How did this grant contribute to the realization of your project in regard to artistic exchange, local cultural development and/or the promotion of cultural diversity?
This trip to Marseille and the contacts I made there gave me the chance to present myself as a woman, a mother, a photographer. It allowed me to have passionate exchanges and discussions about my Arab culture and the cultures of the photographers I met during the stay. Presenting and talking about my upcoming artistic projects helped me to develop this new work based on self biography and beyond. During the stay, I met young artists and I had the chance to go to Arles and to see all the exhibitions of Les Rencontres d'Arles and Voies Off festival : it is very important to see what other artists do and to have critic discussions on all these exhibitions we saw together. At the end of the stay we decided to develop a photographic project based on an exchange of everyday's pictures accompanied by short texts, during the next 4 month.
How does exchange, networking and international contacts contribute to the development of your artistic and cultural project?
It is difficult for me to have a global vision, but I would say that these exchange possibilities for young but also mid-career artists in the Mediterranean territory are extremely rich and should be developped (travel grants, facilities in finding places where to meet and to stay) as widely as possible. These exchanges and networking give new energy and power, they motivate me to go on with my work and to express and share, throughout my artwork, all what I feel, hope and believe.
Can you elaborate on the learning and knowledge you have gained and shared throughout this experience?
We all have daily exchanges on social media as Facebook and others, but the real human contact and exchange is so important for everybody and can not be replaced by electronic communication. Living together, even for a short time, allows closer contact and really intense exchanges about personal life of course, but above all it allows everyone to see and experiment new skills and techniques. Time spent together during such a residency is precious and helps to go back home full with new ideas.
