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 has been really enriching in terms of new contacts and a very encouraging experience to go ahead with my research. I have had a big opportunity to share and promote my research on Media Art and I have received a valuable feedback on it. The presentation of my research woke up a great interest in the audience and a very enriching discussion was set up. This dialogue and the opportunity to know about the work of the other researches, as well as learning about the state of art in Egypt via the exhibitions and workshops of the Di-Egy 01 Festival have helped me to find new points of interest to go beyond with my research and have encouraged me to extend this away of my PhD thesis.

How does exchange, networking and international contacts contribute to the development of your artistic and cultural project?

I consider that international contact and mobility of artists and researchers are vital to be part of the international community of thinkers, and promote our individual activity. In the case of my research focused on the new aesthetics of a new mediated space it is very important to be in contact and learning from professionals and researchers from countries where this field is more developed, as well as to know about how new technologies are implemented and configure new spaces of communication in different countries with different cultures and different levels of technological development.

Can you elaborate on the learning and knowledge you have gained and shared throughout this experience?

For me, moving to France in 2009 was a very important milestone in my research. There I had the opportunity to work in a laboratory and to experience the practices and questions that motivated me to start my PhD research. Moreover, during my doctoral studies I have had the opportunity to participate in different conferences and seminars in France, Mexico, Spain, and now Egypt. Besides the knowledge acquired attending these events, they allowed me to become a seminal member of an international network of Media Art professionals, what has largely enriched my research giving me the opportunity to observe and understand the rapidly evolving landscape that constitutes this field of research.