Picasso Gallery: ‘Gamal Abd El Nasser – The Dream'

After Mubarak's pictures were taken down off the streets, you'd think that the glorification of political leaders had come to an end. Apparently, Picasso Gallery in Zamalek disagree and have launched a group exhibition of artwork commemorating former president Gamal Abd El Nasser, which was inaugurated by his daughter Hoda. The exhibition is titled ‘Abd El Nasser - The Dream' and remembers Abd El Nasser as a leader through various artwork. According to Picasso Gallery's press release, the ‘dream' refers to Abd El Nasser's championing of social justice, freedom, dignity, equality and solidarity with the poor.

The art gallery displays different paintings by various artists from different time periods. The styles range from pop art to abstract pieces. The most striking piece without a doubt is Mohamed Sabry's painting of Abd El Nasser addressing the UN in 1961. Abd El Nasser is portrayed as larger than everyone, with the other world leaders gazing on at him admiringly while listening to his speech. Though the painting is quite impressive, it has some major faults (such as incorrectly spellt country names) and the overall feeling is that the painter was either a big fan of the leader or he was simply assigned to glorify him in a painting.

The same can be said of Hamed Owais' painting, where Abd El Nasser is once again the bigger man surrounded by an audience in awe. This time, the audience consists of Egyptians and the painting seems to imply that Abd El Nasser is in fact the greatest thing that has ever happened in Egyptian history. Mostafa Hussein goes one step further and depicts Abd El Nasser asEgypt. In this painting, Nasser's torso is shaped likeEgyptwithEgypt's well-known artefacts drawn inside, and above the torso is of course Abd El Nasser's face. Helmy El Touny's pop art piece is more creative; as he has made great use of Abd El Nasser's facial features such as his distinctive nose and chin.

Though the art on display is aesthetically pleasing, there is a certain undertone to this exhibition that might not sit well with everyone. The exhibition insinuates that the January 25th revolution is a direct result of Abd El Nasser's revolution. The booklet handed out in the gallery explicitly states: ‘And now six decades later the young people, together with the masses, of Egypt have revolted, raising the slogans of justice and freedom and resurrecting those unfulfilled principles, thus proving that the dreams of nations never die until transformed into reality.' Abd El Nasser fans will be thoroughly pleased.

About the Author

Staff Writer for Cairo 360 

Original article on:Cairo360

Profile Artist Alvarez Frugoni

It was after many years of traveling that the Uruguayan painter Sergio Alvarez Frugoni came to settle in Mallorca in 1997. He journeyed between South America, Brazil, Uruguay and Switzerland during the nineties and finally chose this Balearic island, specifically the village of Alarò, as his place of work.

It was not an accidental choice however. The basic element of light in Mallorca has long been described by artists as extraordinary and this, together with other inspirational reasons, persuaded the artist to establish a home on the island.

A number of features of Mallorcan life have seduced the South American painter including the lifestyle, cultural and intellectual diversity, as well as the island's proximity to other important art capitals. Alvarez believes that this Mediterranean island remains an authentic environment, a bubble in a swirling Europe, producing positive energy that is alive and fresh.

• His work

The artist works primarily with acrylic on canvas, but has also painted frescoes and made sculptures. When Alvarez creates, it is to within himself that he looks, producing work that is rich, full and intense. It represents the meandering nature of his life, the chaos of his thoughts, the depth of his soul, and dimension of his fantasies.

His relation to colour is physical; he makes it live and explode, he uses its contrasts, he plays with it, dominates it. In his hands, colour is soft and suddenly violent, warm and welcoming, then swiftly cold and dark. It is ever present, invading, simultaneously secretive and shameless. In these colours shapes form with subtlety. They are an invitation to travel – travel in time, in space, in spirit, and in symbols. Travel in abstraction and reality, in the infinitely small and infinitely wide.

They are the living shapes that remind us of who we truly are; sophisticated creatures full of dreams and experiences, tortured by our fears, led by our emotions, and teased by our feelings. At times empty, and at others complete, branded by the past, absorbed by the present, and anxious of the future.

Some of the figures in the artist's work are obvious, attracting the eye immediately, as if to establish contact. These are followed by the less obvious ones, sometimes minute, fragile, hidden, or even so large that the canvas cannot contain them. Never present by accident, and living in a fantastical universe, these creatures talk to each of us. Animals, men, women, dressed or naked, objects from our lives – boats, pianos. These creatures have ever-changing faces; they make our viewing mature, opening new thought channels, and never leaving us indifferent.

• His background

Born in Taracuarembò, Uruguay, in 1947, Alvarez initiated his artistic career in 1961 when he began studying at the Montevideo Art School. He later moved on to teach at the Nuestra Señora del Huerto school in Florida, Uruguay.

From 1973 and ‘74, he was living between Montevideo and Buenos-Aires, and it was during this time that Alvarez began to dedicate his life to painting. The decision however, was partly fuelled by an invitation from the Marcos Gallery in Caracas, Venezuela, where he was asked to live, work and exhibit. In 1979 he established the artist group ‘Taller 69', and organised exhibitions with four fellow painters, dedicated to a style called ‘critica figurativa'.

Following this experience, Alvarez was left with a conflicting feeling about the mercantile aspect of art. This unease still remains today, and during the late `70s it forced the artist to retire to the Caribbean coast where he isolated himself in a wild and authentic environment.

As a result, the work he produced became impregnated by the contrasting cultures of the Caribbean paradise and Cono Sur, hence creating a dialogue between life and art in a series of paintings entitled ‘Conversing with Paradise'.

In 1982, Alvarez began a series of travels outside Southern America to Switzerland, Italy and Spain. Thanks to his search for new locations while living in Barcelona and then in Switzerland, the artist's fame began to rise in Europe, culminating in being awarded the Bienale of Contemporary Art Scandicci in Florence prize in 1983. He then showed his work in numerous personal and collective exhibitions in cities from Paris to Tokyo.

The painter's work is present in private collections in South America, the United States and Europe, as well as in contemporary art museums such as the Scandicci in Florence, Francisco Navaez in Venezuela, art foundations in Aterrana, Lichtenstein, and also in some important Swiss banks.

Sergio Alvarez Frugoni's paintings are on show at his studio in Alarò.

About the Author

Dr. Helen Cummins is the Editor of abcMallorca Magazine a high quality guide to mallorca printed in three languages including informative Articles about Mallorca, up to date Events Guide and a Business Directory.

You can visit the abcMallorca website to read the original article about Alvarez Frugoni or related articles about living in Mallorca.