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coming two years. This has
As a stranger living in put me in touch with the
Europe, I want to show that community in which I'm
strangers are not bad people. living. In the beginning eve-
As a Jordanian, I'm proud to rybody criticized me, saying
show that we the Jordanians things like: "What are you
are not a savage people, but doing? This is not an artistic
cultivated and educated peo- area and people are not
ple, and to show that we can motivated to visit your gal-
live and adjust to life in lery," etc. However, when I
European society. am talking to them today
they changed their minds
Q: Do you still feel like a and they know that all these
foreigner after having "strangers" are coming with
lived in Austria after all peaceful messages. People
these years? come and show an interest
in the works of art showed
I have lived in Austria since in this space.
1984 and I have never faced
a problem, but I know that Q: Do you think that art
others have. If you look at can change the world?
me it is obvious that I'm a
foreigner. People know it. I Perhaps I cannot change the
am working with organiza- world, but I can definitely
tions helping immigrants to change my surroundings.
live a better life in this Last week we had an exhibi-
Vienna that I have renova- two good friends restoring
society and showing them tion by a Jordanian photo-
ted. The space was there so I old works of art, and they grapher showing his work
how they can integrate
wanted to give other artists a helped me a lot with the alongside an Austrian photo-
themselves into this society.
chance to exhibit their work. technical skills. So I started grapher, together with some
Principally, I'm trying to
My full-time job is painting to restore old furniture. In
make people communicate of my works. I am proud to
and my second occupation is the beginning it was mainly say that the local head of the
with each other. I'm trying to
running the art gallery. woodwork, and then I star-
communicate in my own Liberal Party in my area
ted to use canvasses and came to my gallery together
way through my art.
Q: How do you manage, acrylic. It just went on and with the head of the
because it's not easy to on and in this way I quitted Socialist Party. When they
Q: Do you think that art
be an artist in this time smoking. are interested in art and
can be a bridge bet-
of economic turmoil? ween people? enter my four walls, they
Q: Was it easy going forget about politics. I tell
I am trying to live a very from business to art? everybody: please, once you
I live in an area in Vienna in
simple life and to be content.
which there are not a lot of get inside forget everything
To live as a contented per- In the beginning my art- and enjoy the evening.
art galleries and over the last
son you do not need much in works were only shown to two years we have exhibited
life -- food, thank God I'm my friends. Since 2008,
the works of twenty four
not starving! I have a shelter. when I started the gallery, I
artists, and twenty artists
I have good friends and peo- started to show my art-
will show their work in the
ple around me. I'm healthy. I works, paintings and sculp-
have my wife near me ... so tures together with other
I do not need much. artists. I'm trying to keep my
artworks for me and my
Q: You were trained to friends and those who visit
be an economist and to my gallery. I also exhibit
work in finance. How when I find a suitable oppor-
did you venture into the tunity, like here at the Palais
arts? des Nations in Geneva or in
Vienna. The next one will be
It's really a funny story. I in a Museum in Budapest
was a smoker, but the only and it's the same thing: The
place I smoked at home was Dream of a Child. I only
in my "working space" in exhibit in suitable places.
the cellar. Then I started
wood-carving, and with Q: What is your main
time I was doing more and message?
more wood-carving. I have
30 1 2011 Diva

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