The Denison Museum joins forces with Denison University faculty members Isis Nusair, assistant professor of the women’s studies department, and Alexander Mouton, assistant professor of the art department, for programs linked to the current museum exhibition, “Dafatir: Contemporary Iraqi Book Art.” Nusair’s presentation titled, “Dafatir: Iraqi Book Artists Respond to Political Realities,” will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, while Mouton will lead a workshop titled “Addressing Social and Political Issues: A Book Arts Workshop” from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6. Both events will take place in the black box space located in Burke Hall (240 West Broadway) and are free and open to the public.  

Nusair’s presentation “Dafatir:  Iraqi Book Artists Respond to Political Realities” explores the aesthetic, political and social context for the production of Iraqi book arts. It traces how the Ba'th regime used art to create and reinforce a new Iraqi national identity, and the impact of political repression, wars and sanctions on Iraqi artists, a majority of whom currently live in the Diaspora. It also traces how Iraqi artists responded to that regime's imposed limitations on their cultural production through forging new modes of expression. “Dafatir”, which translates into 'notebooks' in Arabic, features approximately 40 books as art, and demonstrates how 17 Iraqi artists transform books into aesthetic and social commentary on Iraqi political realities. The presentation analyzes the dynamic use of this artistic form to produce metaphorical and figurative responses to contemporary events, with an overview of the book arts traditions of Iraq.

Mouton’s workshop “Addressing Social and Political Issues: A Book Arts Workshop” introduces attendees to the different forms books have taken throughout time, from scrolls and codex to simple experimental structures. The book workshop will consider the meaning and significance of the “Dafatir” exhibition as inspiration for creating spontaneous individual artists' books. Over the course of the three hours, attendees will be able to draw, collage, or print photographic images; create book pages from the work; and bind the books for a finished work for each attendee.

The Denison Museum is dedicated to providing students, faculty, and staff of Denison University as well as the wider community, with first-hand cultural experiences. An ongoing program of lectures, symposia, visiting artists, gallery tours, and other events is scheduled. For more information and updated event schedules, please visit the Denison Museum online at www.denison.edu/museum.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville—Presentation: “Dafatir:  Iraqi Book Artists Respond to Political Realities,” 6 p.m., Weds., Jan. 30, Burke Hall (240 West Broadway) Free and open to the Public. For more information contact Amber Schott at 740-587-6255.

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville—Presentation: “Addressing Social and Political Issues: A Book Arts Workshop,” 6-9 p.m., Weds., Feb. 6, Burke Hall (240 West Broadway) Free and open to the Public. For more information contact Amber Schott at 740-587-6255.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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