you, me and the painted paper !

please visit my flickr page for new pictures from the evolution of my joint exhibition with laure ghorayeb (opening next wednesday).

progressing on works

working on "toi et moi et le papier peint", a joint exhibition with laure ghorayeb.
please check my flickr page or the facebook event for more pictures and info.

DON'T FEED THE ARTIST (an exhibition/performance by mazen kerbaj)

dear friends,

if you happen to be around brussels between the 4th and the 12th of december, please drop by the Halles de Schaerbeek
for my new exhibition/performance: DON'T FEED THE ARTIST
info: http://www.halles.be/event.php?id=649

for those who cannot afford the travel to brussels, you can check my blog
(www.mazenkerblog.blogspot.com) or my flickr page
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerbaj/) for daily pictures of the exhibit,
starting the 5th of december.

for those who cann afford the travel, please note that besides the exhibit,
i will also play a trumpet solo in the same venue, on the 6th of december,
at 5.30PM

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-------------------------------

DON'T FEED THE ARTIST (for a bad english version scroll down please)

"Le regard des autres sur ma peinture ce n’est pas mon problème, c’est leur
problème. Je ne peins pas pour les autres, je fais de la peinture pour
moi-même."
Francis Bacon – Entretiens avec Michel Archimbaud

Quel est le statut de l’artiste dans la société? Est-il un demi-dieu, un
parasite, un exhibitionniste, ou une bête de foire? Quelle est la nature de
sa relation avec les spectateurs et non spectateurs?

L’œuvre a-t-elle besoin du spectateur pour exister?
Créer une œuvre d’art est-il un combat?

Qui en sort vainqueur? Où est l’arbitre? Et quel est le ring?
Quelle relation l’artiste entretient-il avec son œuvre?

Peut-il réellement disparaître derrière cette dernière?
D’où viennent les idées? L’inspiration existe-t-elle?

Peut-on jamais créer quelque chose de nouveau?

Le processus n’est-il pas plus important que le résultat?

Peut-on considérer la création d’une œuvre d’art comme une œuvre d’art?

Dans une exposition, qui de l’artiste ou de l’œuvre s’expose le plus? A quoi
s’exposent-ils d’ailleurs? Quand et où commence une exposition? Et quand se
termine-t-elle? […]

A défaut de répondre à ces questions, Mazen Kerbaj tente de les poser.
Pendant 9 jours, il s’enferme (et s’expose) dans une cage en verre dans
laquelle il travaille. Les œuvres terminées prennent place au fur et à
mesure sur les parois de la cage, permettant aux visiteurs-spectateurs de
suivre l’avancée des travaux. Au dernier soir, (pendant le
vernissage-décrochage) l’expo peut enfin commencer, et s’achever.

-------------------------------

DON'T FEED THE ARTIST

What is an artist’s status in society? Is he a half-god, a parasite, an
exhibitionist or a circus freak?

What kind of relation does he have to his viewers and non-viewers?
Do his pictures need to be seen for them to exist?

Is creating a work of art like a boxing fight? Who emerges the winner? Who
is the judge? What is the ring?

At an exhibition, is it the artist or the work of art exhibiting
himself/herself/itself the most? To whom are they exhibiting themselves?
When and where does an exhibition begin? And when does it end?

Far from answering such questions, Mazen Kerbaj tries at least to ask them.
For ten days he will shut himself inside a glass cage (exhibiting himself)
to work. As soon as any picture is finished, it will be hung on the walls of
the cage, allowing the viewers to follow step-by-step the evolution of the
exhibit.
On the final evening (during the preview/taking down) the exhibition can
finally begin, and finish.

-------------------------------
-------------------------------

interview_journaliste

PLEASE CHECK MY FLICKR PAGE FIR SOME NEW DRAWINGS

this story 44

soon in a tobacco shop near you

for those who asked: this drawing refers to the "american spirit" tobacco brand.

SK is watching you

this drawing is about "SK Eyes", the new "brand/concept" launched by the samir kassir foundation.

a story from gaza n#3

gaza on tv

gaza - help

gaza in pieces

a story from gaza n#2

A story from Gaza

GAZA on my mind

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DRAWING IS COPYRIGHTLESS.
you are strongly encouraged to post it, print it, stick it on the walls of your city, and share it by any means with the biggest number of people you may know.

please do mention/tag/link the author or the blog (mazenkerblog.blogspot.com) when it is possible.

... في غزة في

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DRAWING IS COPYRIGHTLESS.
you are strongly encouraged to post it, print it, stick it on the walls of your city, and share it by any means with the biggest number of people you may know.

please do mention/tag/link the author or the blog (mazenkerblog.blogspot.com) when it is possible.

IN GAZA THERE IS...

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DRAWING IS COPYRIGHTLESS.
you are strongly encouraged to post it, print it, stick it on the walls of your city, and share it by any means with the biggest number of people you may know.

please do mention/tag/link the author or the blog (mazenkerblog.blogspot.com) when it is possible.

GAZA UNDER THE RAIN

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DRAWING IS COPYRIGHTLESS.
you are strongly encouraged to post it, print it, stick it on the walls of your city, and share it by any means with the biggest number of people you may know.

please do mention/tag/link the author or the blog (mazenkerblog.blogspot.com) when it is possible.

F & D

some new drawings were posted on my flicker page.
please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerbaj/ to see them.

je t'aime

I love you // I love you as one would love a woman // I love you as one
would love a son // I love you as one would love a mother

I love you // I love your voice // I love when you raise your voice on me// I love when you’re silent. It’s rare that you’re silent

i love you // i love when you hug me // i love when you push me away// i love when i walk next to you, behind you, in front of you and inside you

I love you // I love your eyes// I love your eyes into my eyes // I love other people’s eyes into your eyes

I love you // I love to be in your bed // I just love being in your bed // I love forgetting that in the past i’ve been looking for others beds

I love you // And i hate you more than satan hates god, my beirut

samir 2008

june 2005

june 2008
- "fuck, i thought i was done with these idiots..."

... it's been three years they are assassinating samir

25 may / lebanon celebrates the reconciliation

bang bang
bang bang bang
bang
bang bang bang

- "how many dead and injured?"

24 may / on the plane

i am coming back to lebanon and, for the first time, i feel that i don't know where i am going...

in a slovakian cafe, sharif and i are lost

- "what do you think will happen to lebanon? is there really a reconciliation? is it possible that the country calms down a little bit after these two years?"

- "i don't know! i don't believe! i can't believe! i don't know how to believe!"

nicotine

nazdravie again and again

i am still in bratislava and i am still getting drunk

- "and the best is to come."

nazdravie!

less than an hour in bratislava, and i am already drunk...

- "to be honest, i cheated a little bit... i started drinking in the plane... and before it in the airport... and before in my house... and before..."

bratislava blues

after half an hour in the taxi (and with gipsy king) i arrived finally to bratislava...
- "somebody remove me from here."
BOMBOLEEEO, BOMBOLEEEA

i arrived in the middle of a rock concert!
- "the problem with drawing and music, is that whatever you draw, the reader can feel that the music was good..."

20 may / in the plane

i am going for 4 days to slovakia for the opening of my exhibition and a duo concert with sharif sehnaoui.

and i don't know if the beirut airport will remain open for these 4 days...

15 may / THE WAR IS OVER (hahaha)

we removed the helmet and ut it away (not very far)

- "i hope that the next time you'll put me on again, there will be some dust on me..."

drunk

i was getting drunk to forget the war, i ended up forgetting how to draw!

a nice dinner

- "today, racha went to work (in corniche el mazra'a) and evan went to school. and people are in the streets. as usual, as if nothing happened.
a war? which war?
and today we decided to go out for dinner.
in this moment, while i am drawing, i am drunk. very drunk.
between hizbollah and the "14th of march" i choose the white wine..."

- "but who do you support for real?"

- "i support the germans... and if they loose i become with brazil..."

12 may / joker

- "In july 2006 war,
we got angry and we shouted
and we got scared and we got disgusted
and we cried and we got drunk
and we stayed and we felt distress
and we insulted and we resisted
and we got nervous and... and...
and... and... and... and..."

- "These days, i am only crying."

11 may

AND ON THE FIFTH DAY

the cannons joined the dance.

10 may / tv tv tv tv and tv

- position

- and counter position

- and answer to the counter position

- and position against the answer to the counter position

- and condemnation of the position against the answer to the counter position

- "i don't understand, are we going to remove the helmets or not? 58 or 75?"

note to the foreign reader:
1958 = 3 days civil war in lebanon
1975 = 15 years civil war in lebanon

10 may

ONE HUNDRED ISRAELI PLANES

AND ONE THOUSAND TONS OF BOMBS

frighten me less than the sight of one armed man on tv and in beirut streets!

10 may / irak and palestine

it's been 5 years we are watching
IRAK & PALESTINE
and saying:

- "poor bagdad and poor gaza, you are becoming like beirut in 75"

- "poor"

- "o bagdad and gaza, turn your tv on, beirut came back on the scene!"

9 may / UNDER MY HELMET

beirut and my head
are burning

9 may / the right to answer

in answer to the famous lebanese legend saying "in every lebanese house there is weapons", racha says:

- "how's that? who said that there is weapons in every house? WE DO NOT HAVE WEAPONS!"

- "racha?"

- "ENOUGH FOOLISH SAYS!"

- "racha?"

- "WE'RE FED WITH WEAPONS AND FIGHTERS!"

- "racha?"

- "WHAT?

- "can you lend me some cash? i found a cheap kalashnikov rifle... a real deal... and the russian model..."

9 may / tv truth?

"the problem is political and not communitarian"

"no to the shiite-sunnite war"

"we will not allow the communitarian war to happen in lebanon"

"the battle is not sunni-shii, and we refuse a communitarian war"

- "didn't they say the same in 75?"

9 may

today, when i woke up, i thought about this drawing of naji el ali

el ali drawing caption: "good morning beirut."

- "go hide yourself hanzala, it seems beirut is going insane these days"

note to the foreign reader: hanzala is the name of el ali's iconic character (the small boy seen from behind in most of his cartoons). the used drawing was published after the 1982 israeli invasion of beirut.

8 may / before going to sleep

it's 3 am, and you are falling asleep next to me, on the sofa.
and the rain stopped.
and it seems the shots stopped.
before you felt asleep, you told me: "that's nice... it feels like the rain is washing beirut..."
and here i am sitting, with my glass of whiskey, trying to convince myself that something can still wash this fucking country.... fucking country!

8 may / and with the fall of the night

tatatataaaa
booooooom
tatataaa

- "talking and shots and talking and shots and talking and shots..."

- "and it's your fault and it's your fault..."

- "and i did nothing and i did nothing..."

- "and the price of the kalashnikov rifle is still going up!"

8 may / the "after press conference" era

tatatatata
- "cheerful shots"

tattaatatataaa
- "andconfrontation shots"

tatatatata
- "and tv shots"

booom
- "and bazookas"

- "until when will we stay in pajamas?"

8 may

11 AM
- "it seems i am right this time..."

4 PM
- "and it seems that we're going to need sand bags!"

7 may / beginning of the civil war

it's been 2 years you are saying this.

- "because it 's been two years that it is beginning..."

7 may / hunger demonstration turns wrong?

THE LEBANESE WORKER FINALLY FINDS HIS DAILY BREAD

- "better than bread, stones for free!"

NEW DRAWINGS ARE HERE

dear friends,

i apologize for the deterioration of this blog. i am not finding time to update it as regularly as i wish. but i reassure you, i still find time for drawing; the proves are at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerbaj/

please go check them there, and if you feel like leaving a comment and don't have a flickr account, feel free to do it here.
anyway, i will continue announcing here the flickr updates, with an image from the new bunch of drawings (for marketing purposes).


DRAWING TRANSLATION:

MY BATTLE AGAINST THE SOARING PRICES

- "who needs oil when he has a central heating system like you?"

ALSO,

soon, a bunch of new drawings to be uploaded.

MYSPACE MUSIC PAGE // FEBRUARY 2008: concerts in SWITZERLAND / HOLLAND / GERMANY

dear friends,

please check my new myspace music page at: www.myspace.com/mazenkerbaj
you will find all the info about upcoming concerts and some tracks to listen to.

you will find also the info of the concerts below, please drop by if you're around.


FEBRUARY 2008: concerts in SWITZERLAND / HOLLAND / GERMANY
------------------------------------------------------------

AL MASLAKH ENSEMBLE
Sharif Sehnaoui : guitar
Mazen Kerbaj : trumpet
Michael Zerang : drums
Paed Conca : clarinet, bass
Raed Yassin : double bass
Christine Sehnaoui : alto sax

February 20 2008 06:00 PM
Espace noir - Saint Imier - Switzerland

February 21 2008 09:00 PM
Reitschule - Bern - Switzerland

February 23 2008 09:30 PM
AMR - Geneve - Switzerland

------------------------------------------------------------

TRUMPET TRIO
Liz Allbee (US): Trumpet and Electronics
Axel Dörner (D): Trumpet
Mazen Kerbaj (LEB): Trumpet

February 22 2008 08:00 PM
Gare du Nord - Basel - Switzerland

------------------------------------------------------------

Rouba3i27
Mazen Kerbaj: Trumpet
Christine Sehnaoui: Alto Sax
Sharif Senaoui: Guitar
Christian Wolfart: Drums

February 24 2008 08:30 PM
Rotten Fabrik - Zurich - Switzerland

------------------------------------------------------------

Rouba3i6.3
Christine Sehnaoui : alto sax
Mazen Kerbaj : trumpet
Sharif Sehnaoui : acoustic guitar
Michael Zerang : drums


February 28 2008 09:00 PM
TAG - Den Hague - Netherlands

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DÖRNER HAUTZINGER KERBAJ
Axel Dörner: trumpet
Franz Hautzinger: trumpet
Mazen Kerbaj: trumpet

February 29/2008 08:00 PM
NOZART FESTIVAL - Basement, Herwarthstrasse - Köln - Germany

------------------------------------------------------------

WINTER 2008 IN BEIRUT

- HEATER
out of service (too much electricity cuts)

- CENTRAL HEATING
out of service (fuel too expensive)

- BURNING TIRES
out of service (too far)

- GAS HEATER
out of service (too dangerous)

"i only see one solution left: writing a petition to oblige the industrialized countries to accelerate the planet heating."

sa7 el nom ya dimachk?

Feyruz and Antoine Kerbage in the play "sa7 el nom", played now in Damascus