي العلــوم المختلفــة‪.‬‬ ‫ال شــك فــي أن بــوب ديــان موســيقي عبقــري‪ ،‬وان كان للجائــزة أثــر محمــود فــي تعريــف العالــم بكثيــر مــن‬ ‫ ‬ ‫تشــهد لــه ســنوات و ســنوات مــن األغانــي المبتكــرة عظمــاء األدب فــي العالــم مــا كانــوا ليحصلــوا عليــه مــن‬ ‫والمعانــي اإلنســانية واســعة األفــق والكلمــات بالغــة التأثيــر دونهــا فــإن هــذا ال يجعــل مــن هــذا التقديــر معيــارا لالختيــار‬ ‫فــي جماهيــر متعــددة‪ ،‬لكــن بإمكاننــا الجــزم بــأن الجائــزة لــن وال يجعــل أحــوج األدبــاء لــذاك التقديــر أجدرهــم بهــا وإنمــا‬ ‫تشــفع لرصيــده فــي التاريــخ بقــدر مــا ستشــفع لــه عقــود مــن يبقــى التفــوق هــو المعيــار األهــم حتــى وان لــم هــذا هــو‬ ‫الموســيقى بالغــة االنتشــار‪ ،‬لذلــك ســيظل العالــم يحتفــظ الحــال فــي بعــض األوقــات وكانــت هنــاك اعتبــارات أخــرى‪.‬‬ ‫بســيرة ديــان كمــا يحتفــظ بســيرة أدبــاء نوبــل‪ ،‬كل فــي بــل علــى العكــس يمكننــا القــول أن الجائــزة زادت مــن شــعبية‬ ‫مجالــه وإنتاجــه الفنــي‪ ،‬وإن ســرنا بمنطــق “تطــور األدب” نوبــل و جعلتهــا أقــرب للنــاس واألغانــي التــي يســمعونها‬ ‫فــا يجــب لهــذا التطــور أن يُفـرَض علينــا‪ ،‬فإننــي ســوف أتقبــل وبذلــك أضافــت لهــا جمهــورا جديــدا يرفــع مــن أهميتهــا‬ ‫قــرار األكاديميــة عندمــا تجمــع أغلبيــة الثقافــة الشــعبية علــى المعنويــة فــي المســتقبل كتعريــف بالمتفوقيــن فــي األدب‬ ‫نظرتهــا لألغنيــة كأدب‪ ،‬وقــد ال أســتريح ل”نوبــل” بــوب ديــان و عرفــان بمــا قدمــوه‪.‬‬ ‫إال عندمــا يُمنــح نجيــب محفــوظ جائــزة ال‪.Grammy‬‬ ‫إن رفــض البعــض منــح نوبــل لديــان بنــاء علــى نــوع‬ ‫ ‬ ‫علــى الرغــم مــن أهميــة أعمــال بــوب ديــان التــي األدب الــذي يقدمــه بــدال مــن النظــر إلــى جودتــه يجعلنــا‬ ‫ ‬ ‫ال يختلــف عليهــا كثيــرون ‪-‬بمــن فيهــم مــن عارضــوا خطــوة نتســاءل ان كان تقديرنــا لــآداب يتعلــق فــي كثيــر مــن األحيــان‬ ‫منحــه جائــزة نوبــل‪ -‬مــن ناحيــة القيمــة الجماليــة والخياليــة بأحــكام مســبقة بعيــدة عــن جودتهــا‪ .‬هــل نقلــل مــن تقديــر‬ ‫ومــن ناحيــة القيمــة االجتماعيــة التــي جعلــت أعمالــه معبــرة بعــض اآلداب لكونهــا ذائعــة االنتشــار بيــن العامــة و غيــر‬ ‫عــن الكثيــر مــن الفئــات المضطهــدة مثــل األمريكييــن األفارقــة مقصــورة علــى “النخبــة” مــن صنــاع األدب و قرّائــه؟ وهــل‬ ‫حتــى اســ ُتخدمت حركــة الحقــوق المدنيــة فــي الســتينات نقلــل مــن أهميــة بعــض الفنــون فقــط الختالفهــا عمــا اعتدنــا‬ ‫واسـ ُتخدمت أعمــال أخــرى فــي أحــداث ذات أهميــة تاريخيــة عليــه مــن مفهــوم لــأدب؟‬ ‫مثــل الحركــة المناهضــة لحــرب فيتنــام فــي الســتينيات‪.‬‬

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‫ادب‬

‫نوبل بوب ديالن‬ ‫بين االحتفاء والرفض‬ ‫ندا نبيل ومراد دبور‬

‫فــي األعــوام الماضيــة‪ ،‬وقــع اختيــار لجنــة جائــزة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫“نوبــل” فــي األدب علــى أســماء مثــل الروائيــة الكنديــة‬ ‫آليــس منــرو والكاتــب الفرنســي باتريــك موديانــو والصحفيــة‬ ‫البيالروســية ســفيتالنا أليكســييفيتش‪ .‬فمنهــم مــن قــام بثــورة‬ ‫مــآس‬ ‫فــي بنــاء القصــة القصيــرة‪ ،‬ومنهــم مــن مــن ترجــم‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫مثــل الحــرب العالميــة الثانيــة إلــى روايــات مؤثــرة‪ ،‬ومنهــم‬ ‫مــن كان شــاهد عيــان علــى كــوارث ال تُمحــى مــن الذاكــرة‬ ‫اإلنســانية مثــل “تشــيرنوبل”‪.‬‬ ‫وبالرغــم مــن دوام الجــدل حــول اختيــارات الجائــزة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫بشــكل لــم يســتثن األســماء الســابقة‪ ،‬إال أنــه هــذا العــام تخلــل‬ ‫إلــى جــذور شــبكة الــرأي العــام واالنترنــت لتنقســم إلــى‬ ‫مؤيديــن ومعارضيــن لقــرار منــح الجائــزة للمغنــي والمؤلــف‬ ‫الموســيقي بــوب ديــان‪ .‬هــل يســتحق األمريكــي أن يُتــوج‬ ‫بأهــم جائــزة فــي تاريــخ الجوائــز األدبيــة مفضــا علــى جميــع‬ ‫مــن حاربــوا إليصــال كلماتهــم للعالــم وكتبــوا أعمــال جليلــة‬ ‫وهامــة؟ هــل نعتبــر فــوزه مكســبا جديــدا لفــن غيــر طبقــي‬ ‫ذي تأثيــر واســع‪ ،‬أم أنــه قــرار غيــر مفهــوم يخلــط فئــة فنيــة‬ ‫بأخــرى ليصيبنــا ويصيــب ديــان نفســه باالرتبــاك فــا يســتجيب‬ ‫للجنــة حتــى بعــد إســبوعين مــن القــرار؟‬

‫‪١٦‬‬

‫الرفض‪:‬‬ ‫ال تعــد أغانيه أدبًا‬ ‫فــي زمــن تندثــر فيــه القــراءة بالمعنــى الكالســيكي للقــراءة‪-‬‬ ‫ال نتحــدث عــن منشــورات اإلنســتاجرام أو قصــص الفيســبوك‪-‬‬ ‫هنــاك العديــد مــن الكُتــاب الذيــن مــا زالــوا يتمتعــون برغبــة‬ ‫وإنتاجيــة فــي كتابــة الروايــات والدواويــن والنصــوص‪ ،‬نوبــل‬ ‫جائــزة تُقــدم لمــن يســتحق اإلشــادة بإنجازاتــه الفريــدة فــي‬ ‫األدب كمــا عرفنــاه‪ :‬القصائــد‪ ،‬الدرامــا‪ ،‬المالحــم‪ ،‬القصــص‬ ‫القصيــرة‪ ،‬إلــخ‪..‬‬ ‫ال يجــب لكلمات األغاني أن تُقتطع من ســياقها‬ ‫إن للموســيقى نــوع مختلــف تما ًمــا فــي التواصــل عــن األدب‪.‬‬ ‫باإلضافــة إلــى الكلمــات‪ ،‬تتكــون األغنيــة مــن لحــن وأداء‬ ‫وإيقــاع وتناغــم‪ ،‬ال يتجــزأ أحدهــم عــن اآلخــر فــي فهمنــا‬ ‫واســتجابتنا لهــا‪ ،‬ال يمكننــا تقييــم الكلمــات المغنــاة دون أن‬ ‫نســتمع إلــى عناصرهــا األخــرى بالغــة األهميــة‪ .‬لدينــا علــى‬ ‫ســبيل المثــال أغنيــة ديــان “‪ ”Hurricane‬أو “إعصــار” التــي‬ ‫كتبهــا عــن المصــارع روبــن كارتــر الملقــب ب”هوريكايــن”‬ ‫مــا بالقتــل‪ ،‬تصبــح الموســيقى الصاخبــة‬ ‫الــذي أُديــن ظل ً‬ ‫الســريعة لألغنيــة مــرآة لقصتهــا وإيقــاع كلماتهــا لتبقــى‬ ‫عنصــرًا أساســيًا مــن الصــورة الفنيــة‪.‬‬

‫شــعرها‪ ،‬وترتــدي عدســات ملونــة‪ ،‬وتفــرد شــعرها بالمكــواة كل‬ ‫يــوم‪ .‬إنهــا تقمــع جمالهــا فــي محاولــة منهــا إلرضــاء صــورة‬ ‫الكمــال الشــكلي‪ ،‬وتعجــز أن تقــف أمــام المــرآة لتــرى بعينيــن‬ ‫لــم يعميهمــا المجتمــع جمالهــا‪ .‬المجتمــع يجعلهــا تعجــز‬ ‫عــن رؤيــة الــدفء واالحتــواء الــذي يكمــن فــي حضــن الجســد‬ ‫الممتلــئ‪ ،‬ولــون البشــرة الســمراء‪ ،‬والحيــاة التــي تنبــض فــي‬ ‫الشــعر الخشــن الحــر‪ .‬المجتمــع يجعلنــا نعجــز أن نــرى أو نشــعر‬ ‫إال بمــا يريدنــا أن ننظــر إليــه‪ ،‬ونشــعر بــه‪ .‬المجتمــع يحرمنــا حــق‬ ‫رؤيــة الجمــال‪ ،‬وتذوقــه‪ ،‬وعشــقه إال إذا كان يتصــف مــع معاييــره‬ ‫للكمــال‪.‬‬

‫«الكمــال األخالقــي» هــو أن يتحلــى الفــرد بمواصفــات‬ ‫ ‬ ‫الســلوك التــي يفضلهــا ويفرضهــا المجتمــع الــذي ينتمــي‪/‬‬ ‫تنتمــي إليــه‪ .‬علــى ســبيل المثــال‪ ،‬الرجــل الــذي ينتمــي‬ ‫لمجتمــع مســلم محافــظ‪ ،‬ســيكون كامــاً أخالقيًــا إذا أدى‬ ‫الفــروض والســنن اإلســامية‪ ،‬وابتعــد عــن كل مــا يحرمــه‬ ‫اإلســام‪ ،‬وســيكون قيــام أي فــرد بســلوكيات تناقــض النظــام‬ ‫األخالقــي اإلســامي بمثابــة نقصــان‪ ،‬وبعــد عــن صــورة الكمــال‬ ‫األخالقــي‪ .‬هــذه الصــورة للكمــال األخالقــي ليســت حك ـرًا علــى‬ ‫المجتمعــات ذات الخلفيــة األخالقيــة الدينيــة‪ ،‬بــل هــي ســمة‬ ‫أي مجتمــع‪ .‬المجتمــع اليابانــي مثــاُ مجتمــع بعيــد تمامًــا‬ ‫عــن التديــن‪ ،‬لكــن لديــه نظــام أخالقــي مرتبــط بقيــم الشــرف‪،‬‬ ‫هــذا يظهــر بجــاء أكثــر فــي مفهــوم «الكمــال‬ ‫والــوالء‪ ،‬ومــن يطابــق هــذه القيــم ســيصير كامــاً أخالقيًــا أمــا ‬ ‫األخالقــي»؛ فالمجتمــع – أي مجتمــع – يضــع معاييــر ثابتــة‬ ‫مــن يخالفهــا فســيكون فــي منطقــة النقصــان‪.‬‬ ‫لمــا هــو أخالقــي‪ ،‬ويجعــل األفــراد عاجزيــن عــن رؤيــة ســواها‪،‬‬ ‫األزمــة الحقيقــة فــي فكــرة «الكمــال» ووهمهــا‪ ،‬أنهــا أو التفكيــر فــي احتمــال وجــود خيــارات أخالقيــة أخــرى‪ .‬علــى‬ ‫ ‬ ‫تكمــن خلــف كثيــر مــن القمــع‪ ،‬والظلــم‪ ،‬واالضطهــاد‪ ،‬والكراهيــة‪ ،‬ســبيل المثــال‪ ،‬النظــام األخالقــي الغربــي التقليــدي يــري أن‬ ‫والخــداع‪ ،‬والقبــح اإلنســاني‪ .‬بــل إنهــا كذلــك تعــوق اإلنســان مــن التعــدد خيانــة للعالقــة الزوجيــة المقدســة‪ .‬الفــرد الــذي تربــى‬ ‫رؤيــة الجمــال‪ ،‬والخيــر فــي كثيــر مــن صــوره التــي لــم يتربــى أن فــي مجتمــع غربــي لــن يفكــر قــط أنــه قــد يكــون هنــاك أفــراد‬ ‫ينظــر إليهــا‪ .‬هــذه الصــور تحبســنا داخلهــا بحيــث ال نســتطيع أن آخريــن فــي عالقــات زوجيــة متعــددة لكــن بهــا حــب‪ ،‬وعطــاء‪،‬‬ ‫نــري ســواها‪ ،‬بــل وتعمينــا عــن مجــرد النظــر قبــال غيرهــا‪ .‬علــى ووفــاء بمفهــوم مختلــف عــن المفهــوم الكاثوليكــي للوفــاء‪.‬‬ ‫ســبيل المثــال‪ ،‬صــور الكمــال االجتماعــي تمنــع كثي ـرًا مــن البشــر واألســوأ أن مفهــوم «الكمــال األخالقــي» يجعــل األف ـراد يكرهــون‬ ‫مــن رؤيــة فــرص نجــاح‪ ،‬وتحقيــق للــذات تناســبهم لــم يضعهــا أنفســهم‪ ،‬ويرفضونهــا؛ ألنهــم مهمــا حاولــوا أن يصلــوا ألن يكونــوا‬ ‫مــا مــع المنظومــة األخالقيــة للمجتمــع سيفشــلون‪.‬‬ ‫المجتمــع ضمــن اللوحــة‪ .‬إذا كان هنــاك رجــل مثـاً يريــد أن يصيــر متفقيــن تما ً‬ ‫معلمًــا ألطفــال‪ ،‬ويبتكــر طــرق تدريــس جديــدة فــي مدرســة يلجــأ األفــراد تحــت وطــأة قمــع منظومــة «الكمــال األخالقــي»‬ ‫ابتدائيــة بــدالً مــن العمــل فــي شــركة متعــددة الجنســيات‪ ،‬لتصرفــات مشــابهة لتصــرف الســمراء الســمينة؛ إنهــم يلجــؤون‬ ‫واقتنــاء ســيارة‪ ،‬وشــقة‪ ،‬فإنــه لــن يحقــق حلمــه؛ ألنــه يعلــم أن لرســم صــورة كاذبــة خارجيــة لهــم أمــام المجتمــع؛ منظومــة‬ ‫حلمــه لــن يجعلــه يتفــادي نظــرات النقصــان التــي توجــه إليــه «الكمــال األخالقــي» تكمــن خلــف «النفــاق االجتماعــي»‪.‬‬ ‫مــن المجتمــع‪ .‬بــل األســوأ أن المجتمــع ســيمنعنا مــن التفكيــر هــل يعنــي ذلــك أن األفـراد ال يجــب أن يحاولــوا أن يرتقــوا أخالقيًــا؟‬ ‫– مجــرد التفكيــر‪ -‬أن التعليــم فــي مدرســة ابتدائيــة قــد يكــون ال‪ ،‬مــا أعنيــه أن األفــراد يجــب أن يتمتعــوا بحريــة النظــر خــارج‬ ‫عمــاُ مســاويًا لرئاســة أكبــر شــركة متعــددة الجنســيات فــي ســجن المنظومــة األخالقيــة للمجتمــع؛ بحيــث يســتطيعون‬ ‫العالــم؛ ألننــا تربينــا أن نــري صــورة واحــدة للكمــال االجتماعــي‪ .‬رؤيــة الخيــر والشــر فــي أمــور أخــرى غيــر التــي يفرضهــا‬ ‫مثــال ا ّخــر هــو كــون المجتمــع يفــرض لفكــرة النجــاح فــي المجتمــع‪ .‬واألهــم أال يقيــم األفــراد بعنــف‪ ،‬وتحقيــر‪ ،‬وإذالل‪،‬‬ ‫العالقــات أن يتمكــن الفــرد مــن إيجــاد عالقــة عاطفيــة ناجحــة‪ ،‬ويجبــرون علــى النفــاق ألجــل أن يصلــوا لصــورة أحاديــة للجمــال‬ ‫وال يســمح المجتمــع للفــرد الــذي يناســبه أكثــر أن تكــون عالقاتــه األخالقــي يفرضهــا المجتمــع‪.‬‬ ‫كلهــا صداقــات قويــة أن يشــعر بالنجــاح فــي عالقاتــه االجتماعيــة‬ ‫األزمــة الحقيقيــة فــي كل منظومــات الكمــال أنهــا‬ ‫أو يرضــى بنفســه أو حتــى يفكــر أنــه قــد يكــون مناســبا ً لــه أن ‬ ‫يبقــى علــى عالقــات صداقــة دون حــب عاطفــي؛ ألنــه بــدون تمنــع رؤيــة جمــال األف ـراد بنقصانهــم‪ ،‬وحياتهــم؛ فــكل مــا هــو‬ ‫حــي ناقــص‪ .‬هنــاك جمــال حقيقــي فيمــا هــو حــي‪ ،‬وناقــص‪،‬‬ ‫عالقــة عاطفيــة ســيبقى ناقصًــا فــي نظــر المجتمــع‪.‬‬ ‫هنــاك جمــال حقيقــي فــي جــروح الجســد‪ ،‬فــي األلــم‪ ،‬فــي‬ ‫القمــع‪ ،‬والكراهيــة‪ ،‬والعمــي الــذي يســببهم مفهــوم الخطــأ‪ ،‬بــل والخطيئــة اإلنســانية‪ ،‬هنــاك جمــال فــي الحيــاة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫«الكمــال» ال ينعكســان علــى االّخريــن فقــط‪ ،‬بــل ينعكســان االجتماعيــة المختلفــة بــكل مــا يمكــن أن يحــدث فيهــا مــن‬ ‫ـواء علــى المســتوى العملــي أو الشــخصي‪ .‬هنــاك‬ ‫كذلــك علــى الــذات‪ .‬المــرأة الســمراء الســمينة ذات الشــعر غلطــات سـ ً‬ ‫األســود الخشــن القصيــر التــي ولــدت فــي مجتمــع يقــدس جمــال فيمــا هــو حــي‪ .‬منظومــة الكمــال تعمينــا عــن رؤيــة‬ ‫صــورة المــرأة الشــقراء الرشــيقة ذات الشــعر الناعــم الطويــل هــذا الجمــال‪ ،‬تجعــل كل واحــد‪/‬ة منــا ضريرا ً‪/‬ضريــر ًة ال يري‪/‬تــري‬ ‫قــد تكــره نفســها‪ ،‬وتكــره جســدها‪ ،‬وتقمــع نفســها بمحاولــة الجمــال فــي نفســه‪/‬ا الناقصــة قبــل أنفــس اآلخريــن‪.‬‬ ‫مــواراة جســدها فــي مالبــس تجعلهــا تبــدو أنحــف‪ ،‬وقــد تصبــغ‬

‫إنهـه حي؛ إنه مجيل‬ ‫ذق‪/‬ذوقــي طعم النقصان؛ إنـ‬

‫ـت ناقص‪/‬ة أنت حي‪/‬ة‬ ‫أنـأنت‬

‫أنت مجيل‪/‬ة‪.‬‬

‫‪١٥‬‬

‫مجال‬ ‫اللوحة‬ ‫الناقصة‬

‫مجتمع‪/‬ثقافة‬

‫يسرا محودة‬

‫تصوير‪ :‬جورجينيا باســييل‬

‫رُبينــا علــى صــورة مزيفــة مشــوهة مثاليــة عــن الجمــال‪ .‬رُبينــا علــى أســاطير‬ ‫قبيحــة كاذبــة عنــه‪ ،‬والخيــر‪ ،‬ومــا يجــب أن نكــون‪ .‬رُبينــا علــى القمــع‪ ،‬والقهــر‬ ‫باســم أكذوبــة “الكمــال”‪ ،‬وتَحولنــا علــي يــد األكذوبــة لقامعيــن‪ ،‬ومجرميــن‬ ‫مخدوعيــن يحســبون أنهــم يبلغــون الجمــال بينمــا يغوصــون فــي القبــح‪،‬‬ ‫يظنــون أنهــم يســعون ِقبَـ َ‬ ‫ـل الخيــر بينمــا يغرقــون فــي زرع الشــر‪ .‬رُبينــا علــى‬ ‫أن الجمــال واحــد‪ ،‬رُبينــا علــى أن الجمــال الكمــال‪ ،‬ودُفعنــا نحــو كراهيــة كل‬ ‫مــا هــو ناقــص‪ ،‬وكل مــا هــو حــي‪ ،‬وحقيقــي؛ ألجــل عبــادة صــور مزيفــة‬ ‫للجمــال المثالــي‪ ،‬والخيــر‪ .‬رُبينــا علــى القمــع‪ ،‬والكراهيــة‪ ،‬والجــرح‪ ،‬والشــر‬ ‫باســم تقييــم واختيــار الجمــال‪ ،‬والخيــر‪.‬‬ ‫الطريقــة التــي تربينــا بهــا فــي المدرســة‪ ،‬البيــت‪،‬‬ ‫ ‬ ‫المؤسســات الدينيــة‪ ،‬الجامعــات‪ ،‬النــوادي الفنيــة‪ ،‬اإلعــام بــكل‬ ‫أشــكاله‪ ،‬وبغــض النظــر عــن مصــدره‪ ،‬وجنســيته جعلتنــا نــري‬ ‫شــيئًا واحــدا َ فقــط‪ ،‬وهــو أن الجمــال‪ ،‬والخيــر فــي الكمــال‬ ‫الشــكلي‪ ،‬والكمــال األخالقــي‪ ،‬والكمــال االجتماعــي‪ .‬ال يفــرق‬ ‫كثيــرا ً مــا هــي الصــورة التــي تعتبــر كمــاالً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫«الكمــال الشــكلي» هــو أن يكــون الفــرد متحليًــا‬ ‫ســواء فــي الشــكل ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أو األخــاق أو فــي المكانــة االجتماعيــة‪ ،‬فأيــا كانــت الصــورة‪ ،‬بمواصفــات الشــكل الجســماني‪ ،‬والمظهــر الخارجــي المالئــم‬ ‫فالفكــرة التــي تكمــن خلفهــا واحــدة «الكمــال»‪ .‬سأشــرح لصــورة الجمــال الشــكلي الــذي يحددهــا المجتمــع‪ .‬علــى‬ ‫مــا أعنيــه أكثــر بأمثلــة لكــن أوالً سأشــرح مــا هــو «الكمــال ســبيل المثــال‪ ،‬إذا كانــت صــورة المــرأة الكاملــة شــكالً فــي‬ ‫االجتماعــي»‪ .‬الكمــال االجتماعــي هــو أن تكــون حيــاة الفــرد‪ ،‬المجتمــع الســوداني هــي المــرأة الســمينة‪ ،‬ذات تضاريــس‬ ‫ومــا يصل‪/‬تصــل إليــه متطابقــا ً مــع صــورة اجتماعيــة محــددة الجســد الممتلئــة‪ ،‬فالمــرأة التــي تتحلــي بهــذا الجســد هــي‬ ‫للحيــاة االجتماعيــة‪ ،‬والنجــاح‪ .‬علــى ســبيل المثــال‪ ،‬إذا كانــت المــرأة التــي تتصــف بالكمــال الشــكلي أمــا المــرأة النحيفــة‬ ‫الصــورة االجتماعيــة للمــرأة الناجحــة فــي الطبقــة فــوق جــدًا‪ ،‬فهــي تعتبــر بعيــدة كل البعــد عــن الكمــال الشــكلي‪،‬‬ ‫المتوســطة المصريــة هــي الم ـرأة التــي تكــون أســرة مســتمرة‪ ،‬و»ناقصــة»‪.‬‬ ‫وال تُطلــق‪ ،‬وتســتطيع أن تربــي أبناءهــا فــي أفضــل مدرســة‪،‬‬ ‫وتتفــوق فــي عملهــا‪ ،‬فــإن الم ـرأة التــي تحقــق كل ذلــك هــي‬ ‫المــرأة «الكاملــة» التــي تصــل للكمــال االجتماعــي‪ .‬أمــا مــن‬ ‫تعجــز عــن تحقيــق ذلــك أو تفشــل فــي جــزء منــه‪ ،‬فإنهــا تعتبــر‬ ‫«ناقصــة»‪ ،‬ودون الصــورة االجتماعيــة المرغوبــة‪.‬‬

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‫فنانيــن مثــل مونيــت وديجــاس ورينــوار الذيــن أرادوا الخــروج عــن‬ ‫هيمنــة األكاديميــة علــى التعليــم والمعــارض‪ ،‬والذيــن نعتبرهــم‬ ‫اليــوم عمالقــة الفــن الجميــل‪.‬‬ ‫كل تغيــر فــي الظــروف االقتصاديــة والسياســية يظهــر‬ ‫ ‬ ‫نمطــا ً فنيــا ً جديــدا ً يتقــدم بالفــن والمجتمــع معــا‪ .‬فمــع تجربــة‬ ‫الحــرب التــي تســببت فــي أزمــة نفســية اجتماعيــة ازدهــر الفــن‬ ‫التجريــدي‪ ،‬ومــع اضمحــال االســتعمار فــي العالــم الثالــث‬ ‫بــدأ انتشــار أدب أبنــاء البــاد‪ ،‬ومــع اختــراع الجراموفــون والراديــو‬ ‫والكاســيت تغيــرت الموســيقى لألبــد‪ ،‬ومــع تعمــق الرأســمالية‬ ‫فــي الحيــاة الشــخصية واالجتماعيــة والعالميــة ظهــرت أســاليب‬ ‫فنيــة تســتخدم وتحاكــي الواقــع الحديــث‪ ،‬ومــع كل تغيــر جديــد‬ ‫يبعــد الفــن أكثــر فأكثــر عــن هيمنــة النخبــة‪ .‬ومــن هنــا تولــد‬ ‫الفنــون المعاصــرة واختراعــات فنيــة تبــدو بســيطة بــل بلهــاء‬ ‫ألنهــا ال تنطبــق مــع انطباعنــا (أو باألحــق االنطباعــات الطبقيــة)‬ ‫عــن مــا هــو الفــن‪.‬‬ ‫وقــد تكــررت هــذه الظاهــرة مــرارا ً وتكــرارا ً وكانــت صفــة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫أساســية فــي عمليــة تطــور الفــن (األدب‪ ،‬والموســيقى‪ ،‬والفــن‬ ‫المرئــي) فتطــورت مــن احتــكار النخبــة االقتصاديــة والســلطوية‬ ‫إلــى شــعبوية الفــن وإتاحتهــا للنــاس أجمعيــن‪ .‬تتمركــز هــذه‬ ‫الظاهــرة – ككل التطــورات التاريخيــة – حــول المــال والتمويــل فــا‬ ‫يصــح نســيان أو تجاهــل حقيقــة الفــن كمشــروع تجــاري وأن مــا‬ ‫ينتــج هــو مــا لديــه فرصــة النشــر والبيــع‪ .‬وال يتنــاول هــذا المقــال‬ ‫الفــن والموســيقى الفولكلوريــة فهــي تُنتــج مهمــا كانــت أهــواء‬ ‫المجتمــع‪ ،‬بــل يناقــش األســباب التــي مــن خاللهــا تصبــح أســاليب‬ ‫فــن مغمــورة مثــل الفولكلــور فن ـا ً راقي ـا ً يمثــل المجتمــع بأكملــه‪.‬‬ ‫هــذه العمليــة ليســت مقتصــرة علــى فــن الموســيقى‬ ‫ ‬ ‫فــي المجتمــع المصــري‪ ،‬فنحــن نســتطيع أن نــرى خطــوات‬ ‫التطــور فــي الفــن المرئــي فــي العالــم األوروبــي والغربــي‬ ‫عبــر العصــور‪ .‬ولقــرون طويلــة كان كل مــا ينتــج تحــت مظلــة‬ ‫كلمــة “الفــن” – مــن لوحــات وكتــب وســيمفونيات وتماثيــل –‬ ‫تحــت احتــكار الطبقــة األرســتقراطية‪ :‬هــم مــن م ّولهــا‪ ،‬مــن‬ ‫ســاند صانعهــا‪ ،‬ومــن أنتجهــا‪.‬‬ ‫ومــن أهــم الحقــب الفنيــة التاريخيــة حقبــة النهضــة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫اإليطاليــة التــي شــارك فيهــا فنانــون مثــل ليونــاردو دافنشــي‬ ‫ومايــكل أنجلــو وقــد ازدهــرت فقــط بســبب رعايــة عائــات ضخمــة‬ ‫وغنيــة مثــل آل مديتشــي للفنانين‪.‬هــذه العائــات الضخمــة كثي ـرا ً‬ ‫مــا كانــت متورطــة فــي مشــاريع يشــك فــي نزاهتهــا‪ ،‬وكانــت‬ ‫رعايتهــم للفنانيــن وســيلة ل”تحليــل” ثرواتهــم فكانــت العائــات‬ ‫تــأوي وتعــول الفنانيــن وتقيــم لهــم المراســم والــورش‪ .‬وفــي‬ ‫المقابــل كان أربــاب العائــات يكلفــون الفنــان بتمثيــل مشــهد‬ ‫معيــن ويحــددون عــدد األشــخاص المشــاركين وأســلوب رســم‬ ‫اللوحــة وكثيــرا ً مــا كانــوا يطلبــون تصويــرا ألنفســهم فــي‬ ‫اللوحــة‪ .‬كانــت العالقــة – كمــا يصفهــا المــؤرخ برنــارد برنرســون –‬ ‫تشــبه العالقــة بيــن زبــون وإســكافي أو نحــات‪.‬‬ ‫وقــد أعلــى هــذا مــن شــأن الفنــان وتحولــت العالقــة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫بينــه وبيــن الممــول ولكنهــا دامــت بشــكل أو آخــر حتــى‬ ‫تغيــرت األحــوال االقتصاديــة والظــروف الماديــة لــدى المجتمــع‪،‬‬ ‫وقــد جــاءت فــي شــكل الثــورة الصناعيــة وســيطرة النظــام‬ ‫الرأســمالي‪ .‬ضمــن تغيــرات المجتمــع جــاء ظهــور الطبقــة‬ ‫الوســطى علــى الســاحة الفنيــة وبالتالــي خلقــت هــذه الطبقــة‬ ‫ســوقا ً جديــدا ً للفــن‪ ،‬فهــي تمثــل عام ـاً جديــدا ً مهتم ـا ً بش ـراء‬ ‫الفــن والذهــاب إلــى المتاحــف والمعــارض وبذلــك ال يحتــاج‬ ‫الفنــان بالضــرورة لتملــق الطبقــة البرجوازيــة (ولكنــه إن لــم يفعــل‬ ‫فلــن يحظــى بلقــب “الفــن الراقــي”)‪ .‬مــع البعــد عــن الطليعــة‬ ‫االقتصاديــة يأتــي التمــرد علــي قواعــد النخبــة الفنيــة ونــرى هــذا‬ ‫مثّـاً فــي ظهــور الفنانيــن االنطباعييــن فــي فرنســا فــي أواخــر‬ ‫م َ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫القــرن التاســع عشــر‪ .‬ظهــرت االنطباعيــة كخــروج مقصــود عــن‬ ‫قواعــد األكاديميــة الملكيــة للفنــون فــي فرنســا والتــي كانــت ال‬ ‫تــزال تتمســك باإلرشــادات الكالســيكية وموضوعــات مثــل الديــن‬ ‫والتاريــخ كإلهامــات مناســبة للفــن‪ .‬تضمنــت هــذه الحركــة‬

‫وقــد عمــل الفنــان الكوبــي فيلكــس جونزاليز‪-‬توريــس‬ ‫ ‬ ‫(‪ )١٩٩٦-١٩٥٧‬فــي إطــار هــذا الفــن‪ ،‬الــذي يشــكك فــي أمــره‪،‬‬ ‫الــذي يقــف أمامــه المــرء ويفكــر “أنــا كنــت ممكــن أعمــل‬ ‫كــده”‪ .‬تتجســد هــذه الفكــرة فــي إحــدى آخــر أعمالــه الفنيــة‬ ‫والتــي ســمت بـ”عشــاق كامليــن” وهــي عبــارة عــن ســاعتي‬ ‫حائــط معلقتيــن بجانــب بعضهمــا ويظهــر عليهمــا نفــس‬ ‫الســاعة والدقيقــة والثانيــة‪ .‬المغــزى مــن العمــل والــذي ندركــه‬ ‫مــن العنــوان هــو أن أيــة ســاعتين لــن تبقيــا متزامنتيــن لألبــد‪،‬‬ ‫فســوف تقــع إحداهمــا عاجــاً أو آجــاً وراء األخــرى‪ ،‬وهــي‬ ‫قصــة العشــاق‪ .‬وقــوف المــرء أمــام الســاعتين وقولــه “أنــا‬ ‫كنــت ممكــن أعمــل كــده” ليــس إهانــة للفنــان‪ ،‬بــل هــو الفنــان‬ ‫يريــد ويشــجع أن يقــوم اآلخريــن بإعــادة خلــق فنــه‪ ،‬ولهــذا‬ ‫اســتخدم نــوع ســاعة يمكــن ش ـراؤها فــي كل ركــن مــن عالمنــا‬ ‫االســتهالكي‪ ،‬وبهــذا تتحقــق ديمقراطيــة الفــن‪.‬‬ ‫فــي الســنوات الماضيــة قــد تعمقــت وتوســعت هــذه‬ ‫ ‬ ‫الديمقراطيــة حتــى بلغــت أبعــد نطــاق المجتمــع والعالــم وقــد‬ ‫حــدث بســبب تطــورات التكنولوجيــا‪ .‬فاختــراع الراديــو ووصولــه‬ ‫لجميــع محافظــات مصــر أديــا إلــى اســتماع وتفاعــل المواطــن‬ ‫المصــري مــع الموســيقى الشــعبية مــن راحــة البيــت والشــارع‬ ‫والغيــط وهــو لــم يحــدث مــن قبــل‪ ،‬وصــول الكمبيوتــر معنــاه‬ ‫أننــي أســتطيع التطلــع إلــى تحــف رينــوار وفــان جــوخ وبيكاســو‬ ‫وإن انتابنــي اإللهــام أســتطيع إنتــاج تحــف مثلهــم مــن خــال‬ ‫أي برنامــج إلكترونــي بــدون دفــع إال اشــتراك اإلنترنــت‪ .‬كان نشــر‬ ‫الكتــب قلي ـاً وصعب ـا ً لقلــة الق ـراء ومــن ثــم غــاء الطباعــة واآلن‬ ‫تنشــر آالف القصــص والروايــات كل ســنة علــى اإلنترنــت بســعر‬ ‫كــوب مــن قهــوة‪.‬‬ ‫لــم تكــره النخبــة الفنيــة أحمــد عدويــة ألنــه كان‬ ‫ ‬ ‫مطربــا ً للجماهيــر‪ ،‬بــل كرهتــه ألنــه أول مطــرب شــعبي يحقــق‬ ‫هــذا القــدر مــن النجــاح بــدون مســاهمتهم‪ ،‬بــدون دعمهــم‪،‬‬ ‫وبــدون موافقتهــم‪ .‬قبــل ســماع الشــعب لـ”الســح الــدح امبــو”‬ ‫كانــت الطليعــة وهــي مركــز الســلطة االقتصاديــة والسياســية‬ ‫قــد دعمــت عــددا ً مــن الفنانيــن الشــعبيين عبــر عقــود لتلبيــة‬ ‫مرادهــم مــن خلــق وعــي قومــي سياســي مضــاد لالســتعمار‬ ‫ومؤيــد للنظــام‪ ،‬مــا وضــح فــي األغانــي المهــداة لجمــال‬ ‫عبــد الناصــر أثنــاء حكمــه وحتــى بعــد وفاتــه‪ .‬مــا زالــت هــذه‬ ‫االزدواجيــة تتحقــق فــي مجتمعنــا اليــوم‪ ،‬فنهلــل ونرقــص‬ ‫علــى “تســلم األيــادي” و “بشــرة خيــر” ونحتقــر أوكا وأورتيجــا‬ ‫ونلــوم عليهــم وعلــى أمثالهــم تدهــور الوعــي الفنــي والثقافــة‬ ‫المصريــة‪ ،‬بينمــا هــم فــي الواقــع ليســوا إال شــبابا ً يســتعملون‬ ‫مــا فــي أيديهــم للتعبيــر عــن واقعهــم كمــا يرونــه وينتجــون مــا‬ ‫يعرفونــه‪ ،‬وهــو المهرجانــات‪.‬‬

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‫ف‬ ‫ل‬ ‫�‬ ‫ن‪...‬‬ ‫ا‬ ‫أ ت‬ ‫أ‬ ‫ً‬

‫�‬ ‫�‬ ‫د�اعا عن �وكا و�ور ي ج �ا‬ ‫ة أ‬ ‫ب�ه ي�ر� �م ي�ن‬

‫ظهــر فــي بدايــة الســبعينات مطــرب أســمر اللــون جميــل الصــوت عالــي المــزاج اســمه‬ ‫ ‬ ‫أحمــد عدويــة‪ ،‬وهــو يعــد األب الروحــي للغنــاء الشــعبي فــي مصــر‪ .‬ورغــم تصــدي النخبــة‬ ‫الفنيــة ألســلوبه وتجاهــل اإلعالمييــن لــه امتــأت شــوارع ومحــات وســيارات مصــر بصوتــه حتــى‬ ‫أصبــح ظاهــرة ال يمكــن تجاهلهــا‪ .‬وفــي حــوار مــع الكاتــب نجيــب محفــوظ سُ ــأل عــن رأيــه فــي‬ ‫المطــرب ففوجــئ الســائل بــردّه وهــو أنــه يســتمتع بصوتــه وأغانيــه‪ .‬كان غنــاء عدويــة دوم ـا ً‬ ‫تلقائيـا ً وعفويـا ً ينبــع مــن إحســاس بالحيــاة المصريــة ال تشــترط الوعــي بالصراعــات والتداخــات‬ ‫التــي كانــت تميــز كتابــة نجيــب محفــوظ‪ ،‬ونجــح اإلثنــان – واحــد عــن إدراك واآلخــر بالصدفــة‬ ‫– فــي تصويــر المجتمــع المصــري الشــعبي‪ .‬مــأت كلمــات أحمــد عدويــة األلفــاظ الشــعبية‬ ‫مــد االبتعــاد عــن قواعــد‬ ‫والمعانــي المزدوجــة‪ ،‬تفنــن فــي المواويــل والغنــاء التلقائــي‪ ،‬وتع ّ‬ ‫وكالســيكيات التــراث الغنائــي‪ ،‬وبذلــك أصبــح مطربــا ً للجماهيــر ال الطليعــة‪ ،‬مدعومــا ً مــن‬ ‫الشــعب ال النخبــة‪ ،‬ومــا كان لينجــح فــي هــذا إن لــم يكــن وراءه الدعــم الجماهيــري المعنــوي‬ ‫والمــادي‪.‬‬

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‫تصويــر‪ :‬مصطفى نجيب‬

‫ؤ �غ ُ‬ ‫ن‬ ‫م‬ ‫س‬ ‫�‬ ‫ا� ع�ه‪...‬‬ ‫�‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ال‬ ‫�‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ج‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ف‬ ‫ة �أ‬ ‫ن ة‬ ‫ال�ن موه ب�� م ص�ع�؟‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ش‬

‫أراء‬

‫ر�‬ ‫�وران الع � ي‬

‫اعتــدت أن أعشــق أنــواع الفنــون جميعهــا وأســتمتع‬ ‫ ‬ ‫بهــا‪ .‬فأغــوص فــي قصيــدة شــع‪ ،‬تُطربنــي أغنيــة‪ ،‬تحلــو لــي‬ ‫لوحــة وأُعجــب بصــورة فوتوغرافيــة‪ .‬هكــذا بــكل بســاطة دون‬ ‫التفكيــر فــي مــا وراء هــذا الفــن أو مــا بداخــل صانعــه‪ .‬كمثــل‬ ‫كثيريــن يقعــون فــي غــرام الفــن غيــر مكترثيــن بالعمليــة‬ ‫التــي تســبق إنتاجــه‪ .‬ال تشــغلهم األســباب وال تعنــي لهــم‬ ‫الدوافــع شــيئا بقــدر مــا تهمهــم المحصلــة النهائيــة‪ .‬حتــى‬ ‫ُطــرح أمامــي ســؤال دفعنــي للتأمــل والبحــث عــن إجابــة‬ ‫مقنعــة وهــو‪ :‬هــل الفــن موهبــة أم صنعــة؟‬ ‫يدعــي الــرأي األول أن الفــن يعتمــد علــى الموهبــة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫بالدرجــة األولــى‪ .‬فتبــدأ رحلــة الفنــان باألســاس بهبــة يمنحهــا‬ ‫الخالــق لــه‪ .‬يكتشــفها ويعمــل علــى تنميتهــا فتتطــور حتــى‬ ‫تنتشــر فــي عالمنــا العديــد مــن مــدارس الفنــون‬ ‫تصبــح فنــاً‪ .‬ذلــك مــا يجعــل فنانًــا متميــ ًزا عــن آخــر إذ يمتلــك ‬ ‫مــن الموهبــة أكثــر مــن غيــره مــا يجعلــه متألق ـا ً بشــكل أكبــر‪ .‬المختلفــة‪ .‬وإن أردنــا أن نأخــذ مصــر كمثــال نجــد أن بهــا‬ ‫بــل إن ذلــك مــا يجعــل الفنــان فنانًــا فــي المقــام األول‪ .‬وألننــا مــدارس وكليــات عــدة لدراســة الفنــون‪ .‬بدايــة مــن كليــات‬ ‫لســنا جميعــا ً محظوظيــن بامتــاك تلــك الموهبــة‪ ،‬فالفنــان الفنــون الجميلــة مــرورا ً بكليــات التربيــة الموســيقية ومعاهــد‬ ‫هــو فقــط صاحــب الموهبــة‪ .‬ومــن مؤيــدي تلــك النظريــة الفنــون المســرحية وختامــا ً بكليــات اآلداب‪ .‬وإن صــح ادعــاء‬ ‫الكاتــب المســرحي أنطــون تشــيخوف الــذي أطلــق مقولتــه الرؤيــة الســابقة فهــذا يعنــي أن جميــع مــن التحــق بتلــك‬ ‫الشــهيرة “ال يوجــد فــي الفــن مــا هــو جديــد غيــر الموهبــة”‪ .‬الكليــات وتخــرج منهــا هــو فنــان بالضــرورة‪ .‬فخريجــو تلــك‬ ‫فاختــاف المواهــب وتعددهــا هــو مــا يصنــع الفنــون الجديــدة‪ .‬الكليــات درســوا وبذلــوا الجهــد الكتســاب أساســيات الفــن‬ ‫وبذلــك هــم فنانــون بــا جــدال‪ .‬لكــن تلــك النظريــة لــم‬ ‫اســتنادا ً إلــى تلــك الرؤيــة‪ ،‬يجــوز لنــا أن نعتبــر تقنعنــي أي ً‬ ‫ضــا كســابقتها‪ .‬فليــس مــن المعقــول أن أطلــق‬ ‫ ‬ ‫الموهبــة الفنيــة العامــل األساســي المؤثــر فــي تكويــن الفــن علــى كل مــن درس نوعــا مــن أنــواع الفــن لقــب “فنــان”‬ ‫لــدى الفنــان‪ .‬لكــن هــل يصــح هــذا؟ أليــس بداخــل كل واحــد لمجــرد أنــه تعــرف علــى خبايــا هــذا الفــن وأســراره‪ .‬ليــس‬ ‫منــا موهبــة مــا؟ أيجعــل ذلــك منــا جميعًــا فنانيــن؟ وإن كان مــن المنطــق أن أعتــرف بفــن آالف الدارســين لمجــرد أنهــم‬ ‫الفنانــون هــم فقــط أربــاب المواهــب فهــل يعنــي ذلــك أن يحملــون شــهادة عليهــا ختــم مدرســةٍ مــا للفنــون‪ .‬وبالطبــع‬ ‫جميــع مــن يُطلــق عليهــم لقــب “فنانــون” هــم موهوبــون ال نســاوي بيــن القــدرة واإلبــداع الفنــي لــكل الدارســين للفــن‬ ‫باألســاس؟ أليــس مــن الممكــن أن يكتســب الفنــان مهــارات لمجــرد أنهــم جلســوا جميعــا ً فــي بقعــة واحــدة فــي يــوم‬ ‫ذلــك الفــن فيُنمــي هــو بذاتــه موهبــة بداخلــه تُمكنــه مــن مــن األيــام يتلقــون أساســيات ذلــك الفــن‪ .‬بالنســبة لــي هــذه‬ ‫أن يصبــح فنانًــا؟ لــم أجــد مــا يثبــت لــي أن أســاس الفــن هــو الرؤيــة ال تقنعنــي بــل تتركنــي فــي حيــرة أشــد ممــا كنــت‬ ‫الموهبــة‪ .‬فــأدرت عجلــة القيــادة فــي االتجــاه المعاكــس عليــه‪.‬‬ ‫والــذي يفتــرض أن الفــن مــا هــو إال صنعــة مكتســبة‪.‬‬ ‫وإن لــم أصــل فــي رحلــة بحثــي إلــى إجابــة محــددة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫عنــد البحــث فــي ذلــك الســبيل صادفتنــي آراء عــدة‪ .‬لســؤالي فقــد أزعــم أن أقــرب مــا توصلــت إليــه هــو أن الفــن‬ ‫ ‬ ‫علــى الرغــم مــن اعتــراف البعــض بوجــوب وجــود الموهبــة قــد يكــون مزيج ـا ً مــن الموهبــة والصنعــة‪ .‬وقــد يتوقــف األمــر‬ ‫لكــن أصحــاب ذاك االدعــاء يــرون أن الفــن صنعــة يتعلمهــا علــى نــوع الفــن نفســه وصاحبــه‪ .‬فقــد تكفــي الموهبــة فــي‬ ‫اإلنســان كغيرهــا‪ .‬تتطلــب جهــدا ً وعمــا ً شــاقا ً فتصبــح فنــاً‪ .‬بعــض األحيــان وحدهــا بينمــا تلعــب المهــارة و الصنعــة دورا ً‬ ‫ويدعــم ذلــك النهــج الممثــل والمخــرج لــي ستراســبرغ الــذي أهــم منهــا فــي أحيــان أخــرى‪ .‬وإن كانــت االحتمــاالت كثيــرة‬ ‫رأى أن “‪ 75%‬مــن الفــن العظيــم هــو عبــارة عــن العمــل وقابلــة للتأييــد أو الرفــض فــإن معظمهــا بــات ال يشــغلني‬ ‫الجاهــد بينمــا تمثــل الموهبــة ‪ 25%‬فقــط مــن الفــن”‪ .‬فمثلمــا بشــكل كبيــر‪ .‬فاألهــم مــن أســاس الفــن هــو الفــن بذاتــه‪.‬‬ ‫يتعلــم الصانــع أي صنعــة يمكــن للفــرد تعلــم ودراســة الفــن فســأظل تلــك التــي تعشــق أنــواع الفنــون جميعهــا وتســتمتع‬ ‫وبــذل جهــد يُمكنــه مــن إنتــاج هــذا الفــن‪ .‬ويثيــر هــذا الــرأي بهــا‪ .‬أغــوص فــي قصيــدة شــعر‪ ،‬تُطربنــي أغنيــة‪ ،‬تحلــو لــي‬ ‫ضــا الكثيــر مــن التســاؤالت كالــذي قبلــه ويجعــل الباحــث لوحــة وأُعجــب بصــورة فوتوغرافيــة‪ .‬هكــذا بــكل بســاطة دون‬ ‫أي ً‬ ‫التفكيــر فــي مــا وراء هــذا الفــن أو مــا بداخــل صانعــه‪.‬‬ ‫فــي حيــرة مــن أمــره‪.‬‬

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‫مراجعات‬

‫داوود ع ب�د ال س ي�د‬ ‫فض‬ ‫ل صغ‬ ‫ور�� العا م ال � ي�ر‬ ‫ع �أ‬ ‫ح‬ ‫مر ب�و مر‬

‫منزلــه‪ .‬بــدا “ الكيــت كات” عالمــا ســحريا ً للجمهــور والنقــاد‬ ‫تمتــزج فيــه بســاطة القصــة مــع عمــق مغزاهــا وتختلــط فيــه‬ ‫البهجــة بالشــجن ويأســرك بجمالــه ألن صانعــه ببســاطة داوود‬ ‫عبــد الســيد‪.‬‬

‫مــع انطــاق موجــة الواقعيــة الجديــدة فــي ســينما‬ ‫ ‬ ‫الثمانينيــات لمــع بقــوة اســم داوود عبــد الســيد كمخــرج لــه‬ ‫رؤى إنســانية وفلســفية خاصــة تجــذب النقــاد ليغوصــوا فــي‬ ‫عالمــه الخــاص وتلفــت نظــر الجمهــور لســحر ذاك العالــم‪.‬‬ ‫ظهــر أول أفــام عبــد الســيد “الصعاليــك” للنــور عــام ‪ 1985‬ناقــدا ً‬ ‫يــزداد نجــم عبــد الســيد ســطوعا ً بالتعــاون مــع ســيدة‬ ‫بشــدة األوضــاع السياســية واالجتماعيــة التــي نتجــت عــن انفتــاح ‬ ‫الســبعينات ومــا ســببه مــن فوضــى فــي مختلــف مجــاالت الشاشــة فاتــن حمامــة فــى فيلــم “أرض األحــام” وهــو أول‬ ‫المجتمــع المصــري‪ .‬لــم يكــن االنفتــاح االقتصــادي موضوعــا ً فيلــم ال يقــوم بكتابــة الســيناريو الخــاص بــه‪ .‬فــي ذاك الفيلــم‬ ‫جديــدا ً علــى الســينما المصريــة فقــد ســبق “الصعاليــك” فــي نــرى نرجــس “ فاتــن حمامــة” تعيــش خــارج الزمــن بحيــاة‬ ‫تنــاول تلــك القضيــة أفــام لمخرجيــن كبــار كـ”ســواق األتوبيــس” كلهــا رتابــة وروتيــن لدرجــة أن تصبــح إحــدى أمانيهــا أن تســهر‬ ‫لعاطــف الطيــب و”أهــل القمــة “ لعلــي بدرخــان و”حتــى مــرة حتــى الصبــاح لكــن يشــاء األبنــاء أن تســافر معهــم إلــى‬ ‫ال يطيــر الدخــان “ ألحمــد يحيــى ولكــن المختلــف فــي أمريــكا ويتعقــد موقفهــا حيــن يضيــع الباســبور الخــاص بهــا‪.‬‬ ‫“الصعاليــك” أن الفيلــم ركــز علــى العالقــة اإلنســانية للصديقيــن فــى رحلــة نرجــس للبحــث عــن الباســبور الخــاص بهــا تقابــل‬ ‫مرســي وصــاح وتضحيــات كل منهمــا فــي ســبيل اآلخــر الســاحر الســكير رؤوف المتحــرر مــن كل القواعــد ليغيــر نظرتهــا‬ ‫بأســلوب يجعــل المشــاهد مهتمــا بصداقتهمــا ومتأثــرا ً بهــا للحيــاة ويريهــا عالمــا ً جديــدا ً لــم تتخيــل أن تــراه‪ .‬فــى أرض‬ ‫أكثــر مــن تأثــره بنقــض االنفتــاح‪ .‬ظهــر عبــد الســيد بــأول أفالمــه األحــام تســتطيع أن تشــعر بســعادة تغمــرك فتنبهــر مــع نرجــس‬ ‫انفعــال فــى رحلتهــا المليئــة‬ ‫كمخــرج ال يحاســب شــخصياته بأحــكام أخالقيــة جامــدة ولكــن بســحر رؤوف وتعيــش معهــا كل‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫علــى النقيــض يســبح بالنفــس البشــرية لعلــه يجــد مــا يدفــع بالمشــاعر والتــي ســرعان مــا تلمــس وجداننــا‪.‬‬ ‫الشــخصية لخــرق القواعــد المألوفــة لــدى المجتمــع‪.‬‬ ‫آخــر أفــام داوود عبــد الســيد فــى القــرن العشــرين‬ ‫ ‬ ‫انطلــق عبــد الســيد لفيلمــه الثانــي “ البحــث عــن ســيد كان عــن قصــة “ ســارق الفــرح “ لخيــري شــلبي والتــي تعبــر‬ ‫ ‬ ‫مــرزوق “ مــع نفــس بطــل فيلمــه األول نــور الشــريف ولكــن هــذه عــن المهمشــين الذيــن لــم يجــدوا ســبيالً للســعادة إال بتقديــم‬ ‫المــرة يفشــل الفيلــم فــي اقتنــاص أي نجــاح تجــاري ربمــا لعــدم تضحيــات الختــاس بعــض لحظــات الســعادة مــن الدنيــا وكأن‬ ‫وجــود عالقــات إنســانية تلمــس وجــدان المشــاهد فقــد اعتمــد الشــقاء هــو عالمهــم كلــه‪ .‬يعبــر عبــد الســيد عــن العشــوائيات‬ ‫عبــد الســيد علــى كثيــر مــن المشــاهد التــي بــدت مبهمــة بشــكل ال يخلــو مــن الفنتازيــا والســحر ويعبــر عــن ســاكني‬ ‫للمشــاهد العــادي الــذي شــعر أن صنــاع الفيلــم متكبريــن تلــك المناطــق ومشــاعرهم المكبوتــة واحتياجاتهــم النفســية‬ ‫يســخرون مــن عقليتــه وأن شــخصيات الفيلــم مصطنعــة بشــكل والماديــة‪ .‬فــي الفيلــم نــرى عــم ركبــة “ حســن حســنى “ وهــو‬ ‫يراقــب رمانــة “حنــان تــرك” بالتلســكوب متمني ـا ً أن تظهــر لــه أي ـ ُة‬ ‫يقتــل أيــة فرصــة لالســتمتاع بالفيلــم‪.‬‬ ‫لــم يكــن فشــل “البحــث عــن ســيد مــرزوق” عائقــا ً أمــام عبــد كلمــات تــدل علــى حبهــا لــه ومــن ناحيــة أخــرى نــرى عــوض‬ ‫الســيد ليكمــل رســالته اإلنســانية بالســينما فمــن رحــم ذلــك “ماجــد المصــرى” يســرق ألجــل الــزواج مــن أحــام “لوســى”‬ ‫الفشــل ولــدت إحــدى روائــع الســينما المصريــة ومــن أكثرهــا والتــي ترقــص مقابــل المــال مــن أجــل مســاعدة حبيبهــا فــى‬ ‫خلــودا ً وهــو فيلــم “الكيــت كات” المأخــوذ عــن روايــة “مالــك إطــار يتعاطــف فيــه المخــرج مــع تنازالتهمــا‪.‬‬ ‫الحزيــن” إلبراهيــم أصــان‪ .‬فــى الكيــت كات نــرى أنفســنا‬ ‫وضــع عبــد الســيد نفســه بمركــز مرمــوق فــى القــرن‬ ‫متمســكين باألحــام عاجزيــن عــن مواجهــة واقعنــا‪ .‬شــخصية ‬ ‫الفيلــم الرئيســية كانــت الشــيخ حســنى “ لعــب الــدور محمــود العشــرين بالســينما المصريــة بتلــك المجموعــة مــن األفــام‬ ‫عبــد العزيــز” الكفيــف خفيــف الظــل الــذي يحــاول نســيان عجــزه التــى حركــت مشــاعرنا وارتبطــت بوجداننــا فتحيــة للمخــرج‬ ‫الجســدي والمــادي بالحشــيش وبدخولــه تجــارب ال تتناســب ا لعظيــم ‪.‬‬ ‫مــع إمكانياتــه كركــوب موتوســيكل وإرشــاد رجــل كفيــف لطريــق‬

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‫“‬

‫لقطة من ‪Birdman‬‬

‫ســأذكر الليالي الطويلة التي‬ ‫قضيتها بصحبة كريســتوف‬ ‫كيسلوســكي و ديفيد لينش ولوي‬ ‫مال‪ .‬ســأذكر تلك األيام التي‬ ‫ركضــت فيها ألشــاهد فيلم الظهيرة‬ ‫علــى القناة الثانية المحلية‪ .‬ســأذكر‬ ‫شــادية وعبــد الحليم حافظ و ليلى‬ ‫مراد و يوســف وهبي و إسماعيل‬ ‫يس وثالثي أضواء المســرح‪ .‬سأذكر‬ ‫هنري بركات و كمال الشــيخ‬ ‫وشــريف عرفة وداوود عبد السيد‬ ‫ومحمد خان ويوســف شاهين‬ ‫وعاطف الطيب‪ .‬ســأذكر شرائط‬ ‫الفيديو المأجورة التي اســتلقيت‬ ‫كل ليلــة ألشــاهدها أنا و المتبقي‬ ‫من أسرتي بشــقتي القاطنة بأبراج‬ ‫الزراعيين بأسيوط‪.‬‬

‫“‬

‫عديــم الشــفقة الــذي ال يحيــد عــن مبادئــة األخالقيــة الصارمــة‬ ‫و العنيــدة فــي «الســاموراي»(‪ )Samurai‬لـــجون بييــر ميلفيــل‪ ،‬و‬ ‫غيرهــم مــن المجرميــن واألشـرار والالمنتميــن‪ .‬ســيظل التعاطــف‬ ‫هــو ذلــك المحــرك الــذي يدفعنــا جميعــا الــى الذهــاب الــى‬ ‫صــاالت الســينما وســيظل التفهــم هــو الغايــة األســمى لصناعــة‬ ‫األفــام‪.‬‬

‫المخيبــة لألمــل والكثيــر مــن الوقــت الضائــع‪ .‬لــم يخــرج كاوفمــان‬ ‫أيــا مــن األفــام التــي كتبهــا مســبقا و لكنــه لســبب مــا حــرص‬ ‫علــى إخــراج ذلــك بالتحديــد‪ .‬تمتــد القائمــة لتتضمــن «كلــوس‬ ‫أب»(‪ )Close-Up‬لـــعباس كيارســتمي و «مالهوالند د رايف» ‬ ‫(‪ )mulholland drive‬لـــديفد لينــش و «ســينما باراديســو»(‪Cinema‬‬ ‫‪ )Paradiso‬لـــجوسيبي تورناتــوري وغيرهــا مــن األعمــال التــي‬ ‫اتخــذت مــن صناعــة الفــن محــورا لحبكتهــا‪ .‬وكلهــا أفــام بشــكل‬ ‫ســأذكر الليالــي الطويلــة التــي قضيتهــا بصحبــة‬ ‫أو بآخــر تتطــرق للمعانــاة مــن أجــل تقديــم فــن «حقيقــي»‪ .‬‬ ‫لــم يعننــي قيمــة مــا تحــاول الشــخصيات تقديمــه‪ .‬و نــاد را مــا كريســتوف كيسلوســكي و ديفيــد لينــش ولــوي مــال‪ .‬ســأذكر‬ ‫يصــل أبطــال تلــك القصــص لحــل لمعاناتهــم‪ .‬ولكنــي وجــدت تلــك األيــام التــي ركضــت فيهــا ألشــاهد فيلــم الظهيــرة علــى‬ ‫القنــاة الثانيــة المحليــة‪ .‬ســأذكر شــادية وعبــد الحليــم حافــظ و‬ ‫نفســي متعاطفــا مــع معاناتهــم برغــم ذلــك‪.‬‬ ‫ليلــى مــراد و يوســف وهبــي و إســماعيل يــس وثالثــي أضــواء‬ ‫ظللــت أتســأءل لــم يقــوم صنــاع الســينما بتقديــم تلــك المســرح‪ .‬ســأذكر هنــري بــركات و كمــال الشــيخ وشــريف عرفــة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫القصــص‪ .‬مــا الــذي تبحــث عنــه الشــخصيات فــي تلــك الحكايــات وداوود عبــد الســيد ومحمــد خــان ويوســف شــاهين وعاطــف‬ ‫التــي قلمــا انتهــت بنهايــة ســعيدة تقليديــة؟ هــل هــو النجــاح؟ الطيــب‪ .‬ســأذكر شــرائط الفيديــو المأجــورة التــي اســتلقيت كل‬ ‫الشــهرة؟ تغييــر العالــم؟ أم انــه ربمــا شــيئ مــن ذلــك التعاطــف ليلــة ألشــاهدها أنــا و المتبقــي مــن أســرتي بشــقتي القاطنــة‬ ‫الــذي لطالمــا اجتهــدوا فــي بثــه بيــن محبــي الســينما؟ لطالمــا بأبــراج الزراعييــن بأســيوط‪ .‬ســأذكر «شــركة قلتــه» و مخــزن‬ ‫آمنــت أن التعاطــف هــو أســمى المشــاعر –ربمــا أقصــى مــا األنابيــب و رحالتــي بينهمــا و تهافتــي علــى مــا تبقــى مــن ذلــك‬ ‫يمكــن أن نقدمــه ألنفســنا‪ -‬التــي يمكــن أن يقدمهــا المــرء ألخيــه‪ .‬الفيلــم أو تلــك الحلقــة‪ .‬ســأذكر ســينما «رينيســانس» القابعــة‬ ‫وربمــا لذلــك وجــدت كتابــات إيبــرت مكانــا فــي قلــوب الق ـراء‪ .‬و بشــارع ‪ 23‬يوليــو و التــي تخلــى عنهــا أهــل المدينــة‪ ،‬و كلــي‬ ‫أكاد أجــزم انــه لنفــس الســبب نجــد أنفســنا متعاطفيــن مــع بــول أمــل ان أورســون ويليــس كان مخطئــا عندمــا قــال أن الذاكــرة‬ ‫نيومــان فــي «كــول هانــد لــوك»(‪ )Cool Hand Luke‬وهــو يناجــي هــي لعنــة علــى البشــرية‪.‬‬ ‫ربــه أن يعطيــه إشــارة أو دليــل ليكمــل حياتــه‪ ،‬و جونــي فــي‬ ‫رائعــة مايــك لــي «ناكــد» (‪)Naked‬وهــو غاضــب علــى البشــرية و‬ ‫غــارق فــي نظريــات المؤامــرة‪ ،‬وهامبــرت الــذي يقــع فــي غـرام‬ ‫طفلــة فــي» لوليتــا» (‪ ،)Lolita‬و جيــف كوســتيلو القاتــل المأجــور‬

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‫مراجعات‬

‫رحــل روجــر إيبــرت عنــا فــي الرابــع مــن إبريــل عــام ‪2013‬‬ ‫ ‬ ‫وتــرك لنــا زخـرا مــن مراجاعــات ألفــام أحببناهــا وأفــام أكثــر لــم‬ ‫نســمع عنهــا‪ .‬ولكــن ربمــا ذلــك اإلقتبــاس هــو األقــرب إلــى قلبــي‬ ‫مــن كثيــر كلماتــه‪ .‬بــل أكاد أدعــي أن ذلــك التشــبية هــو التعريــف‬ ‫األقــرب إلــى الصحــة والقاســم المشــترك الــذي يجمــع كثيـرا مــن‬ ‫األفــام‪ .‬أحــب روجــر الســينما كمــا أحــب تومــك ماجداليــن فــي‬ ‫رائعــة كيسلوســكي «فيلــم قصيــر عــن الحــب»(‪A Short Movie‬‬ ‫‪ ،)About Love‬فلــم يكتــف بمشــاهدة األفــام فقــط‪ ،‬و لكنــه أيضــا‬ ‫راقبهــا و راقــب تلــك الشــخصيات ومــا يمثلــه كل منهــا‪ .‬نــاد را مــا‬ ‫كانــت قصــص كيسلوســكي قريبــة إلــى الواقــع و ربمــا هــذا مــا‬ ‫يجعــل الرمزيــة ســمة أساســية فــي أعمالــه‪ .‬ولطالمــا اهتــم‬ ‫إيبــرت بمــا وراء كل مشــهد و مــا تحملــه تلــك اللقطــات العاديــة‬ ‫مــن رمــوز ومعــان‪ .‬لــم يعنيــا ‪-‬إيريبــت وكيسلوســكي‪ -‬أنفســهما‬ ‫بالمواقــف اليوميــة ومــا تحملــه مــن رتابــة‪ ،‬و لكــن اســتخدماها‬ ‫معــان إنســانية كالحــب والتعاطــف‪.‬‬ ‫كوســيلة للتعبيــر عــن‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫عندمــا كلفــت بتقديــم عــرض عــن فيلــم «بيردمــان»‬ ‫ ‬ ‫(‪ )Birdman‬الصــادر عــام ‪ 2015‬فــي خريــف نفــس العــام وجــدت‬ ‫نفســي ‪-‬وبعــد تفكيــر طويــل فــي مغــزى الفيلــم‪ -‬أتســاءل‪ :‬لــم‬ ‫قــام إنيوريتــو بإخــراج هــذا الفيلــم؟ فالفيلــم تــدور أحداثــة عــن‬ ‫ممثــل يُدعــى ريجــان يعيــش محاولــة بائســة للعــودة إلــى‬ ‫شــباك التذاكــر مــن خــال إخــراج مســرحية يأمــل مــن خاللهــا‬ ‫أن يثبــت أنــه مــازال جدي ـرا بمكانتــه كممثــل‪ -‬و األهــم مــن ذلــك‬ ‫كفنــان‪ .‬يقــدم الفيلــم الكثيــر مــن ديناميكيــة المســرح ولكنــه‬ ‫أيضــا يصــور الكثيــر مــن األعبــاء والتحديــات التــي تســيطر علــى‬ ‫تفكيــر ريجــان فــي معاناتــه لتقديــم فــن «حقيقــي»‪ .‬لــم أفكــر‬

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‫كثي ـرا حتــى أدركــت أن «بيردمــان» ليــس بالضــرورة تجربــة فريــدة‬ ‫مــن نوعهــا فــي صناعــة األفــام وأنــه مســبوق بنمــط واضــح‬ ‫فــي صناعــة الســينما يعــود الــي ســتينات القــرن الماضــي‪.‬‬ ‫تبــدأ قصــة المعانــاة برائعــة فيلينــي» ½‪ »8‬ونجــد جويــدو ‪-‬وهــو‬ ‫مخــرج ذو مكانــة رفيعــة‪ -‬يعانــي وســط زحــام مــن األفــكار‬ ‫والطموحــات فــي الوصــول إلــى أي نتــاج فنــي يســتطيع مــن‬ ‫خاللــه أن يبهــر نقــاده أو حتــى جمهــوره مــن المثقفيــن ورواد‬ ‫الســينما‪ .‬ســيظل ذلــك المشــهد حيــث يحلــق ريجــان أعلــى‬ ‫نظائــره مــن العامــة العاديــة يذكرنــي بخيــاالت جويــدو وهــو‬ ‫يســبح فــي الفضــاء فــي مشــهد البدايــة األيقونــي‪ .‬ثــم أطلــق‬ ‫فرانســوا تروفــو فيلمــه «داي فــور نايــت»(‪ )Day For Night‬وهــو‬ ‫تعبيــر شــخصي عــن المعانــاة اللوجيســتيه لصناعــة الفيلــم و‬ ‫كل مــا تصحبــه مــن كليشــيهات قصــص الحــب التــي تندلــع فــي‬ ‫موقــع التصويــر‪ -‬و إن ضاهــت تلــك القصــص فــي رومانســياتها‬ ‫أكثــر األفــام تمعنــا فــي العالقــات اإلنســانية‪ .‬لــم يصــور فرانســوا‬ ‫معانــاة الفنــان الفكريــة كمــا توقــع الكثيــرون ولكنــه لــم يهمــل‬ ‫الجانــب اإلنســاني مــن صناعــة الســينما كعادتــه –و ربمــا لذلــك‬ ‫أجــد «داي فــور نايــت» تعبيــرا صادقــا و شــاعريا‪ .‬فرانســوا هــو‬ ‫ذلــك الطفــل الفاشــل الرومانســي التقليــدي الــذي نتمنــى‬ ‫جميعــا أن نكــون مثلــه‪ ،‬وهــو دائمــا مــا يكــون محاطــا بفوضــى‬ ‫يصعــب عليــه الســيطرة عليهــا‪ .‬ولــم أســتطع أن أهمــل فيلــم‬ ‫«ســيندوكي نيويــورك»( ‪ )Synecdoche, New York‬للكاتــب تشــارلي‬ ‫كاوفمــان‪ ،‬وهــو الفيلــم الوحيــد الــذي أخرجــه آنــذاك ‪-‬برغــم‬ ‫كتابتــه للعديــد مــن األفــام الناجحــة‪ -‬والــذي تــدور أحداثــة‬ ‫حــول مخــرج مســرح يحــاول محــاكاة مدينــة نيويــورك لمســرحية‬ ‫الجديــدة‪ ،‬حتــى يجــد نفســه فــي دائــرة مفرغــة مــن األفــكار‬

‫ألبري قصريي‬

‫فيلســوف الكسل والمترد‬

‫مراجعات‬

‫مرمي عرفات‬

‫لُقــب بفولتيــر النيــل وأوســكار وايلــد الفرنســي وباســتر‬ ‫ ‬ ‫كيتــون العربــي‪ ،‬وتجســدت براعتــه فــي الكتابــة عــن األحيــاء‬ ‫الشــعبية المصريــة ‪-‬رغــم إقامتــه أغلــب حياتــه فــي فرنســا‪-‬‬ ‫البيت الذي يميل للســقوط‬ ‫فجســد شــخصياتها التــي تتمتــع بــروح الســخرية والتمــرد‪ ،‬إحــدى‬ ‫ترســم روايــة “البيــت الــذي يميــل للســقوط” صــورة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫ســمات المصرييــن فــي مواجهــة اليــأس وفقــدان األمــل‪.‬‬ ‫بائســة لالنهيــار والفوضــى مــع الكســل الــذي يكفــل لشــخصياتها‬ ‫ولــد ألبيــر قصيــري بحــي الفجالــة بالقاهــرة عــام ‪ ١٩١٣‬رغبتهــا فــي البقــاء علــى قيــد الحيــاة محتفظيــن بكرامتهــم‪.‬‬ ‫ ‬ ‫ألبويــن أصولهمــا مــن الشــام‪ .‬عــاش طفولتــه فــي مصــر وتــدور أحــداث الروايــة فــي أحــد أحيــاء القاهــرة الفقيــرة بمنــزل‬ ‫حيــث تلقــى تعليمــه الفرنســي فــي مــدارس دينيــة مســيحية‪ ،‬آيــل للســقوط يســكنه أشــخاص رفضتهــم الحيــاة فرفضوهــا‪،‬‬ ‫وقضــى جــل عمــره فــي فرنســا حيــث كتــب بالفرنســية رواياتــه وقــرروا أن يتحايلــوا عليهــا مــن خــال الكســل والســخرية‪.‬‬ ‫الســبع ومجموعتــه القصصيــة الوحيــدة ليصيــر مــن أهــم الكتــاب يســيطر الكســل علــى شــخصيات الروايــة‪ ،‬ولكــن هنــا يأتــي‬ ‫فــي فرنســا‪ .‬عــاش قصيــري معظــم حياتــه فــي غرفــة رقــم ‪ ٥٨‬قصيــري ليضيــف روح التمــرد والثــورة الدفينــة بداخلهــم‪ ،‬وهنــا‬ ‫فــي فنــدق ال لويزيــان بشــارع بحــي ســان جيرمــان دو بريــه‪ ،‬وكان تكمــن فلســفة قصيــري حيــث كان يــرى أن الكســل ليــس تواطئــا‬ ‫يقــول إنــه لــم يــر أحــدا ً مــن أف ـراد عائلتــه يعمــل‪ ،‬فاألســرة كانــت وإنمــا ســاح متمــرد ضــد مجتمــع هــش ومهــزوز‪.‬‬ ‫تعيــش علــى عائــدات األ راضــي واألمــاك‪ ،‬وأمــا هــو فقــد عــاش‬ ‫شحاذون ومتغطرسون‬ ‫مــن عائــدات أعمالــه األدبيــة‪ ،‬رافض ـا ً أن يغــادر الفنــدق ألنــه كان‬ ‫اســتطاع قصيــري أن يدعــو مــرة أخــرى إلــى الثــورة‬ ‫يكــره التملــك حيــث كان يقــول (الملكيــة هــي التــي تجعــل منــك ‬ ‫عبــدا ً‪ ،‬لهــذا المبــرر عشــت دائمــا ً‪ ،‬فــي الفنــدق‪ ،‬حيــث حتــى علــى الســلطة والقوانيــن مــن خــال الكســل والتشــرد‪ ،‬حيــث‬ ‫يحــاول ثالثــة مشــردون فــرض أســلوب حياتهــم علــى المجتمــع‬ ‫ـي)‪.‬‬ ‫األثــاث ال يعــود إلـ َ‬ ‫عنــوة مــن خــال اختيارهــم مهنــة الشــحاذة‪ .‬وترمــز مهنــة‬ ‫كان أســلوب معيشــته انعكاســا لفلســفته التــي اتخذهــا الشــحاذة فــي “شــحاذون ونبــاء” إلــى الحيــاة الرافضــة أليــة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫فــي حياتــه وأعمالــه األدبيــة‪ ،‬فــكان قصيــري يمجــد الكســل قيــود أو مبــادئ اجتماعيــة‪ ،‬والمقدســة للالمبــاالة والحريــة‬ ‫ويعتبــره فرصــة للتأمــل و التمــرد كمــا كان يــرى فيــه فع ـاً إيجابي ـا ً والســخرية‪.‬‬ ‫للبحــث عــن الحــق والمتعــة‪ .‬تتميــز رواياتــه بروحهــا المصريــة روايــة “شــحاذون ونبــاء” تمجــد التحــرر مــن كل قيــود المجتمــع‬ ‫الخالصــة وشــخصياتها الســاخرة‪ ،‬وتشــير بأصابــع االتهــام بإدانــة و عبوديــة الملكيــة‪ ،‬بعيــدا عــن المجتمــع االســتهالكي المعاصــر‪.‬‬ ‫واقــع عاشــه المصريــون فــي فســاد وتواطــؤ مــع الفقــر لالســتمرار‬ ‫كســالى في الوادي الخصيب‬ ‫فــي حيــاة ليســت كالحيــاة‪.‬‬ ‫ـ أخوك جالل‪ ..‬ينام لســبع ســنوات‪ ..‬ياله من فنان!!‬ ‫ـ هــل تجد في هذا فنا؟‬ ‫العنف والسخرية‬ ‫تعتبــر “العنــف والســخرية” أهــم أعمــال ألبيــر قصيــري‪ - ،‬بالتأكيــد‪ ..‬هــذا مــا أحــاول أن أفســره ألغبيــاء الحــي‪ ،‬إنهــم‬ ‫ ‬ ‫يتأمــل فيهــا بســخرية عنيفــة الجديــة البائســة فــي التعامــل يعتبرونكــم كســالى‪.‬‬ ‫مــع هــذا العالــم باعتبــاره فقــط مشــروعا سياســيا بالــغ الجديــة‪- .‬إنها الحقيقة‪ .‬لماذا تســبهم؟‬ ‫يــرى قصيــري أن العنــف ال يتناســب مــع هــذا العالــم الهزلــي‪- ،‬قلــت لــك أنهــم حميــر‪ .‬إنهــم ال يفهمــون ســر الجمــال فــي‬ ‫ألن هــذا هــو مــا يبحــث عنــه الطغــاة‪ ،‬فيجــب أال نأخــذ األمــور هــذا الكســل‪ .‬أنتــم أســرة غريبــة‬ ‫بعيــن الجــد‪ ،‬ال نــرد علــى عنفهــم بالعنــف‪ ،‬بــل نحــاول أن نكــون ‪-‬هل تعتقد؟‬ ‫ لــم أخطــئ أبــدا ً‪ ..‬أال تحــس أننــا نحــن االثنيــن يمكننــا أن نولــد‬‫هزلييــن أكثــر منهــم‪ ،‬وبهــذا نحقــق انتصاراتنــا الكبــرى‪.‬‬ ‫يطــرح قصيــري التســاؤل فــي العنــوان‪ :‬هــا هنــا مدرســتان الثــورة فــي هــذا الحــي؟‬ ‫للمقاومــة؟ أيهمــا أقــوى؟ يــرى قصيــري أن العنــف طريــق‬ ‫تحكــي روايــة “كســالى فــي الــوادي الخصيــب” عــن‬ ‫أســهل للمــوت وليــس للخــاص وأمــا “الســخرية الدائمــة فتحــط ‬ ‫مجموعــة مــن األفــراد الكســالى الذيــن يعيشــون حياتهــم‬ ‫مــن قــدر العــدو دائمــا”‪.‬‬ ‫فــي خمــول وال مبــاالة وانتظــار الالشــئ‪ ،‬ولكــن يخلــق قصيــري‬ ‫بداخلهــم حــب الفــن والفلســفة والثــورة‪ ،‬فيتحــررون مــن قيــود‬ ‫ألوان العار‬ ‫المجتمــع ويبــدأون ثورتهــم الخاصــة‪ ،‬وبذلــك يتحــول الكســل‬ ‫ ما الذي يمكن أن تتعلمه من هذا الشــخص عديم الشــرف؟‬‫ يــا عزيــزي نمــر‪ ،‬هــذه فكــرة مســبقة يســتلزم التخلــص منهــا مــن مفهومــه التقليــدي إلــى دافــع للتغييــر وســاح لمواجهــة‬‫فــي صناديــق القمامــة لتعلــم أن الشــرف مفهــوم مجــرد الســلطة والمفاهيــم المجتمعيــة‪.‬‬ ‫اخترعتــه‪ ،‬كمــا جــرت العــادة دائمــا‪ ،‬طبقــة المهيمنيــن‪،‬‬ ‫كان ألبيــر قصيــري يصــف نفســه “بالكاتــب المصــري‬ ‫حتــى يتمكــن أفقــر الفق ـراء مــن التفاخــر بامتالكــه هــذا الشــئ ‬ ‫الــذي يكتــب بالفرنســية”‪ ،‬ترجمــت أعمالــه إلــى ‪ 15‬لغــة منهــا‬ ‫الهالمــي الــذي ال يكلــف شــيئا ألي إنســان‪.‬‬ ‫العربيــة‪ ،‬ونــال العديــد مــن الجوائــز منهــا‪ :‬جائــزة جمعيــة‬ ‫تتنــاول روايــة “ألــوان العــار” الفلســفة التــي يبــرر بهــا األدبــاء عــام ‪ ،١٩٦٥‬جائــزة األكاديميــة الفرنســية للفرنكوفونيــة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫اللصــوص ألنفســهم كل فعــل ال أخالقــي‪ ،‬الفلســفة التــي تجعــل عــام ‪ ،١٩٩٠‬وجائــزة البحــر المتوســط عــام ‪.٢٠٠‬‬ ‫مــن الســارق رئيــس جمهوريــة ومــن الســرقة فعــا خيريــا‪ ،‬ولكــن كانــت مصــر دائمــا مســرح رواياتــه وقصصــه القصيــرة‪ ،‬وأبطالــه‬ ‫كعــادة قصيــري‪ ،‬الســخرية تلــ ّون القصــة والشــخصيات‪ .‬فــي مهمشــون وفقــراء منبــوذون‪ ،‬وســاحه الســخرية‪ ،‬وفلســفته‬ ‫“العنــف والســخرية” يشــهر قصيــري الســخرية كســاح لمواجهــة الكســل‪.‬‬ ‫الســلطة‪ ،‬وأمــا فــي “ألــوان العــار” فقــد أشــهرها فــي وجــه‬ ‫المجتمــع لتواطئــه مــع الفقــر وخنوعــه للفســاد وصمتــه عــن‬ ‫مبادئــه‪.‬‬

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‫سياية‪/‬تاريخ‬

‫ة ق‬ ‫ال�ص�ة‬ ‫�‬ ‫�‬ ‫دا‬ ‫�‬ ‫ي‬ ‫بت�ز ف ذ‬ ‫ة‬ ‫� ي� ي�� ن�اكر� ج� ي�ل‬ ‫ي�م�ى موسى‬

‫يكتســب الفــن شــعبية خاصــة لــدى النــاس عندمــا‬ ‫ ‬ ‫يتنــاول موضوعــات تتعلــق بمشــكالتهم اليوميــة وتلمــس‬ ‫معضــات عصرهــم‪ .‬غيــر أن تلــك الشــعبية ذاتهــا هــي مــا يميــز‬ ‫الفــن كآلــة مــن آالت التالعــب بالتاريــخ وبرمجــة العقــول التــي‬ ‫تســتخدمها األنظمــة والحــكام فــي أحيــان كثيــرة‪ .‬وال يوجــد‬ ‫مثــال أفضــل لفاعليــة الفــن فــي التالعــب بالذاكــرة والتحكــم‬ ‫بالعقــول مــن ذاك الجيــل الــذي نشــأ فــي عهــد الرئيــس الســابق‬ ‫جمــال عبــد الناصر……‪.‬جيــل تَربــى منــذ الصغــر علــى صــور ٍة‬ ‫لزعيــم منقــ ٍذ لألمــة وللقوميــة العربيــة ليُصــدم فــي الكبــر‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫جيــل‬ ‫بســقوط عبــاءة الزعيــم مظهــر ًة ديكتاتــورا شــوه ذاكــرة‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫بأكملــه‪.‬‬

‫المثيــرة للســخرية هــي أنــه فــي حيــن أن فــن األطفــال وقتهــا‬ ‫تحــت الســلطة المصريــة كان يصــور لألطفــال بطولــة و شــبه‬ ‫كماليــة عبــد الناصــر‪ ,‬كانــت مجــات األطفــال و الكاريكاتيــر فــي‬ ‫بعــض الــدول العربيــة األخــرى تصــور عكــس ذلــك‪ .‬وذلــك حتم ـا ً‬ ‫يــدل علــى أن تأثيــر عبــد الناصــر علــى تَســييس فــن الطفــل لــم‬ ‫يكــن فقــط علــى جيــل ســتينات مصــر بــل علــى جيــل ســتينات‬ ‫العالــم العربــي بأكملــه‪ .‬و دعونــا ال ننســى تأثيــر الموســيقى و‬ ‫مسَ يّســة فــي عهــد عبــد الناصــر‪ .‬فبالرغــم مــن أن‬ ‫األغانــي ال ُ‬ ‫تلــك األغانــي لــم تكــن تســتهدف األطفــال كجمهــو ٍر بعينــه‪ ,‬إال‬ ‫ـكل كبي ـ ٍر فــي برمجــة مشــاعرهم تجــاه عبــد‬ ‫أنهــا ســاهمت بشـ ٍ‬ ‫الناصــر‪ ,‬بــدءا ً مــن اغنيــة “احنــا الشــعب” التــي غناهــا عبــد‬ ‫الحليــم لعبــد الناصــر و انتهــاءا ً بأغنيــة أم كلثــوم “الزعيــم والثــورة‬ ‫وفّــوا بالوعــود‪ ،‬لســه دور الشــعب يوفــى بالعهــود”‪ .‬وللقــارئ أن‬ ‫يتخيــل مشــاعر جيــل تربــى علــى مثــل هــذا النــوع مــن األغانــي‬ ‫التــي تعظــم الســلطة بــل و ُتبجــل الهيئــة الســلطوية المتمثلــة‬ ‫فــي شــخص عبــد الناصــر تحديــدا ً‪ .‬هــذا النــوع مــن الفــن خلــق‬ ‫ـب مــن قبــل أطفــال الســتينات للحاكــم لــم يشــهدها‬ ‫ظاهــرة حـ ٍ‬ ‫جيــل بعــده‪ .‬و هــذا حتمــا يــدل علــى ذكاء ناصــر‪ .‬فعبــد‬ ‫أي‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫الناصــر لــم يهتــم فقــط بالشــعارات والخطابــات‪ .‬بــل إنــه تأكــد‬ ‫مــن اســتخدام كل الوســائل المتاحــة ليصــل إلــى كل فــر ٍد فــي‬ ‫المجتمــع و خلــق الصــورة التــي يريدهــا لواقــع مصــر السياســي‬ ‫فــي ذاكرتــه‪ .‬وتســييس فــن الطفــل ســاهم فــي المكانــة التــي‬ ‫كان ومــازال عبــد الناصــر يحملهــا فــي قلــوب الكثيريــن‪.‬‬

‫بالرغــم مــن أن جــزءا ً كبيــرا ً مــن نجــاح عبــد الناصــر‬ ‫ ‬ ‫فــي التالعــب بمشــاعر النــاس فــي الســتينات يرجــع إلــى‬ ‫مهاراتــه الخطابيــة التــي ال يختلــف عليهــا كثيــرون إال أن الفــن‬ ‫فــى عهــده لعــب دورا كبيــرا فــي هــذا النجــاح‪ .‬و بالرغــم أن‬ ‫مسَ ـيّس بــكل‬ ‫عهــد عبــد الناصــر كان مــن أزهــى عصــور الفــن ال ُ‬ ‫أنواعــه فــإن التســييس قــد اســتهدف فــن الطفــل بشــكل خــاص‬ ‫ســاهم فــي إحــكام قبضــة النظــام علــى طاعــة الجيــل الجديــد‬ ‫حينهــا وتزييــف وعيــه‪ .‬فطــال التَســييس كتــب‪,‬و مجــات‪ ,‬و‬ ‫برامــج األطفــال بصــورة مباشــرة ‪ .‬ولنبــدأ ببرامــج األطفــال التــي‬ ‫كانــت تُعــرض وقتهــا فــي اإلذاعــة مثــل “حواديــت أبلــة فضيلــة”‬ ‫و التــي تناولــت موضوعـ ٍ‬ ‫ـات كالعــدوان الثالثــي والنكســة مصــور ًة‬ ‫عبــد الناصــر كالبطــل‪ .‬أمــا كتــب و قصــص األطفــال فــي الســتينات‬ ‫و لكــن المخيــف حقــا هــو أننــا اآلن فــي مرحلــة تشــبه‬ ‫فقــد كان معظمهــا مليئــا بالمحتــوى السياســي الصريــح‪ .‬‬ ‫مجــات األطفــال مثــل “ميكــي” و “ســمير” و “الســندباد” كانــت إلــى حــ ٍد كبيــر مرحلــة عبــد الناصــر‪ .‬و لــن أبالــغ إن قلــت أننــا‬ ‫فــي أعــداد كثيــرة تعــرض لألطفــال قصــص الحــرب و الجنــود فــي يومنــا هــذا تخطينــا مرحلــة تَســييس الفــن و األطفــال‪ .‬فقــد‬ ‫مسَ يّســا‪ -‬الروابــط العائليــة‪,‬و التعليــم‪ ,‬وحتــي‬ ‫المصرييــن وحتــى الجنــود اإلس ـرائيليين‪ .‬و لتثبيــت فكــرة القوميــة أصبــح كل‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫شــي ُ‬ ‫مسَ يّســا‪ .‬و لكــن ســتظل حقبــة عبــد الناصــر تمثــل‬ ‫العربيــة فــي أذهــان األطفــال ظهــرت مجلــة “العربــي الصغيــر” و المــوت أصبــح ُ‬ ‫ـق مــع مجلــة العربــي فــي الســتينات لــي بدايــة القصــة؛ بدايــة تشــويه وعــي جيــل صــدم فــي صــورة‬ ‫التــي كانــت تصــدر كملحـ ٍ‬ ‫ثــم أصبحــت مجلــة مســتقلة فــي الثمانينــات‪ .‬و قــد كان هــذا زعيــم واهنــة فلــم يكــن باســتطاعته ســوى أن يعيــد العبــث فــي‬ ‫الملحــق يصــور للطفــل المبــادئ التــي كان يناشــد بهــا ناصــر وعــي األجيــال التــي أتــت مــن بعــده‪.‬‬ ‫حتــي يصبــح الطفــل عربيــا ً “صالحــا ً” يخــدم مصالــح بلــده و‬ ‫شــك أن نــوع التكتيــكات التــي اختارهــا نظــام عبــد‬ ‫ال‬ ‫العالــم العربــي‪ .‬و دائمــا ً مــا كانــت مجــات األطفــال تصــور ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫عبــد الناصــر ورمــوز نظامــه حينهــا برسـ‬ ‫ـومات مالئكيــة بينمــا كان الناصــر للتأثيــر علــى الشــعب لــم يكــن ابــدا ً بســيطا ً أو اعتباطي ـا ً‪.‬‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫تكتيــكات تشــبه انقالبــا ً ناعمــا ً…‪..‬ال تــكاد تشــعر بــه‬ ‫يصــ ّور معارضــو وأعــداء النظــام كالوحــوش و األشــرار‪ -‬أســنان بــل كانــت‬ ‫ٌ‬ ‫أشــعث‪,‬ورؤوس ضخمــة‪.‬‬ ‫مشرشــرة‪ ,‬شــعر‬ ‫حتــى تُفاجــأ أنــك فــي و ســط قفــص االســتبداد ال تــدري كيــف‬ ‫وصــل الحــال إلــى مــا هــو عليــه‪ .‬و هنــا‪ ,‬عزيــزي القــارىء تتمثــل‬ ‫ ‬ ‫وقــد أدت المبالغــة فــي رســومات ذوي الســلطة فــي مأســاة جيــل عبــد الناصــر‪ .‬جيــل أفــاق لذاكــرة مشــوهة ال يعلــم‬ ‫مجــات األطفــال للترويــج أكثــر لفــن الكاريكاتيــر‪ .‬لهــذا لقــب عصــر إن كان ينبغــي عليــه أن يتخلــى عــن حــب زعيمــه الــذي معــه‬ ‫عبــد الناصــر بعصــر الثــورة فــي فــن الكاريكاتيــر‪.‬و مــن المظاهــر أم عليــه أن يعيــش مخلصــا ً لفكــر ٍة الزعيــم التــي تبرمــج عليهــا‪.‬‬

‫‪٦‬‬

‫نف‬ ‫�‬ ‫ه‬ ‫�‬ ‫لك ي� ف م ما‬ ‫ث‬ ‫�‬ ‫ي‬ ‫�‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ح‬ ‫س‬ ‫د� ي� ا ي�اق‬ ‫أ‬ ‫�‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ال�مر ي�ك ي�‪ ،‬ج � ب�‬ ‫أ �كن‬ ‫ة‬ ‫درا��‬ ‫�ن أ ون على ف ي‬ ‫سل‬ ‫و� ال�ن‬ ‫�ب�‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ف‬ ‫س‬ ‫ك‬ ‫�‬ ‫ال س ي�ا ي� و ي �‬ ‫ي� س�ت�خ‬ ‫س‬ ‫�‬ ‫دمه ال س ي�ا ي ون‬ ‫ف‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ه‬ ‫�‬ ‫ح‬ ‫ي� ج�ل ب� مصا م‪.‬‬

‫“‬

‫اجتماعيــا عنــد كثيريــن‪ .‬وهــذه مســألة متعلقــة أيضــا بماهيــة‬ ‫الواليــات المتحــدة كدولــة وماهيتهــا كمجتمــع‪ .‬فهــل يعتبــر‬ ‫المجتمــع األمريكــي مجتمعــا عنصريــا ضــد الشــعوب والثقافــات‬ ‫المختلفــة أم أنــه مجتمــع متجانــس متســامح و ترامــب يمثــل‬ ‫أقليــة عنصريــة فيــه؟‬

‫ وعلــى الصعيــد اآلخــر‪ ،‬هنــاك المرشــح الجمهــوري‬ ‫الثــري دونالــد ترامــب والــذي لطالمــا انتُقــد آل رائــه التــي توصــف‬ ‫بالمتعصبــة والمتطرفــة ومؤخــرا المتحيــزة ضــد المــرأة‪ .‬مــن‬ ‫أشــهر تصريحــات ترامــب رغبتــه فــي إنشــاء جــدار فاصــل بيــن‬ ‫الواليــات المتحــدة والمكســيك وطــرد المقيميــن الغيــر شــرعيين‪.‬‬ ‫وال ننســى أيضــا اســتخدام الســباب وبــذيء الــكالم ضــد منتقديــه‬ ‫لكــي نفهــم مــا يحــدث فــي الســياق األمريكــي‪،‬‬ ‫ومعارضيــه‪ .‬كثيــرون يجهلــون المقصــد مــن أســلوب االنتقــاد ‬ ‫الــاذع الــذي يتبعــه ترامــب‪ .‬المجتمــع األمريكــي أصبــح متنوعــا يجــب أن نكــون علــى د رايــة بأســلوب الفــن السياســي وكيــف‬ ‫ثقافيــا وعلميــا وسياســيا‪ .‬وبالتالــي فــإن مجــيء ترامــب إلــى يســتخدمه السياســيون فــي جلــب مصالحهــم‪ .‬لقــد ترتــب‬ ‫ســاحة السياســة األمريكيــة لــم يكــن أمــرا مقبــوال بــه فــي علــى أســلوب كلينتــون عــدة أشــياء مثــل انجــذاب عشـرات االّالف‬ ‫أوســاط كثيــرة مــن الشــعب األمريكــي‪ .‬لكــن لــدى ترامــب الكثيــر مــن المعجبيــن الذيــن ال يفهمــون وال يعــون قــذارة السياســة‬ ‫مــن المعجبيــن إلــى جانــب الكثيــر مــن المعارضيــن بالطبــع‪ .‬ومــا قــد تتطلــع إليــه الســكرتيرة الســابقة للحكومــة األمريكيــة‪.‬‬ ‫وقــد اشــتبكت األطــراف المختلفــة فــي مشــادات كالميــة وفــي الناحيــة األخــرى‪ ،‬هنــاك الفــن السياســي االنتقــادي ذو‬ ‫البعــض منهــا تطــور إلــى أحــداث عنــف‪ .‬ترامــب ببســاطة الرســالة الموجهــة والــذي لــم يفهــم حقيقــة نشــأته الكثيــرون‪.‬‬ ‫شــديدة يتبــع أســلوب فــن الصراحــة وخطــاب المواجهــة وذكــر إن كال المرشــحين لديــه أســلوب فنــي سياســي جــذاب ولكنــه‬ ‫الحقائــق السياســية التــي قــد تبــدو أحيانــا الســاذجة دون ال يعكــس بالضــرورة حقيقــة آراء وأفــكار السياســيين‪ .‬الفــن فــي‬ ‫مراعــاة إلنتقــادات المجتمــع واإلعــام‪ .‬وال يعنــي ذلــك أن ترامــب السياســة شــيء مهــم ومثيــر لالهتمــام لكــن علــى عامــة‬ ‫ســوف ينفــذ حقــا مــا يدعــو إليــه‪ .‬فــكل مــا يقولــه ترامــب هــو الشــعب فهــم مــا وراء الســياق الكالمــي الخطابــي والفنــي‬ ‫أســلوب فنــي قــد ال يعكــس مــا ينــوي فعلــه فــي الواقــع‪ .‬وهنــا الــذي يســتخدمه الساســة ألخــذ عقــول النــاس وتحقيــق‬ ‫ســؤال يطــرح نفســه وهــو‪ :‬هــل يكــون ترامــب عنصريــا حقــا إذا إرادتهــم‪.‬‬ ‫أهــان مجموعــات اجتماعيــة فــي المجتمــع األمريكــي أم أنــه‬ ‫واقعــي يعــي حقيقــة طابــع المجتمــع األمريكــي ويريــد لدولتــه‬ ‫أن تعــود لســابق عهدهــا بطابــع عنصــري محتكــر علــى فكــر‬ ‫سياســي معيــن وعــرق اجتماعــي واحــد؟ ال أرى أن ترامــب‬ ‫عنصــري فقــط بــل أراه أيضــا يمثــل أحــد االتجاهــات الفكريــة فــي‬ ‫الواليــات المتحــدة التــي ال تلقــى اهتمامــا إعالميــا أو إعجابــا‬

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‫سياسة‪/‬تاريخ‬

‫الخطابة السياسية‬

‫ـطية كلينتون وصراحة ترامب‬ ‫بين وسـ‬ ‫نعمان أشرف‬

‫كثيــرون منــا يتذكــرون دروس البالغــة والبيــان فــي الثانويــة العامــة التــي كانــت تثيــر إعجابنــا وتخاطــب أحاسيســنا‪.‬‬ ‫ ‬ ‫كنــا نستشــعر جمــال األبيــات الشــعرية وقــوة الرســالة التــي توجههــا كتابــات أعظــم أدبائنــا‪ .‬كانــت هــذه أحــد أروع أمثلــة فــن‬ ‫الخطابــة ولكــن هــل فكرنــا يومــا كيــف يســتخدم هــذا الفــن فــي ســياقات مختلفــة؟ إن مــن أول األســئلة التــي تخطــر ببالنــا‬ ‫هــي إســتخدام األســلوب البالغــي الفنــي فــي الخطابــات والمناســبات السياســية‪ .‬للوهلــة األولــى‪ ،‬تبــدو السياســة للكثيريــن‬ ‫بعيــدة أشــد البعــد عــن مــا يمثلــه الفــن مــن تــراث تاريخــي‪ .‬ولكــن يقــال كثيــرا أن السياســة هــي فــن الممكــن وفــن المســتحيل‪.‬‬ ‫وبتعبيــر أدق‪ ،‬عالقــة الفــن بالسياســة هــي عالقــة الفــن بمظاهــر القــوة والســلطة‪ .‬إن الفــن مفهــوم واســع يشــمل فــي‬ ‫إطــاره أســاليب معبــرة عــن قــوة جماعــة أو قــوة أفــكار سياســية معينــة‪ .‬فمــن وجهــة نظــر تطبيقيــة‪ ،‬هنــاك عناصــر سياســية‬ ‫تنتــج مــن أعمــال فنيــة وكذلــك أعمــال فنيــة ناشــئة عــن عمــل سياســي‪ .‬ومــن وجهــة نظــر أكاديميــة‪ ،‬الدراســات السياســية‬ ‫تدمــج فــي معظــم الســياقات األكاديميــة فــي إطــار دراســات الفــن والعلــوم اإلجتماعيــة‪ .‬وهــذا المحتــوى الفنــي اإلجتماعــي‬ ‫يشــجع طــاب الدراســات السياســية علــى اســتخدام ســبل فنيــة إنشــائية فــي دراســاتهم األكاديميــة علــى عكــس طــاب‬ ‫الهندســة والتجــارة مثــا‪ .‬وليــس ذلــك فقــط‪ .‬طــاب السياســية يمارســون عــدة أنشــطة فنيــة فــي ذاتهــا مثــل نمــاذج المحــاكاة‬ ‫للمؤتمــرات والقمــم السياســية‪ .‬بنــاء علــى ذلــك‪ ،‬هنــاك وجــود راســخ للفــن فــي السياســة ويجــدر بنــا أن نــدرك مثــل هــذه‬ ‫الظاهــرة وننظــر إلــى ماهيــة الفــن السياســي وكيــف يســتخدم فــي ظروفنــا المعاصــرة‪.‬‬

‫الفــن والسياســة يندمجــان معــا ليتمثــل كل منهمــا‬ ‫ ‬ ‫فــي اآلخــر‪ .‬فعلــى ســبيل المثــال‪ ،‬قــد يكــون هنــاك غــرض‬ ‫سياســي وراء عمــل فنــي مثــل مســرحية أو برنامــج وثائقــي‬ ‫أو معــرض للصــور أو حتــى مقطوعــات شــعرية موســيقية‪.‬‬ ‫وكذلــك قــد يكــون هنــاك أنمــاط فنيــة فــي نشــاطات سياســية‬ ‫مثــل الخطابــات أو فــي ممارســات حكوميــة‪ .‬والســبب وراء ذلــك‬ ‫يكمــن فــي أن الفــن ليــس مجــرد وصــف جمالــي للطبيعــة‬ ‫وإنمــا نظــام يعكــس واقــع المجتمــع وتفاصيــل حياتــه التــي‬ ‫مــن ضمنهــا النشــاطات السياســية‪ .‬فالفــن يســتطيع أن يجعــل‬ ‫مــن أفــكار أيديولوجيــة بســيطة مخططــات سياســية ملونــة‬ ‫بطابــع فنــي‪ .‬وال يقتصــر الفــن فــي السياســة علــى الممارســات‬ ‫واألبحــاث السياســية األكاديميــة بــل أنــه يشــمل الخطابــات‬ ‫والحــوارات اإلعالميــة بيــن السياســيين أيضــا فهنــاك وجــود‬ ‫ألســاليب فنيــة متعــددة فــي السياســة‪ .‬ولكــن علــى الرغــم مــن‬ ‫ذلــك يظــل أحــد أهــم هــذه األســاليب هــو الخطــاب السياســي‬ ‫الــذي سأشــير إليــه بإســم األســلوب السياســي الفنــي‪ .‬قــد‬ ‫يعتقــد الكثيــر منــا أن هــذا األســلوب يقتصــر علــى األســلوب‬ ‫الــذي يتحــدث بــه السياســيون والمحللــون فــي شــبكات اإلعــام‬ ‫واجتماعــات القــادة‪ .‬ولكــن فــي الحقيقــة‪ ،‬الخطــاب السياســي‬ ‫الفنــي ال يشــمل فقــط الخطابــات الرســمية فــي اللقــاءات‬ ‫البرلمانيــة وغيرهــا مــن التجمعــات السياســية وإنمــا يشــمل أيضــا‬ ‫المناظــرات وأحاديــث البالغــة المســتخدمة مــن قبــل الساســة‬ ‫فــي مختلــف األوســاط‪ .‬وقــد تشــتمل هــذه الخطابــات أســاليب‬ ‫فنيــة مختلفــة مثــل اإلقنــاع والتمويــه والخــداع السياســي تخــدم‬ ‫رؤى وأهــداف متنوعــة‪.‬‬

‫‪٤‬‬

‫مــن النمــاذج المعاصــرة لفــن الخطابــة السياســية هــو األســلوب‬ ‫ ‬ ‫الــذي تتبعــه وزيــرة خارجيــة الواليــات المتحــدة الســابقة والمرشــحة‬ ‫الديمقراطيــة لالنتخابــات الرئاســية هيــاري كلينتــون‪ .‬أســلوب كلينتــون‬ ‫يتلخــص فــي حشــد األفــراد واســتخدامهم لمصالــح وأهــداف تخــدم‬ ‫مصلحتهــا‪ .‬وكان هــذا أســلوب كلينتــون علــى مــدار عملهــا فــي‬ ‫السياســة ابتــداء مــن مجلــس الشــيوخ ومــرورا بــوزارة الخارجيــة وحاليــا‬ ‫ترشــحها لالنتخابــات‪ ،‬كلينتــون بذلــك تجــد الحلــول المبتكــرة للحشــود‬ ‫اإلجتماعيــة فتســتقطبهم إلــى محيــط تأثيرهــا‪ .‬وبالتالــي‪ ،‬فهــي‬ ‫فــي ممارســتها للسياســة عــن طريــق تعاملهــا كالميــا مــع الشــعب‬ ‫تصنــع نمــوذج فنــي أشــبه بالوســطية‪ .‬ولكــن أســلوبها‪ ،‬بالرغــم مــن‬ ‫ذلــك‪ ،‬يعتبــر أيضــا مثــاال لــزرع الفكــرة السياســية فــي قلــوب الشــعب‬ ‫واســتعطافه كالميــا بــدون مناقشــة جــادة لقضايــاه بنظــرة بحثيــة هادفــة‬ ‫إلــى مصلحتــه‪ .‬لطالمــا قالــت كلينتــون إنهــا تفضــل مصلحــة المجتمــع‬ ‫علــى مصلحتهــا الشــخصية وقــد تحدثــت كذلــك عــن تفضيلهــا مزاولــة‬ ‫العمــل السياســي علــى إنشــاء أســرة واإلهتمــام بهــا‪ .‬ولطالمــا أبــدت‬ ‫كلينتــون اهتمامهــا بقضايــا الم ـرأة وقضايــا الالجئيــن وحقــوق العامليــن‬ ‫وعلــى الرغــم مــن ذلــك فــإن سياســة كلينتــون أشــبه بــأن تكــون‬ ‫هيمنــة عقالنيــة عاطفيــة تتالعــب بمشــاعر واتجاهــات عامــة الشــعب‬ ‫فهــي تلقــى كل التقديــر وتســعى إلــى توســيع نفوذهــا وســيطرتها‬ ‫ال أكثــر‪ .‬وألجــل هــذا الفــن أن يكتمــل‪ ،‬يجــب علــى الفــرد أو جماعــة‬ ‫الشــعب المســتهدفة‪ ،‬أن تكــون راغبــة‪ ،‬حتــى ولــو ال إراديــا‪ ،‬فــي أجنــدة‬ ‫السياســي‪ .‬فــي هــذه الحالــة السياســي هــو كلينتــون وأســلوبها ال يــزال‬ ‫يســتخدم حتــى للحظــة فــي حملتهــا اإلنتخابيــة وفــي مناظراتهــا‬ ‫الرئاســية‪ .‬فــن سياســية كلينتــون جنــى لهــا العديــد مــن الداعميــن‬ ‫والمعجبيــن وأيضــا المعارضيــن الذيــن رأوا فيهــا شــرا محتمــا ال يــراه‬ ‫معجبوهــا‪.‬‬

‫رئيس التحرير‬ ‫أسيل‬

‫مديــرة التصوير الفوتوغرافي‬ ‫سالي الفيشاوي‬

‫مدير التحرير‬ ‫مراد دبور‬

‫مديرة الموارد البشــرية‬ ‫نور خالد‬

‫مســاعدة مدير التحرير‬ ‫ريم حاتم‬

‫مدير التمويل‬ ‫أرساني سنوت‬

‫المحررون‬ ‫ياسمين بوقرش‬ ‫مروان خليفة‬ ‫ندى نبيل‬

‫مســاعد مدير التمويل‬ ‫أحمد اسماعيل‬

‫حقوق النشر‬

‫جميــع الصــور والرســومات الغيــر مذكــور‬ ‫مصدرهــا إمــا مســتخدمة بتصريــح مــن‬ ‫صاحبهــا أو مرخصــة لإلســتخدام الغيــر‬ ‫التجــاري‪.‬‬

‫تنو يه‬

‫مديرا التسويق‬ ‫جيدا شعالن‬ ‫نشوى شعبان‬

‫مراجع لغة ومنســق عام‬ ‫مهند الطنطاوي‬

‫‪ AUC Times‬مجلــة طالبية‪ .‬اي آراء مذكورة‬ ‫فــي المجلة تمثــل الكاتب‪/‬الكاتبة فقط‪ ،‬وال‬ ‫تعكــس آراء فريــق التحرير أو إدارة الجامعة‬ ‫األمريكية بالقاهرة‪.‬‬

‫رسوم مصورة‬ ‫محمد شلتوت‬

‫المنسق المالي‬ ‫دنيا المغربي‬ ‫مستشــار هيئة التدريس‬ ‫رامي علي‬

‫مقتطفا ت‬

‫‪٦‬‬

‫‪٨‬‬

‫‪١٤‬‬

‫‪١٦‬‬

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‫‪١٠‬‬

‫الخطابــة السياســية بيــن وســطية‬ ‫كلينتــون وصراحــة ترامــب‬

‫داوود عبــد الســيد‪ :‬ورفــض العالــم‬ ‫الصغيــر‬

‫بداية القصــة‪ :‬تزييف ذاكرة جيل‬

‫جمــال اللوحة الناقصة‬

‫ســينما فــي الســينما‪ :‬األفــام هــي‬ ‫ماكينــة تولــد التعاطــف‬

‫نوبــل بــوب ديــان‪ :‬بيــن االحتفــاء‬ ‫والرفــض‬

‫كلمــة رئيس التحرير‬ ‫فــي الوقــت الــذي كنــا نســتعد فيــه لتوزيــع أول عــدد للمجلــة‪ ،‬جاءتنــا رســالة الكترونيــة لتخطرنــا بإلغــاء جميــع‬ ‫ ‬ ‫الحجــوزات واألنشــطة الطالبيــة بالبــازا لويمــي األحــد واالثنيــن (‪ 17/16‬أكتوبــر)‪ ،‬إلعطــاء األوليــة لألنشــطة والفعاليــات المرتبطــة‬ ‫بحفــل تنصيــب رئيــس الجامعــة الجديــد‪ ،‬الحفــل الــذي كان لــه وقــع قــوي علــى أعضــاء مجتمــع الجامعــة‪ ،‬إمــا اإلعجــاب‬ ‫الكبيــر بضخامــة الحفــل وفخامتــه‪ ،‬أو اســتياء البعــض ونقدهــم الــاذع لــه‪ ،‬ولكــن‪ ،‬وبمــا أن موضــوع هــذا العــدد هــو الفــن‪،‬‬ ‫فمــا يهمنــي هنــا هــو كيفيــة إنشــاء وتشــكيل إدارة الجامعــة لعالقتهــا مــع مجتمــع الجامعــة‪ ،‬وخصوصــا طالبــه؛ التشــكيل‬ ‫الــذي أرى فيــه صنعــة ومهــارة فنيــة‪ ،‬فالطريقــة التــي مثلــت بهــا عالقتنــا بــاالدارة‪ ،‬ومــا يمتلــك كل منــا مــن قــوة نســبية‪،‬‬ ‫توحــي بالكثيــر‪.‬‬ ‫لقــد تمثلــت العالقــة فــي الرســالة الضمنيــة وهــي رأي اإلدارة فــي أن كل مــا هــو منتــج طالبــي‪ ،‬هــو دون المســتوى‬ ‫ ‬ ‫وال يمكــن إظهــاره للضيــوف المهميــن وكبــار الشــخصيات للذيــن اعتــادوا التبجيــل والــذي ارتبــط اســم الجامعــة لديهــم‬ ‫طبيعيــا بــكل رمــوز العظمــة والفخامــة‪ ،‬فكيــف ال يتمتعــوا بتلــك المناظــر وهــم يخطــون فــي البــازا؟ لقــد تمثلــت مكانتنــا‬ ‫فــي تذيــل منصــب رئيــس اتحــاد الطلبــة للمجموعــة التــي اعتلــت المســرح خــال التنصيــب‪ ،‬وفــي وقوفــه جامــدا‪ ،‬حامــا‬ ‫صنــدوق ميداليــة الجامعــة الذهبيــة‪ ،‬فيمــا كان لرئيــس مجلــس األمنــاء حــق وقــوة تنصيــب الرئيــس الجديــد‪،‬؛ لقــد تمثلــت‬ ‫فــي انعقــاد المراســم فــي قاعــة حصريــة بطبعهــا‪ ،‬بعيــدة عــن مركــز الجامعــة‪ ،‬ال تكفــي ألكثــر مــن ‪ 1250‬شــخص‪ ،‬فيمــا‬ ‫يقــرب عــدد الطــاب فقــط مــن ‪ ،7000‬تمثلــت فــي الســجادة الحمــراء والنــزول الفخــم الملكــي للرئيــس وحاشــية كبــار‬ ‫الضيــوف وأعضــاء اإلدارة إلــى البــازا علــى صــوت الموســيقى الكالســيكية فائقــة الرســمية‪ ،‬علــى مســمع ومــرأى مــن‬ ‫أعضــاء المجتمــع‪ ،‬فيمــا كان يجهــل كثيــره األســباب وراء المنظــر الملوكــي والموســيقى التــي ال مــكان لهــا عــادة بالبــازا؛‬ ‫فضــا عــن زينــة وخيــم األفــراح التــي ســطت علــى حدائــق الجامعــة التــي عــادة ال يطأهــا أي أقــدام رســمية أو إداريــة‪،‬‬ ‫وفضــا عــن فق ـرات الترفيــه الثقافيــة المعــدة خصيصــا لــإدارة التــي نــاد را مــا نالحــظ وجودهــا أو نراهــا فــي البــازا والحــرم‬ ‫الجامعــي ككل‪ .‬لقــد كان ومــا زال منظ ـرا عجيبــا‪ ،‬منظــر ألجــزاء مفككــة ركبــت مــع بعضهــا البعــض بطريقــة شــاذة وغيــر‬ ‫مالئمــة‪ ،‬البــازا عبــر عــن تركيبــة غيــر مفهومــة‪ ،‬يهيمــن عليهــا الزيــف واالصطناعيــة والكثيــر مــن االنفصــال‪ ،‬وشــيء مــن‬ ‫التكلــف واالنفصــام‪ .‬وثــم أخيــرا تلقينــا تلــك الرســالة اإللكترونيــة‪ ،‬شــاكرة كل عضــو علــى الــدور الــذي لعبــه‪ .‬ولكــن لــي‬ ‫هنــا وقفــة‪ ،‬وهنــا أحتــج‪ .‬هــذه المراســم لــم تكــن لنــا‪ ،‬وال لالســاتذة‪ ،‬وال للعمــال‪ .‬لقــد شــكلت لــإدارة وكبــار ضيوفهــا‪ ،‬وهــم‬ ‫يتمــون الصفقــات ويجمعــوا التبرعــات النقديــة للجامعــة‪ .‬إنــه حــدث نخبــوي فــي المقــام األول واالخيــر‪ ،‬للنخبــة اإلداريــة‬ ‫كمــا يقرهــا هيــكل الجامعــة اإلداريــة‪ ،‬الذيــن اتخــذوا مــن انفصالهــم عنــا عــادة ومنهجــا يوميــا‪ ،‬نحــن نمثــل الجــزء األكبــر‬ ‫مــن المجتمــع الــذي يمــأ األماكــن الفارغــة‪ ،‬ولكنــه محــروم ومعــدوم مــن أي ســلطة ق ـرار‪ ،‬أو تغييــر بالقــول أو العمــل‪.‬‬ ‫فــي هــذه الصــورة التــي رســمت علــى مــدار يومــي التنصيــب ومــا ســبقهما ومــا تالهمــا‪ ،‬دالئــل فنيــة متقنــة‬ ‫ ‬ ‫ومرســومة بمهــارة‪ ،‬تســلط الضــوء علــى عالقــات النــاس ببعضهــم البعــض‪ ،‬بمــا يمتلكــون ومــا ينقصــون مــن ســلطة‪،‬‬ ‫ولكنــه فــن حصــري بعــض الشــيء‪ ،‬فــا يفهــم مخــزاه أو معانيــه الجميــع‪ ،‬فيمــا ينتقــده البعــض فقــط كمثــال علــى‬ ‫تبذيــر أمــوال الطلبــة‪ .‬ولكــن لــم االســتعجال‪ ،‬ال يــزال موضــوع هــذا العــدد هــو الفــن‪ ،‬وألن هدفنــا هــو تفكيــك وفهــم الفكــر‬ ‫الســلطوي‪ ،‬وألن وجــود الســلطة يستشــعر فــي أي مــكان ومجــال‪ ،‬لنتطــرق لهــا هاهنــا‪.‬‬

‫أسيل‬

‫نحو تفكيك الفكر الســلطوي‬ ‫نوفمبر ‪٢٠١٦‬‬