Conference | “La volonté d’horizon” of Georges Henein: Literature, Art, and Politics 50 Years Later

La volonté d’horizon of Georges Henein: Literature, Art, and Politics 50 Years Later takes place over two days, at Villa Médicis and at the Istituto per l’Oriente Carlo Alfonso Nallino.

  • Thursday 14 December, 9.30 – 18.30: Grand Salon, Villa Medici
    → Free event in French and English
    Reservation:
    →     Morning ticket
    → Afternoon ticket
    The event can be followed on Zoom: LINK
  • Friday 15 December, 9.30 – 18.30: l’Istituto per l’Oriente Carlo Alfonso Nallino
    The event can be followed on Zoom: LINK

    Organized by: Arturo Monaco (Sapienza Università di Roma, American University of Beirut), Morad Montazami (Zamân Books & Curating, Académie de France à Rome – Villa Medici), and Francesca Rondinelli (Université Grenoble Alpes)

In partnership with the Istituto per l’Oriente Carlo Alfonso Nallino and Zamân Books & Curating

PROGRAM

This conference aims to discuss unexplored aspects of the subversive work of Georges Henein (1914-1973), an Egyptian journalist, writer, and surrealist poet, with the contribution of international speakers involved in the rediscovery and dissemination of his literary productions.

Between the 17th and 18th July 1973, Georges Henein passed away in Paris, marking the end of the most significant historical phase of Surrealism in Egypt. Cosmopolitan above all, deeply Egyptian, and weaver of relations between the two shores of the Mediterranean, Georges Henein is an author whose activities and writings, partly still unpublished, have left a lasting impact on the Egyptian cultural world in the 1930s. His various activities were instrumental in the development of the avant-garde in Egypt, in fostering international connections, and contributing towards the renewal of Surrealism in its second phase. Despite his numerous contributions, Georges Henein remains relatively unknown in many respects.

This conference aims to study his work and delves into stylistic issues, art criticism, literary networks with contemporary poets, and the echoes of Georges Henein’s influence in French, Arabic, Iranian, and Romanian contexts.

Partners:

Image credit:
Gérald Messadié, Portrait of Georges Henein, n.d., gouache on paper, 28.5 x 23.5. Catherine Farhi Collection, Paris.