Hiwar: Fateh & Adonis

Sense & Intuition

The 10th anniversary of the passing of Fateh Al Moudarres was commemorated by the publishing of Hiwar (‘dialogue’), a book that records a lengthy dialogue between Fateh the artist and Adonis the poet. Fateh's art was also celebrated in an exhibition of his paintings launched in the presence of Adonis, Fateh's friend, interviewer and the primary instigator of engagement in this hiwar. That was in 2009, and I knew then, consciously or unconsciously, that it would be the most prominent yet final event that Atassi Gallery would celebrate. I must have been divining the end of an era. It was touching to see the milling crowds who attended the event, and to witness Adonis celebrate his absent friend by doing a book signing of this book, which tells the tale of the magnitude of his loss. The book which was then published in Arabic is now finally translated into English, with texts by Ambra D'antone, Golan Hadji and an exclusive correspondence between Fateh Moudaress and Adonis, published here for the first time, in addtion to more than 30 works by the Atassi Foundation.

Co-edited by Kaph books and the Atassi Foundation.