ROZA EL-HASSAN

Hungary

Roza El-Hassan was born in Budapest in 1966, of Hungarian and Syrian descent.
She lives in Budapest, teaching at the Intermedia department at University of Fine Arts, Budapest.
Her work has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions, among others including: Objects and Drawings, Gallery Tony Wütrich, Basel, 2007; R.thinking/dreaming about overpopulation, a Retrospective, Mücsarnok/Palace of Art, 2006; Roza El-Hassan, Drawings, Drawing Center, New York, USA, 2003; Objekte, Secession, Vienna, 2000; Extra-Territoria" (no. 1), with Milica Tomic, Cafe Karmin, Belgrade, 1998; Biennale di Venezia, Hungarian Pavilion, Italy, 1997…



ROZA EL-HASSAN
R. thinking/dreaming about overpopulation
- The Blood-Donation Performance
Ongoing work…
Courtesy of the artist

The performance was inspired by absurdities born of accusations of a collective guilt. In this case, it focuses on the bewilderment caused by the manner in which the media, on the evening of September 11, 2001, provoked a sense of mass guilt that was targeted at all people of Arab and Moslem descent. On the subjective level, the performance makes playful use of a question: How and with what image of the Arab will I now identify myself?

The Blood Donation Performance was staged in three cities, beginning in Belgrade, continuing in Budapest, and ending in Zurich. Moving from the Balkan States toward the West, the local reception that I received was, in each case, totally different.