Adiafa/Diyafa: Gifts of Exchange
My blogs
| Industry | Arts |
|---|---|
| Location | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Introduction | Adiafa is a Spanish word originating from the Arabic Diyafa meaning hospitality. In many cultures there is a tradition of welcoming guests by providing food and drink or in some cases gifts of welcome upon guests arrival or departure. This collaborative project between visual artists, Nicole Barakat and Paula do Prado explores the idea of gifts of exchange from a cultural perspective. The starting points for the project come from the artist’s individual travel to the countries of their heritage. The artwork is a result of an exchange process carried out over several months, whereby the artists make work in response to letters, postcards and other correspondence, objects with a cultural, social or historical significance and gifts brought back from travel. The project will culminate in an exhibition in mid 2011 at The Cross Art Projects in Kings Cross. The planned site for this exhibition is in itself reflective of the politics of exchange within shifting margins. As both centre and periphery, Kings Cross is a historic social and cultural hub as well as a place where extremes in demographics meet and coexist. |