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Tuesday, December 13th 2011
13-22 December 2011. Goethe Institut hosts a dance workshop held by the South African Sello Pesa, one of the leading Ethiopian choreographers, and 22 local dancers. Pesa combines traditional and vernacular dances with contemporary choreographies. Pesa will prepare on this occasion a dance performance, which will be performed at Goethe in 2012 on occasion of the celebrations for its 50th anniversary. Pesa’s career as a dancer started on streets and in clubs in Soweto, South Africa, and later for the local television. He was a member among the others of the Soweto Dance Company and toured for many years around Africa and Europe. Since 1999 Pesa is also a choreographer. In 2000 he co-founded Inzalo Dance and Theater Company. In the same year, he started working together with the dancer and choreographer Valerie Berger from La Reunion. Their work is ongoing and performed worldwide. In 2011 Pesa won the Critical Endeavour Award – iDAns Festival in Istanbul, Turkey. more
Lecture on How Ethiopia became Modern
Wednesday, November 30th 2011
30 November 2011. This lecture is part of the series What is Zeminawinet? Perspectives on Ethiopian Modernity, organized by Addis Ababa University, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Goethe-Institut. Held by Prof. Andreas Esheté, it investigates on How Ethiopia became Modern. Since 2002 Professor Estheté is President of the Addis Ababa University and was nominated in 2011 special advisor of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister. He is also member of the Association for the Return of the Maqdala Ethiopia Treasures, of the African Institute for Democratic Deliberation and Action. Event starts at 18.00. more
Thursday, November 24th 2011
24 November-15 December 2011. The Italian Cultural Institut of Addis Ababa pays homage to the great Italian film director Ermanno Olmi with four screenings. The programme includes the movies Cento Chiodi on 24 November, Il Mestiere delle Armi on 1 December, Il Posto on 8 December and Terra Madre on 15 December. Olmi’s movies belong to the artistic mold of Italian neorealism, are shot in long, slow scenes, which contain some sort of social commentary. His most important film is considered L’Albero degli Zoccoli (The Tree of Wooden Clogs), which was awarded the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival in 1978. In 1988, La Leggenda del Santo Bevitore (The Legend of the Holy Drinker), based on the novel by Joseph Roth and starring Rutger Hauer, won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival as well as a David di Donatello award, which was won also by Il Mestiere delle Armi (The Profession of Arms). Screenings are on Italian and start at 18.30. more
Film Screenings at Goethe Institut
Friday, November 25th 2011
25 November-12 December 2011. Goethe Institut organizes the screening of two German movies. The first documentary movie, entitled Death Alone Will Release Me by the German film maker and cameraman Beate Middeke, will be projected on 25 November on occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Middeke investigates on the struggle with live and existential questions of the female protagonist Gwendolin, whose childhood was marked by various traumas such as an abuse and violence, which pushed her to commit suicide. On 12 December on occasion of the International Human Rights Day, the Goethe Institute will screen another documentary film entitled Shoot Back by the German journalist, author and producer Michael Trabitzsch and the television reporter Katharina Kiecol. Based on several interviews, this movie tells the story of four young protagonists, who live in Nairobi’s Mathare District, one of the worst slums in Africa. Their fathers have either died from AIDS or fallen victim to violence and their mothers struggle to live a decent life and raise their children. Screenings start at 18.00. more
Fana-Wogi 2012: Open Call for Emerging Artists
Tuesday, November 15th 2011
15 November 2011. The 2012 edition of Fana-Wogi, the famous Ethiopian arts festival, will be organized by the Goethe-Institut Addis Ababa and the Modern Art Museum, which are still looking for contemporary Ethiopian artists. The eligible artists must be younger than 35 and be committed to drawing, installations, new media, painting, photography, sculpture and video as well as to the concepts of sustainability and environment. On this occasion they will be asked to find new ways of thinking and communicating about environmental issues from an Ethiopian point of view. The deadline for this open call for artistic contributions will expire on 15 November. more
Movie Night “Hassan and Marcus“
Saturday, October 29th 2011
29 October 2011. The Modern Art Museum of Addis Ababa projects the Egyptian movie Hassan and Marcus, directed by Ramy Imam, as part of Mam, its monthly movie night. It tells the story of Mahmoud, a Muslim Sheik (Omar Sharif) and Boulos, a Christian Theologian (Adel Imam), whose lives are threatened by religious extremists on both sides. The Egyptian government involves them in a witness protection program, which requires them to disguise themselves as the Christian Marcus and the Muslim Sheikh, Hassan el-Attar. Screening starts at 19.00. more
Lecture on The Evolution of Professional Historiography in Ethiopia
Wednesday, October 26th 2011
26 October 2011. The Addis Ababa University organizes a lecture in English, held by the historian and professor Bahru Zewede. This lecture will focus on the evolution of professional historiography in Ethiopia and is part of the series What is “Zeminawinet”? Perspectives on Ethiopian Modernity, organised by the Addis Ababa University in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Goethe-Institut. Event starts at 18.00. more
Friday, August 26th 2011
26-28 August 2011. The fourth edition of Art of Ethiopia exhibition will gather together over 43 Ethiopian artists, selected by a specific jury. On display will be over 400 works, especially created for this occasion, which cover a wide range of subjects in a variety of media, such as painting, drawing, sculpture bronze castings and wood carvings. These works offer a comprehensive panorama as well as new perspectives on the contemporary Ethiopian art scenery. more
Tuesday, August 30th 2011
30 August 2011-30 September 2011. The Embassy of Japan in collaboration with the Japan foundation organises a pottery exhibition at the Modern Art Museum. Japanese pottery is one of the country's oldest art forms and dates back to the Neolithic period. Today there are many styles of Japanese pottery produced in different regions of Japan. more
Contemporary Designs from Addis Ababa in Munich
Saturday, July 16th 2011
16 July 2011. The cultural centre Muffathalle of Munich hosts this fashion show entitled Renaissance Fashion II, which takes contemporary designs and urban fashion from Addis Ababa to Germany for the first time. On this occasion five locally famous Ethiopian designers: Mahlet Afework, Sewasew Hailu, Adila Ismail, Yamerote Mengistu and Osman Mohammed, coached by the German-born fashion icon Markus Lupfer, will present to the German public their collections specifically created for this event with Ethiopian materials such as leather and cotton. These designers decided to participate in this fashion show in order to go beyond the Ethiopian market and establish themselves internationally. Renaissance Fashion emerged from the training program Cultural Management in Africa, organized by Goethe-Institut within the initiative Culture and Development. The first Renaissance Fashion Show had a great success and was staged in a coffee warehouse in Addis Ababa on May 2010. Event starts at 20.00. more
