In the picture Director Aurélie Dupont, Ambassador Ali bin Abdullah Al Ahmed, ADMAF Founder Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis – Picture by ADMAF

Thursday, 3 October 2019, Paris, France: Stéphane Lissner, Director of Opéra National de Paris (Paris Opera) and Founder of ADMAF and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, H.E. Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis, jointly signed a historic Letter of Cooperation (LoC) in the presence of H.E. Ali Abdullah Al Ahmed, UAE Ambassador to France and Aurélie Dupont, Director of Dance at the magnificent Palais Garnier in Paris.

This historic strategic partnership is the first for any international and Arab cultural organisation and will enhance the international cultural achievement and presence of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, by enabling both institutions to share experiences, identify and develop knowledge and broaden expertise. It will also enable co-productions, co-commissions and performances with which to create new dimensions of artistic collaboration while fostering development and growth of cultural and artistic works in Abu Dhabi Festival and beyond.

Speaking after the LoC signing ceremony, Founder Huda Alkhamis said: “The relationship between ADMAF and Paris Opera has always been strong and impactful, and the signing of this Letter of Cooperation between our two organisations will enable us to go on to even greater heights in identifying and developing activities that foster growth of cultural and artistic works, particularly with regards to our youth. Partnerships such as this serve to increase Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s presence on the world stage and strengthen cross-cultural understanding.”

Opéra National de Paris

Opéra National de Paris (Paris Opera) is the principal opera and ballet company of France and its roots can be traced back as far as 1661, with the founding of the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Academy of Dance) by Louis XIV, with the purpose of training dancers and formalising choreographic art. Eight years later, in 1669, Louis XIV founded the Académie d’Opéra, and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the Académie Royale de Musique, but continued to be known more simply as the Opéra.

Classical ballet as it is known today, arose within the Paris Opera as the Paris Opera Ballet and has remained an integral and important part of the company. Now officially known as the Opéra National de Paris, it mainly produces operas at its modern 2700-seat theatre Opéra Bastille which was commissioned by then President of France,François Mitterand, and opened in 1989. It also produces ballets and classical operas at the 1,970-seat Palais Garnier, which opened in 1875.

As well as running the two houses, the company employs a large number of permanent staff, including as orchestra of 170, a choir of 110 and the corps de ballet of 150. Each year, the Opéra presents about 380 performances of opera, ballet and other concerts, to a total audience of approximately 800,000 people.

For further information:
www.admaf.org

Seated Model on the Couch – Edvard Munch 1924-1926-©-Kunstsammlung-NRW.

Friday, 11 September 2019, Düsseldorf, NRW, Germany: With approximately 140 artworks that have rarely, if ever been exhibited in Germany, the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein- Westfalen (State Art Collection of North Rhine-Westphalia) presents the “unknown” Edvard Munch (1863 – 1944) at the K20. His paintings, prints, and sculptures were selected by Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgård (b. 1968).

The internationally celebrated author, a native Norwegian like Munch himself, achieved worldwide fame with his six-volume autobiographical novel, which has been translated into more than 30 languages and has received numerous prizes. His decidedly personal point of view opens up a fresh perspective of a man who was, arguably, the most important representative of the Scandinavian avant-garde of the early 20th century, while highlighting the continuing relevance of Munch’s concern with the embeddedness of the individual in society

Knausgård explores the painter’s inner world while tracing Munch’s various artistic preoccupations. The author’s subjective approach results in a subdivision of the exhibition into 4 thematic areas:

i) “Light and Landscape” presents shorelines and gardens, but also scenes of people working in the fields. It is followed by ii) “The Forest”, with its views of trees and meadows – here is a natural world that retains the upper hand in relation to human endeavours. iii)“Chaos and Energy” provides insights into the emotional and psychological forces that drove the painter, and into his struggle with each work.

Complementing this focus on Munch’s interior life is the conclusion, iv) “The Others”, which features images of friends and comrades and focuses on the ways in which the individual reasserts control over reality.

The exhibition has been organised by the Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway, in partnership  with Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf. It takes place in parallel to the Frankfurt Book Fair, which names Norway its guest of honor and centre of attention in 2019. The exhibition was opened by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Premier Armin Laschet and Director, Prof. Dr. Susanne Gaensheimer. 

Text: Kunstsammlung NRW 

For further information:

http://www.kunstsammlung.de/en/edvard-munch.htmlMunch Museum: http://munchmuseet.no/