London. Nestled in London’s eclectic Fitzrovia district, the new private cultural center Ibraaz opened on October 15. Entirely financed by the Foundation of Tunisian Kamel Lazaar and founded by his daughter Lina Lazaar, vice-president of the foundation, it offers a program of exhibitions, debates of ideas and projections emanating from the “global majority”. “This term means that we exclude no one, underlines Hammad Nasar, director of programs and content. IIt’s about thinking about global problems at all levels and not just through well-established cultural circuits. » Located in a Grade II listed building of almost 1,000 m², the center is located close to British institutions such as the BBC and the British Museum, but also to the political district of Westminster. “We want to claim this kind of space for people who don’t usually feel welcome there, especially diasporic communities,” continues Hammad Nasar.
The Ibraaz cultural center in London.
© Ben Westoby / Fine Art Documentation
This commitment is reflected in the program of the bookstore (Maktaba), located on the ground floor, like the café (Oula), to attract passers-by. Temporarily organized around a Palestinian literature festival, the showcase displays titles such as Gaza, the Story of a Genocide (Gaza, the story of a genocide). The choice almost seems like a provocation even though the British government does not recognize this term. “ The objective of the center goes hand in hand with a certain risk-taking, says Hammad Nasar. While many projects around Palestine have been canceled or censored, we wanted to highlight these voices, which is what Ibraaz means. »
In doing so, the center is in line with the eponymous platform, launched by the foundation from 2011 to 2017 as a publication dedicated to contemporary visual art from the Arab world. “The catalyst for this platform was the Arab Spring and the need for many young people to connect to a broader cultural movement, continues Hammad Nasar. This center extends this idea, in our post-Covid era, when genocidal violence and silenced testimonies are increasing. »
The same intention is found in the other rooms on the six floors of the building, rented for a period of fifteen years. Located on the second floor, the library (Iqra) allows you to discover the literary and intellectual documentation behind an artist’s work. It will be occupied until September 6, 2026 by the London group Otolith, composed of Anjalika Sagar and Kodwo Eshun. On the ground floor, the gathering space (Majlis) welcomes until February the Parliament of Ghosts by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama. “It is a stone’s throw from one of the oldest parliaments in the world, continues Hammad Nasar. The wood on the floor comes from an old British train station in Ghana. By bringing together these pieces of furniture from the colonial era here, the work is a way of thinking about how to treat our ghosts and live with them. » The center will be accessible free of charge but a ticket office could be set up to finance some of the events. The foundation did not disclose operating and investment costs or its income.
The bookstore (Maktaba) on the ground floor of the Ibraaz cultural center.
© Hugo Glendinning
