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This episode of Outline is the first in an Aleppo special hosted by Sabine Boghossian. In this episode, our host is joined by visual artist Christine Gedeon. Born in Aleppo, Syria, and raised in the US, Gedeon now divides her time between Berlin and New York. Her work has focused on her family history in Syria pre-civil war. The discussion delves into her latest projects, including her book "Aleppo Deconstruction Reconstruction" and her film "A Portrait of Michel," which explore the impact of the Syrian war on her family and artistic journey. Gedeon shares the emotional and personal challenges of working on projects related to her family's history, dealing with themes of identity, war, and loss, and the recent fall of the Assad regime. The conversation also touches on broader issues such as the impact of censorship and the political climate on artists, especially those from the Middle East.
00:00 Introduction
02:57 Christine's Artistic Journey and Syrian Heritage
05:47 Mapping and Reconstructing Aleppo
09:38 The Story of Michel and Family Tragedies
13:27 Creating the Film: A Portrait of Michel
22:56 Challenges and Discoveries in Filmmaking
28:54 Learning About Michel's Life
30:18 The Emotional Impact on the Family
32:08 Silencing and Fear Under the Regime
37:20 The Fall of the Assad Regime
42:12 Artistic Challenges in Berlin
49:07 Upcoming Screenings and Public Interest
Christine Gedeon is a visual artist born in Aleppo and raised in the U.S. She divides her time between Berlin and New York. Since the start of the war in Syria, her work has focused on her family history in Syria, pre-civil war, in various mediums including video, sound installations, and works on paper and canvas. Gedeon’s work has appeared in galleries and institutions worldwide. She has received grants and fellowships from the Berlin Cultural Senate, The Harpo Foundation, the Bronx Museum, and A.I.R. Gallery, New York. Her book, "Aleppo: Deconstruction | Reconstruction" was published in 2020, by Kerber Verlag in Germany.
Connect with Christine 👉 https://www.instagram.com/christine.gedeon/
Hosted by: Sabine Boghossian 👉 https://www.instagram.com/sabineboghossian/
& Omar Thawabeh 👉 https://www.instagram.com/omarthawabeh/
Sabine Boghossian is a multidisciplinary creative who dives headfirst into anything that captures her curiosity. Born and bred in a multicultural household in Aleppo, Syria, she has spent the last decade balancing her life between Beirut and Brussels. Her passion for food and sensitivity to language fuel her diverse practice, which spans scenography, design, and copywriting on subjects as varied as food, architecture, and identity. She recently launched "yurs" a line of repairable leather goods in the form of DIY kits.
Omar Thawabeh is a Beirut-based translator, writer and the co-host of afikra's Outline podcast. His translations and essays were published in Bidayat, The Public Source, Oasis, among other platforms and magazines. In 2023, his Arabic translation of Lamia Ziadé’s graphic novel "Bye Bye Babylone" was published by Mauzoun.
FOLLOW & RATE THE OUTLINE PODCAST
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-outline/id1646405442
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GbiJVVNtBXMvH6155am06
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639425
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl4kiYfcmVlscYdob4Hk62-P&si=W35hkYg6-taJOwF9
ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra
This episode of Outline is the first in an Aleppo special hosted by Sabine Boghossian. In this episode, our host is joined by visual artist Christine Gedeon. Born in Aleppo, Syria, and raised in the US, Gedeon now divides her time between Berlin and New York. Her work has focused on her family history in Syria pre-civil war. The discussion delves into her latest projects, including her book "Aleppo Deconstruction Reconstruction" and her film "A Portrait of Michel," which explore the impact of the Syrian war on her family and artistic journey. Gedeon shares the emotional and personal challenges of working on projects related to her family's history, dealing with themes of identity, war, and loss, and the recent fall of the Assad regime. The conversation also touches on broader issues such as the impact of censorship and the political climate on artists, especially those from the Middle East.
00:00 Introduction
02:57 Christine's Artistic Journey and Syrian Heritage
05:47 Mapping and Reconstructing Aleppo
09:38 The Story of Michel and Family Tragedies
13:27 Creating the Film: A Portrait of Michel
22:56 Challenges and Discoveries in Filmmaking
28:54 Learning About Michel's Life
30:18 The Emotional Impact on the Family
32:08 Silencing and Fear Under the Regime
37:20 The Fall of the Assad Regime
42:12 Artistic Challenges in Berlin
49:07 Upcoming Screenings and Public Interest
Christine Gedeon is a visual artist born in Aleppo and raised in the U.S. She divides her time between Berlin and New York. Since the start of the war in Syria, her work has focused on her family history in Syria, pre-civil war, in various mediums including video, sound installations, and works on paper and canvas. Gedeon’s work has appeared in galleries and institutions worldwide. She has received grants and fellowships from the Berlin Cultural Senate, The Harpo Foundation, the Bronx Museum, and A.I.R. Gallery, New York. Her book, "Aleppo: Deconstruction | Reconstruction" was published in 2020, by Kerber Verlag in Germany.
Connect with Christine 👉 https://www.instagram.com/christine.gedeon/
Hosted by: Sabine Boghossian 👉 https://www.instagram.com/sabineboghossian/
& Omar Thawabeh 👉 https://www.instagram.com/omarthawabeh/
Sabine Boghossian is a multidisciplinary creative who dives headfirst into anything that captures her curiosity. Born and bred in a multicultural household in Aleppo, Syria, she has spent the last decade balancing her life between Beirut and Brussels. Her passion for food and sensitivity to language fuel her diverse practice, which spans scenography, design, and copywriting on subjects as varied as food, architecture, and identity. She recently launched "yurs" a line of repairable leather goods in the form of DIY kits.
Omar Thawabeh is a Beirut-based translator, writer and the co-host of afikra's Outline podcast. His translations and essays were published in Bidayat, The Public Source, Oasis, among other platforms and magazines. In 2023, his Arabic translation of Lamia Ziadé’s graphic novel "Bye Bye Babylone" was published by Mauzoun.
FOLLOW & RATE THE OUTLINE PODCAST
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-outline/id1646405442
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GbiJVVNtBXMvH6155am06
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639425
THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl4kiYfcmVlscYdob4Hk62-P&si=W35hkYg6-taJOwF9
ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra