Showcasing the results of the 1st episode of MOZAIK EUROMED ARTHUB special focus art residency, to be held in cooperation between Interkulti Association and the Anna Lindh Foundation in Alexandria, Egypt, and the Joseph Károlyi Foundation .
The inaugural exhibition in the “Mozaik Euro-Mediterranean Art Hub” series, which opens on the 15th of June, 2024 at the historic Károlyi Palace in Fehérvárcsurgó, unveils the results of a month-long filmed art residency set in the heart of nature. This captivating yet very sad showcase features the works of two exceptionally talented and experienced visual artists from Haifa: Jewish visual artist Tal Gaosh and Palestinian visual artist Abed Abdi.
The joint exhibition, hosted by the Joseph Károlyi Foundation, focuses on the theme “Identities: A Visual Dialogue.” It delves into the complexities of identity through the artists’ works, prompting viewers to reflect on the interconnectedness of personal and collective narratives within the broader context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The International Art Colony, a project by the Interkulti Association for the Promotion of Intercultural Dialogue, hosted these two visual artists in Chokako, a serene and picturesque rural village in West Hungary. This tranquil setting provided a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere essential for fostering creativity and inspiring art creation.
Amidst the current climate of war and destruction, with the escalating conflict in the Middle East, this initiative emerges as a beacon of hope. It seeks to demonstrates that art can build bridges and inspire dialogue, aiming to provide a ray of light to those who believe in mutual respect and understanding.
While the art residency did not aim to provide political answers, its results—exemplified in the exhibition of the artworks created during the residency and the documentary film about the project—ought to serve as a catalyst for raising questions and nurturing collective contemplation.
Through their shared creativity, Tal Gaosh and Abed Abdi remind us that our identities are interwoven and our stories are more alike than we might think.
This project is part of the Mobility for Creativity action (vol. 4), supported by #ALFinMotion and #StoriesinMOTION.
Tal Gaosh, born in 1968 in Petah Tikva (Israel) and currently living and working in Haifa, Israel, is a multidisciplinary artist and MFA graduate from the University of Haifa. Tal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, a Visual Communication and Teaching Certificate from WIZO Academic Center, Haifa,and has attended various prestigious art programs, including the “Community Creation Lab” at Givat Haviva Art Center and the Arab and Jewish Cultural Leaders course in Sachnin. Skilled in painting, sculpture, installation, glass painting, and other mediums, Tal currently serves as an Art Educator at the Haifa Museum of Contemporary Art and the youth program at the University of Haifa. In her free time, she is an art-tours guide.
Tal arrived at the Colony on May 23, 2024, and has already produced her first 3 artworks for the upcoming exhibition. She shared her thoughts before arriving at the residency: “Being born into a painful and complex country, I am an activist for common life and equal rights for all its inhabitants, out of mutual respect and recognition. This is also reflected in many of my artistic works, in various mediums. There are times, like now, when the challenge is particularly burdensome, and I am grateful for the opportunity to look at the bleeding wound from a distance, focusing on personal human and artistic connection as a possibility for a bridge and healing. I am very much looking forward to meeting my Palestinian artist colleague and spending time with him at the Art Colony.”
Tal Gaosh was selected for this project based on the recommendation of curator Ina Berkovic, gallery director of Beit Hagefen – The Jewish Arab Cultural Center in Haifa. Tal’s filmed art residency is sponsored by the Anna Lindh Foundation and is co-funded by the EU.
Tal Gaosh will be joined by Abed Abdi, a veteran Palestinian visual artist and curator at the International Art Colony.
Born in 1942 in Haifa (Mandate Palestine), Abed Abdi witnessed the Palestinian Nakba at age six when he and his family had to leave Haifa and seek refuge in the camps of Lebanon and Syria in 1948. They were allowed back to the homeland in 1951 following a family reunification request by his father, who had remained in Haifa.
Abdi graduated from the Fine Arts Academy in Dresden (Germany) in 1972, where he was tutored by leading German artists and befriended notable figures such as Lea Grundig, a Jewish artist known for depicting the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II, who also served as his teacher at the Academy.
Abdi is renowned for his artworks depicting the Nakba and the refugee experience, and for creating the Land Day Monument, the first memorial monument in historical Palestine, in collaboration with his Jewish colleague Gershon Knispel. Abed Abdi has received the highest honours both in Palestine and in Israel, and is an honorary citizen of the city of Haifa. He also received an honorary mention by the Anna Lindh Foundation in 2008 for his role in fostering intercultural dialogue in the Euro-Med region.
The MOZAIK project is part of the Mobility for Creativity initiative by the Anna Lindh Foundation and is co-funded by the EU.
