Vinous Fouad critiques the critics We usually turn to a review of a play or a book before deciding whether or not it is worth the investment, but that wasn't always the case, the word "criticism" first appeared in the early 17th century as a derivation of krino, a Greek verb meaning to assess or evaluate. In today's parlance, criticism may be one of two things: descriptive criticism, which analyses the traits of the art work without judging it, and evaluating approach, which focuses on the value of the art piece. Unlike art, which is a creative process that has to be free from restrictive boundaries, criticism is a scientific process that involves methodology and rigour. The artist may not have to give reasons for his work, but the critic has to back his/ her opinions with proof. Due to the paucity of competent critics and the dearth of media space earmarked for criticism, the practice of art criticism is today in crisis. The remaining space left for criticism is dominated by the same critics, whose opinions are known and whose ties with the artists are too personal to allow for anything more than the usual compliments. Little wonder, then, that key artists go unmentioned in the press. The usual pretext for that is that the space has been taken over by films and plays, thought to be of more importance to the average reader than fine arts. Fine arts, one has to admit, cannot exist unless people are interested in them. For this to happen, fine arts should address the general audience. They should be taken away from the elite and handed over once again to the wider public. We need to allow the largest possible audience access to fine arts. We need to encourage ordinary people to go to art exhibitions. And we need to broaden the public's knowledge of the art pieces on display in various galleries and museums in Egypt and abroad. The general audience deserves to have art terminology explained to them. They deserve to know, for a start, the difference between art schools. This is the task Al-Khayal (Imagination), a new publication by the General Organisation for Cultural Palaces, aspires to undertake. The editors of Al-Khayal have tried to learn from the experience gained by earlier publications in the field, such as Al-Zelal (Shadows) in 1946; Al-Fonun Al-Gamila (Fine Arts) in 1947; Al-Fonun (Arts) in 1950; Al-Atelier (The Art Studio) in 1977; Al-Shomu (Candles) in 1981; Al-Fonun Al-Tashkilia (Plastic Arts) in 1981; Ein (Eye) in 1996, Naqd (Critique) in 2004, Portrait in 2006; and Fonun Masria (Egyptian Arts) in 2006. Al-Khayal, whose first issue came out in April 2010, goes a step further than any of the above. Its articles explore art exhibitions and analyses the work of Egyptian arts in Cairo and the rest of Egypt, as well as abroad. It also offers an extensive tour of Egyptian and international museums, reporting on the National Museum for Egyptian civilisation, the renovation of Al-Muizz Street in Fatimid Cairo and various cultural events. The Luxor International Gathering, the Alexandria Biennale, and the Arab Calligraphy Biennale are all among the topics covered in the magazine. Not only does Al-Khayal take interest in all visual arts, but its writers are mostly young, a refreshing development after years of the old generation's monopoly on criticism. When I read the first issue of Al-Khayal, I decided to hold my judgement until time shows how steady the publication would be on its new course. Now that more issues have come out, it is time to take stock. In every issue, Al-Khayal selects a central theme for its reportage. The Alexandria Biennale was the focus of the first issue. Then came the second issue with an extensive discussion of the crisis of criticism and a review of the history of criticism in the country. The third issue focused on the work of Mahmoud Said, whose painting Al-Shawadif (Water Pulleys) was recently sold for $2.4 million -- a development that is sure to influence the price range of Egyptian art pieces in the near future. The magazine runs a regular section called "Gawlat Al-Maared (Exhibitions Tour)" which offers the readers a full calendar of fine arts galleries throughout the month. Other art publications also run calendars, but not nearly as exhaustive as that of Al-Khayal. There is a book review and a flashback to the work of Egypt's pioneer generation. The editorial team of Ibrahim Ghazala, Ayman Helal, Mohamed El-Tarawi, Esmat Dawstashi, Salah Bisar, and Khaled El-Baghdadi all deserve accolades for their energy, dedication, and relentless quest for excellence. They have produced a publication that is not only unmatched in layout, photography, and design, but also exquisite in focus, broad in content, inspiring in intellect, and fun to read.
