Project Summary

Open Lab Egypt began in 2009 with a series of workshops to introduce Open Source software and electronics to artists in Cairo, with the aim of increasing local competency in digital interactive methods. Since then the project has developed in ambition and aims to create a permanent laboratory to develop the digital and technical skills of a wide range of practitioners in Egypt. Aside from its web-based activity to provide a constant forum for technical support, the laboratory would host weekly presentations and jam sessions, and open selected projects to the public. The facility would also host an annual exhibition to showcase its projects, provide a service to offer support externally and offer grants for collaboration-based projects. Open Lab Egypt presented at March Meeting with the aim of triggering similar facilities in other Arab countries and to establish a network that could collaborate on larger projects.

Presentation Proposal

Open Lab Egypt is a long-term project focused on establishing a permanent facility and laboratory for the development of digital arts in Egypt, promoting the use of Open Source (FLOSS) tools in audio-visual creation. The project aims to raise a local community in Cairo of autonomous people who can begin to support the production of interactive environments and electronic interfaces in the future, while using all accessible technologies that might be necessary. The project is intended for art students, artists, designers, educators, engineers and scientists contributing to the development of cultural production in local communities.

Speaker

During his studies at Helwan University Dia Hamed (b. Cairo) was involved in acting, dancing and playing percussion for theatre in university festivals and other cultural events. Later he took part in live performance art works in Salon El Shabab as well as the Sabeel performance meetings at the Townhouse Gallery, Cairo, in 2007-08. He subsequently returned to experimenting with interactivity in public space with his recent projects situation-complication and Native Tourists. Hamed co-founded the Studio Moroni theatre group, the Sabeel project and Medrar for Contemporary Art, where he is currently working as Project Director. He also works as Assistant Director with the Berlin-based company Rimini Protokol for documentary theatre production.

December 2011

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