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Alaa Minawi

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Alaa Minawi
Born1982
Beirut, Lebanon
Alma materLebanese American University, Beirut
Known forLuminal art, theater
Notable workMy Light is Your Light... (2014)

Alaa Minawi (born 1982, in Beirut) is a Palestinian and Dutch interdisciplinary artist and lecturer based in Amsterdam. His work spans across performing arts and installations, with a focus on using light as medium. His themes explore belonging, conflict, healing, and Arab-futurism.[1][2][3]

Education and career

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Detail shot of Minawi's My Light is Your Light.. in the churchyard of St. James's Church, Piccadilly (2018)

Minawi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the Lebanese American University in 2008, and earned a MA in Fine Arts from Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht in 2018.[3] He went on to study lighting design lighting design at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.[3]

Minawi began his career in 2006 as a lighting designer and scenographer, collaborating with various theater and dance companies in Lebanon and the Arab region.[2] In 2010, he expanded his practice to include the creation of his own installations, which have frequently been exhibited in public spaces.[2] [4][5] Some of his notable installations include Beyond Myself... (2013),[6] My Light is Your Light... (2014),[7][1][8] The Bride (2016),[9] and Waiting for It to End... (2020).[10][11][12] In 2016, Minawi began an artistic research project focused on the concept of belonging and its connection to physical space. This research culminated in a series of performances collectively titled 2048.[13][11] In this work, Minawi aimed to integrate installation and performance art, involving the audience as an essential part of his performance.[13][3]

Minawi is a teacher at the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK) and the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU), and is a lecturer at the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. He is the founder and program director of the Beirut Summer School for Theater and Performance.[3]

Recognition and awards

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Minawi's installation My Light is Your Light... was selected for UNESCO's International Year of Light 2015 and was nominated for the Best Light Art Award at the D’Arc Awards, London, UK in 2016.[11][12]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b van den Eijnden 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht 2024.
  4. ^ Broeken 2020.
  5. ^ Ghandour Hert et al. 2021.
  6. ^ Frame Magazine editorial 2014.
  7. ^ Embrechts & Etemad 2024.
  8. ^ BBC News 2016.
  9. ^ Stichting Spring 2024.
  10. ^ Artiflex editorial 2021.
  11. ^ a b c DOTE 2020.
  12. ^ a b Patel 2016.
  13. ^ a b Stichting Spring 2023.

Sources

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  • Artiflex editorial (2021). "In gesprek met... alaa minawi" [In conversation with... alaa minawi]. artifex.nu (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • BBC News (2 February 2016). "Beş sanatçının gözünden Suriye'de savaş ve göç" [War and Migration in Syria Through the Eyes of Five Artists]. BBC News Türkçe (in Turkish). Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • Broeken, Anja (10 March 2020). "Nieuw kunstwerk 'Waiting for it to end' bij het Biesbosch Museum" [New artwork 'Waiting for it to end' at Biesbosch Museum]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • DOTE (2020). "Alaa Minawi". Dancing on the Edge. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • van den Eijnden, Janus (2024). "my light is your light". Light Art Collection. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • Embrechts, Annette; Etemad, Mina (26 May 2024). "Spring-festival trapt af met naakte solo van Manon Santkin en prachtige trance tussen negen dansers" [Spring festival kicks off with nude solo by Manon Santkin and beautiful trance between nine dancers]. Volkskrant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • Frame Magazine editorial (26 January 2014). "Beyond Myself by Alaa Minawi". Frameweb.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • Ghandour Hert, Maya; Khalaf, Colette; Khoury, Gilles; Mallat, Danny; Zalzal, Zéna (29 December 2021). "Les 21 coups culturels de 2021". L'Orient Le Jour (in French). Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (2024). "Van lichtkunstenaar naar ongrijpbare performer" [From light artist to elusive performer]. HKU (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • Patel, Heenali (2016-02-01). "Palestinian artist Alaa Minawi wants to help Angela Merkel by auctioning his latest piece". CNN. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  • Stichting Spring (13 February 2024). "alaa minawi - Spring Festival". Spring Utrecht. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • Stichting Spring (22 February 2023). "2048 – identity in dissolution (٢٠٤٨ – تَحَلّلْ هَوِيَة) - SPRING Festival". Spring Utrecht (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  • Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond (2023). "Alaa Minawi". brakkegrond.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
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