News

The Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM)

13^th Edition 2007 in Alexandria, Egypt
Press Release
Alexandria — The International Association of the “Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM)”, at their General Assembly on 25 March in Alexandria, has chosen the city of Alexandria as the location of the 13^th edition of the Biennial in July 2007. This is the first time this prestigious event will be held outside Europe, in the South of the Mediterranean. It will be organized by the BJCEM, the Governorate of Alexandria, the Anna Lindh Foundation for the Dialogue Between Cultures, and the Alex Med Research Center (Bibliotheca Alexandrina).

The Governor of Alexandria, His Excellency General Abdel Salam Mahgoub, has expressed his pleasure that such a consortium of partners will organize this international event in the historic city of Alexandria. Dr. Yehia Halim Zaki, Head of the Cultural and Academic Sector in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and Head of the Steering Committee of the 13^th Edition of the Biennale 2007, confirms that dialogue through art is one of the missions of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, whose many activities and program make it an innovator in cultural and artistic interaction as well as a meeting point for dialogue and understanding among people. Dr. Mohamed Awad, Director of Alex Med and Coordinator of the Organizing Committee, believes that art speaks one language across different cultures, and that both city and artists will benefit from this interaction.

This multi-disciplinary artistic event will involve workshops, exhibitions and shows in the fields of visual art, applied art, performance art, film, literature and poetry, architecture, gastronomy, and music. During the ten-day festival, Alexandria will receive up to 1000 young artists from more than forty countries of Europe and the Mediterranean, and the public spaces of the city will come alive with the creations of young artists. The events will be open to all.

The theme of the 13^th Biennale will be “Our Creative Diversity. Culture in Everyday Life: Kairos”. The Greek word “Kairos” indicates a point in time where change is possible. The Executive Director of the Anna Lindh Foundation, Dr. Traugott Schoefthaler, explains: “In the present crisis in cultural relations between North and South we send a signal to Europeans and their Southern neighbors: Cultural differences are not a threat; cultural and religious pluralism is our common wealth. Young artists are invited to help our societies better understand that every individual enjoys the right to cultural expression, and that we need to prevent cultural uniformity through promoting creativity of all citizens”. Dr. Ibrahim Spahic, President of the International Association for the BJCEM asserted the need for creation of a new space for young artists to express themselves with freedom and in a spirit of respect for cultural diversity. Furthermore, the cooperation with the Egyptian authorities, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Atelier of Alexandria and the Anna Lindh Foundation represents a promising network for a major dialogue between cultures.

In the twenty years of its history, the Biennale has provided young people with a concrete opportunity for dialogue and cooperation through art. Since the first edition in Barcelona in 1985,it has presented almost 10,000 artists and received 2 million visitors.