at the lab
Al-Ma’mal Foundation at the Lab

November – December 2011

Jack Persekian and colleagues from Al-Ma'mal Foundation for Contemporary Art in Jerusalem will explore the possibilities of working across the region with friends and associates who cannot physically visit Jerusalem. This experiment will be the precursor for a far greater future collaboration between the Darat Al-Funun in Amman and the Al-Ma'mal Foundation in Jerusalem in an attempt to bridge the divide that had brutally separated the two cities in 1967, allowing the Al-Ma'mal team to personally interact with artists and practitioners from the Arab world they are long denied the pleasure and honour to work with, due to the inaccessibility of Jerusalem.

Al-Ma'mal Foundation for Contemporary Art is a non-profit organization based in Jerusalem. Founded in 1998, Al Ma'mal aims to promote, instigate, disseminate and make art. Al-Ma'mal serves as an advocate for contemporary art and a catalyst for the realization of art projects, by providing art workshops for youth, and inviting artists to Jerusalem to develop and present their work. Al-Ma'mal Foundation is determined to make Jerusalem a center for contemporary art, while considering the situation on the ground and the enduring qualities of Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Show
The Jerusalem Show is an annual art event showcasing works of Palestinian and foreign artists held in the Old City of Jerusalem for a period of ten days. The Show highlights works that reflect the importance of Jerusalem as an artistic, cultural, political, and social space and promotes a re-reading of the city in a creatively accessible and interactive manner. The Show comprises an exhibition of contemporary art, art workshops, interventions, guided tours in the Old City, film screenings and performances. The Jerusalem Show is organized in cooperation with art institutions, local youth centers, schools, in public spaces, as well as casual encounters over coffee around the corner, in an alley, close to the souk.