Artists Hope for Governmental Support

Jean Boland

Exhibitions dedicated to showcasing the work of Syrian artists have proliferated since the outbreak of the crisis, from Beirut to Cairo to the cities of the Gulf, not to mention the United States and Europe. However, this preoccupation with Syrian art ignores the reality that Syria is no longer big enough for this art.

In light of the on-going crisis and the violence plaguing the country for the past two years, many see art as the luxury of an elite minority. But Syrian artists, just like the rest of Syrian society, are not immune to the events unfolding around them, and they worry about their future too, an issue that the opposition has still not addressed in light of the humanitarian and political crises.

Whereas not all artists that were interviewed by The Damascus Bureau explicitly said they want to see the current regime fall, most of them wished that, in the future, they could benefit from governmental support while remaining independent.

Two years ago, the Plastic Artists Syndicate in Syria was turned into the Union of Fine Arts, which was supposed to be better equipped to serve artists, but many of the artists who spoke to The Damascus Bureau said nothing changed but the name.

“I hope that we can form a real union in the future that will…facilitate the work of artists to exhibit their work locally and internationally, communicate with donors, and protect freedom of expression,” says Sultan Saab, an artist who currently resides in the United Arab Emirates.

Artists are still deprived of social security and pension, and the role of the Union is limited to fundraising to meet the emergency needs of the artists, such as the death fund, which covers the cost of burying the artists. Still, some artists hope that the Union could play a more active role to help artists in Syria by securing financial support from the state for exhibitions. But with state support comes official red lines.

“I do not deny that the Syrian government has provided a lot of assistance to artists for workshops and studios, but this was within the limits of certain organizations connected to the regime, such as the Baath Party, which sidelined many [independent] artists,” says artist Rawan Abu Saada.

“I want my government to give the artist the freedom to choose the topic he or she wishes to depict, and to accept and respect the artist, from supporting creative children in school, to university, to entering the art market,” she adds.

“Syrian art forms its own identity and its distinctive character without any care for current or future governments,” says Alice Khatib, who lives in Syria. “Despite the poor conditions, the revolution was able to open doors for the production of works of value and importance that reveal what is going on in Syria today and the terrible situation on both the political and humanitarian levels.”

Some artists outside Syria say that their situation is not much better than it was when they were in Syria, as the economic recession in the last two years has impacted the art market. But they also benefit from the limited support provided by some Arab and international institutions that sponsor art, such as Al-Mawrad Al-Thaqafi and Adif in Cairo, as well as the German Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Dutch organisation Hivos, both of which are active in the Middle East. The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture has also been supporting documentary film makers inside Syria.

Artist Majd Jammoul, who has previously served in several key positions in the Ministry of Culture, suggested that more international institutions could play a similar role inside Syria if the regime falls. He believes that international cooperation has become an unavoidable reality, especially in fields related to knowledge and cultural production.

“We must be in touch with…international institutions such as UNESCO, ESCWA and the Association for Arab Art and Culture,” says Jammoul. “They all play an important role in supporting and disseminating culture, but the decision should lie with the state institutions, which must choose to be ready and to raise the level of professionalism…to be eligible for international cooperation.”

Jammoul dismissed the danger of Syrian artists falling under the influence of foreign donors, adding that Syrian artists are able to break any restrictions through their creativity, despite the fact that “the funder dictates his vision some way or another.”

“There is no need to fear the restriction of freedoms,” Jammoul continued. “Throughout history, artists have found ways to get around the dictation of donors.”

Jammoul still believes in the role of strong state institutions in protecting the artists’ independence.

“Cultures cannot be captured as long as the protection of artists and creators are the responsibility of national institutions.”