The Caravane Association has close to one hundred members now. Here we share with you an account of our most recent achievements and an overview of the projects in which we would like to invite you participate.

Artistic Coordination of the European-Algerian "Interweave" Forum    (Brussels, April 2001)

From April 8th to 13th, 2001, Caravan was in charge of the coordination of artistic activities for the first European-Algerian "Interweave" Forum, in collaboration with the Graphic Creations Workshop of Algiers. The event was organised by a collective of small European and Algerian organisations and financed by the European Community.

Our participation was an important element of the forum and was well appreciated by its 120 participants, as well as by the numerous inhabitants of Brussels who came to the forum's open-houses, and the media who were there to cover the event. A television report prepared by a Belgian station will be aired this summer on the international French-language station, TV5.

Among our works were posters presenting cooperation projects presented at the forum and the organisation of an exhibit of paintings in embossed paper of the cave-painting art of Tassili created by the artistic coordinator of the forum, Mohamed Guesmia, with help from Mourad Kabir and Sidali Djilali. Another project consisted of hanging a large 7 x 4.5 m. collective fresco in the plenary hall.

This collective fresco was the highlight of the operation and became a symbol of the forum. It was created by assembling 70 different works that had been received for this purpose, recapturing a theme inspired by a photograph of a ceramic tile in Seville, and demonstrating the entanglement of multiple and diverse lines which form a coherent network: interweave.

The concept of interweave is a perfect symbol for the values of solidarity and reciprocity that were central to this first edition of the forum, which had both the boldness and the sensitivity to aim to bring together artists from both sides of the Mediterranean. Ninety artists participated enthusiastically in the call for submissions, and several individual and collectively created pieces were received. The fresco thus became the fruit of the remarkably creative spirit of several artists, students and children. Artists from Orleans, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Niort, Athens, and Paris participated, as did students from the Fine Arts School of Algiers, led by Professor Karim Sergoua, students from the Fine Arts School of Aix en Provence studying under Professor Denis Martinez, students from the Escola d'Art of the city of Rubí (Province of Barcelona), and a class from the Escola Massana from Barcelona, who did their work with water from the Mediterranean Sea (symbolizing the link that binds them to Algeria), under the direction of their teacher, Romà Arranz.

The fresco will be travelling throughout several European cities, serving as a pretext for the organisation of other European-Algerian meetings.

Mourad Kabir, Mohamed Guesmia et Omar Meziani
with the fresco of the Forum

Support for Circulation of the Caravan Magazine in Brazil, Quebec and Kenya

One of the Association's objectives is to help with the promotion and circulation of the magazine, beyond the Alliance network (which counts approximately 3000 partners). During the first semester of 2001, the Association therefore provided funds for 400 copies of Caravan 7 to be sent to Porto Alegre (Brazil) for the 1st World Social Forum (January 26-31, 2001). Deals were also struck with "Le Café Rico" in Montreal and the Library Information Support Services centre in Nairobi for selective distribution of the magazine to active members of local civil society.

Support the Artists' House in Ngecha

To acquire a piece of land and build an artists' house on the outskirts of a village, in the local style, with local materials and with the help of local villagers: This is the project of a group of artists from Ngecha, Kenya (see article).

The Caravane Association supports the initiative of this group of young Kenyan artists and invites you to help them make their dream come true: a gallery, a museum, a theatre, a book store, a space for art lovers to visit, etc. We have made an agreement with the group's main organiser to gather the funds necessary for the purchase of a one-acre lot on the outskirts of the village (approximately 8000 euros), and to deliver the money in person as soon as possible. At the same time, the Ngecha Artists' Association is seeking additional support for the purchase of construction materials from aid organisations in Nairobi and is rallying support from Ngecha's villagers to help with the construction and success of the future Ngecha Artists' house.

Become a patron of this project by donating part of the funds that are necessary for it to get off the ground. The works by Ngecha's artists that are reproduced in this edition of Caravan are a testimony to the fact that the solitary seed that you can offer will one day bear beautiful fruits!

Please make your donations payable to the "Association Caravane", specifying that it is a contribution to the Ngecha Artists' House project.

Send us your colours

As a result of the poster, "Re-enchant the world! - Send us your colours" that was sent out in the French version of the last edition of Caravan, several people sent us packages containing paper, tubes of paint, and pencil crayons that we sent on to the artists in Algiers and Nairobi who are our partners in this project. Others informed us of their intentions to organise drives for art materials in their communities. We invite you to follow their lead! Isn't it an enchanting idea, to think that your colours could soon be part of the next artwork of one of our Algerian or Kenyan artist friends?