Exhibition of four artists namely Addis Gezahegne, Dereje Demissie, Surafel Amare and Tamirat Gezahegn on notions in the contemporary opened on June 1, at Alliance Ethio-Française.
Among the artists, Surafel’s work transforms the visibility of banana into an artwork. Playing with the motifs of visibility, he aspires to look for values of order and essence in the contemporary life.
Addis Gezahegn focused on old houses, doors, windows and also explores the concept of memory and the connection with the contemporary life.
Not limited to their conceptual and symbolic notion, these works do also invite the audience to explore their rhythmic resonance and beauty.
Dereje Demissie is the other lined up artist in this exhibition. “We are blindly building and trying to accumulate material wealth without considering other values,” read the artist’s statement.
He employs rigorous compositions to attract; unveil imaginary lines to inform his decisions and the intricate liaisons. One of the renowned contemporary artists Tamrat Gezahegne also focuses on roots as sources.
Ethiopian Israeli artist Hirut to show her work @ Tsion in Harlem
When Ethiopian-Israeli artist Hirut Yosef returned to Ethiopia in 2002 the trip “sparked a new connection to my roots,” she says, describing her paintings currently on display at Tsion café in Harlem scheduled for opening on Friday, July 3.
Hirut left Ethiopia with her family at the age of five. “As the affairs of immigration and absorption filled our lives over the next several years, the memory of my African roots came only in flashes- games, songs, tastes, smells, and color,” says hirut in her artist statement.
Hirut adds: “From Ethiopia to Israel, through immigration and absorption, my mother and grandmother continued the traditional crafts of fine embroidery and basket weaving using colorful threads. Those simple geometric patterns have become a strong graphic motif in my paintings. Combining these patterns with images of strong women I created the series called Mulu and BETA CLAN. Mulu is a female name in Amharic, meaning ‘Whole’ and ‘Perfection’” she said. (Tadias Magazine)
“Almanya-welcome to Germany” @ Goethe Institut
A film entitled “Almanya-welcome to Germany” will be screened on August 4 at Goethe Institut. This is a 2011 German comedy film directed by Yasemin Samdereli. Six-year-old Cenk Yilmas begins to question his identity in his German school one day when he is not chosen for either the German or the Turkish soccer team. He is a mix of a Turkish father and a German mother and Cenk can not speak Turkish. At a family meal his grandmother Fatima declares to the family her newly acquired German citizenship, Grandfather Huseyin tells the family that he has bought a house in Turkey that he wants to use as a summer home.
The film premiered at the 61th Berlin International Film Festival and won the Deutscher Filmpresis 2011 in the categories best script and Best film.
The tragic comedy dramatizes the question of identity and belongingness for former Turkish guest workers in Germany and their descendants. The film was the fourth most successful German film of 2011 with 1.5 million viewers.
Toronto to host the largest Ethiopian festival in North America
Ethiopians in North America started to flock to the financial capital of Canada, Toronto, to attend the soccer and cultural festival for Ethiopians in North America. Restaurants are being decorated with large posters welcoming participants across the globe. The festival will be held from July 3-9 in Toronto with star studded concerts, a soccer tournament and DJ competitions. Ethiopian Soccer Federation in North America (ESFNA) organizes soccer tournaments and festivals for Ethiopians living in Europe, North America, Australia and other places every year. It is for the first time in 15 years that Toronto is hosting ESFNA tournament. Considerably big population of Ethiopians and Ethiopian Americans live in and around Washington D.C metro area. Hundreds of thousands are expected to trickle to Toronto from the United States, the rest of Canada and Europe. Toronto is home to the largest Ethiopian community in Canada. ESFNA tournament has been organizing similar events at least for thirty years now. (Ethio Fidel and Borkena)