Cultures of Conflict Concert: Kristýna Farag and Marwan Alsolaiman

Kristýna Farag is a Czech flautist, singer and teacher. Born to a Slovak mother and a Syrian father, Slavic and Middle Eastern roots define her artistic explorations. As a versatile freelance musician, Farag enjoys performing classical music of all periods, with special attention to Czech contemporary music. You can also find her immersed in free improvisation or traditional Arab music. With Marwan Alsolaiman she recently published music videos as a tribute to Arab divas Asmahan and Layla Mourad. She is a co-winner of the 1st prize in the International Friedrich Kuhlau Flute Competition in Uelzen, Germany in category flute trio (2011).

Marwan Alsolaiman is a Damascus born, Prague based musician, poet and teacher. Having learned playing oud, Middle Eastern flutes – nay – and various percussion instruments, Marwan founded Ziriab, an ensemble devoted to the Middle Eastern musical tradition. He is a member of an early music ensemble Kvinterna. Marwan cooperates with several Czech bands bringing Middle Eastern elements to Czech folk scene. Marwan leads workshops and gives lectures about Arab music and instruments. He is a teacher of Czech as a foreign language and physics. As a prolific poet, he writes both in Arabic and Czech and has released two collection of poems.

Since 2011 Issam Kourbaj’s artwork has responded to the ongoing conflict in Syria, and reflects on the suffering of his fellow Syrians and the destruction of his cultural heritage. This exhibition presents key works from this period alongside a new series which explores themes of loss, memory and renewal.

The exhibition – the artist’s largest to date – will include installation, sculpture, performance and works on paper. Kourbaj will be present at intervals throughout the exhibition, which will evolve as he adds to the displays.

Find out more about Issam Kourbaj: Urgent Archive