The Agora of Aristotle

INSTALLATION:

The Agora of Aristotle (2022)

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MEDIUM:

Conversational dialogue with a conscious randomizing element

 

CULTURAL PARTNER:

Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

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COLLABORATIVE ARTIST:

Lamya Tawfik in collaboration with Lauren Noble of co|laboratory

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ARTIST BIO: 

Lamya Tawfik is an Egyptian journalist presenter and performing artist (actress and storyteller. Her performing arts journey started in 2009. Since then she has performed in English, Arabic and Italian with several theatre groups in Dubai including Danú, Dubai Drama Group, ITACA, DramaDonne, Artbox Group and Pappagallo Productions. As a storyteller, she has performed in many children's events, storytelling festivals and also told stories at the Sharjah International Book Fair and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo and a Doctorate Degree in Childhood Studies from the Mass Communication and Child Culture Department, Institute for Postgraduate Childhood Studies at Ain Shams University in Cairo. She is currently studying to be a certified Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapies Practitioner.
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RATIONALE:

The Agora of Athens was a space renowned for its devotion to Athena, goddess of war and wisdom. Women therefore played a far more pronounced role within this public space. The Agora of Aristotle uses the fundamentals of dramatic critique as presented by Aristotle in The Poetics to encourage the art of discussion, literary analysis, critical discourse and open dialogue in a way that not only permits participants to speak up but to also consider different perspectives. Collaborating with our cultural partner, Emirates LitFest, has brought this installation to life in ways we never dreamed possible. The power of literature and to bring people together is evident in our shared ethos. After all, Emirates LitFest "has contributed to raising awareness about the role of literature in understanding the world, each other, and in embracing our differences before our similarities. The Festival has the ability to bring together the best of all cultures in order to make a real difference in the world."