Stand Speak Rise Up! co-organised a round table on artistic commitment with the Nosbaum Reding gallery, on the occasion of Maryam Najd’s exhibition Rhapsody of the Unseen.

Alongside H.R.H. the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and Chékéba Hachemi, co-founders of Stand Speak Rise Up!, the panel brought together Élisabeth Nicoli, MLF activist and co-chair of the Prix Antoinette Fouque and the Musée des Femmes, and two artists: Afghan photographer Fatimah Hossaini and Iranian-born painter Maryam Najd. Together, they discussed the situation of Afghan and Iranian women, the silence of political leaders, the strength that emerges from exile, and the place of women in the history of art and of creation as a whole.

Art and rebuilding, at the heart of Stand Speak Rise Up!

The Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Chékéba Hachemi looked back on how Stand Speak Rise Up! came about and on their commitment to Survivors and to Afghan women. They stressed the role of art in rebuilding lives, a dimension built into the association’s projects since 2019.

They also presented the Simply Survivors exhibition, of which Chékéba Hachemi is the curator.

Two artists, two perspectives

Fatimah Hossaini photographs Afghan women in colourful staged settings, moving away from the image of victims they are too often reduced to. Maryam Najd paints from her own experience as a woman who has lived in different societies; her work explores identity, exile and freedom.

Today, through their art, they shed light on the challenges they face as Women, Artists and Foreigners in their host countries.

Thank you to the Nosbaum Reding gallery

Alex Reding, founder of the gallery, opened and closed the evening. Thank you to the Nosbaum Reding gallery for hosting us, and to all the speakers for this inspiring exchange!