[This is a monthly roundup of news articles and other materials related to artistically inclined topics challenging cultural hegemony in the region, and beyond. It does not reflect the views of the Vox Populi Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send recommendations for inclusion in the Vox Populi Media Roundup to voxpopuli@jadaliyya.com, mentioning “Roundup” in the subject line. We also welcome your submissions to the Vox Populi Page.]
Houda Gueddari: In Morocco, Politics Accommodates Culture, Stifles Art
A Moroccan artist explains how the country’s domestic politics have a lack of vision in promoting and selling local art, neglecting Morocco’s rich artistic and cultural heritage.
In Sudan, empty tear gas canisters from protests turned into art
Protesters in Sudan collect empty tear gas canisters into art. From pencil holders to flower pots, these symbols of violence are transformed into peaceful creations of the people.
Empathy, education, and inspiration: One Palestinian's vision for art in Washington
Palestinian artist Ahmed Hmeedat discusses the vision behind the Museum of the Palestinian People--as a universal space that educates and inspires people about the plight and history of the Palestinian people.
Meet the artisans trying to preserve Egypt's ancient art of tentmaking
As demand for the Egyptian art of Khayamiya, or tent making, drops, a discussion with the artisans that are trying to preserve it.
In Mosul exhibition, Iraqi artists process brutal rule of Islamic State
After three years of rule under the Islamic State, the Mosul Museum exhibits work from artists across Iraq. The artworks are the haunting products of artists grappling with the after-effects of the brutal rule.
A new chapter has begun for female Arab writers
A short look into the long-term efforts of women in the field of writing, as evidenced in this year’s record of four women authors on the shortlist for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
Police disperse protest march on Sudan women’s prison
In a continuation of the demonstrations that began in December 2018 against the government's decision to triple bread prices, protesters in Sudan continue their fight, calling for the release of women arrested in protests against President Omar al-Bashir’s three-decade rule.
Iraqi Researchers Use Art to Help Sexual-Violence Survivors
In light of a lack of trained psychiatrists, a public health researcher and a local artist in Duhok have put together an art program to help Yazidi survivors recover from sexual violence.