Artists in Residency at Photoforum Pasquart
2024: Ieva Saudargaitė Douaihi
This summer, we are delighted to welcome Ieva Saudargaitė Douaihi for a one-month residency in Biel/Bienne. This residency is being offered in collaboration with the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia. The aim of the residency is to give artists the opportunity to gain new perspectives on the city and its surroundings and to promote creative collaborative practices. During her stay, Ieva will engage with the local art scene, Swiss institutions and artists and show her research results in a small presentation at the Photoforum.
© Ieva Saudargaitė Douaihi
About the artist
Ieva Saudargaitė Douaihi is a multidisciplinary artist working with photography, installation and other media. Her work is informed by her background in architecture, a deep fascination with the built and natural environment, and the various layers of street life. Her practice aims to uncover the layers of history, culture, ecology and experience embedded in these environments.
Ieva studied architecture at the Lebanese American University in Byblos and the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. She grew up between Lithuania, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. In 2022, she founded Takeover, a project space in Beirut that presents dynamic and experimental programmes.
Research focus
Ieva is interested in exploring the role of endemic and invasive plant species in Biel/Bienne, their traditional roles as well as their historical, ecological and urban implications. In addition, she would like to compare Biel/Bienne with an area in Beirut colloquially known as “BIEL”. This area is located between the sea and the Beirut Central District. The built-up land has been left largely unused due to the ongoing crises and is a patchwork of entertainment venues, overgrown and abandoned properties and urban rubbish dumps.
2023: Fatma Fahmy & Martin Kharumwa
In July 2023 Photoforum Pasquart hosted its first two photographers from the African continent to Biel/Bienne for a one month residency. The aim of this collaboration with the Swiss Council for Arts Pro Helvetia is to invite photographers from abroad to take a new look at the city from the outside.
© Fatma Fahmy
Fatma Fahmy
In the photography of Fatma Fahmy from Egypt, the focus is on people and their environment. Her images depict everyday life in Egypt, away from common clichés, and emphasize the strong stories and relationships of people, whether along a tramline or in connection with precious water. In 2020, Fatma Fahmy was awarded the Daniele Tamagni Scholarship at the Market Photo Workshop and was recognized by PhMuseum (Bologna) as a promising African photographer.
© Martin Kharumwa
Martin Kharumwa
In the photographs of Martin Kharumwa from Uganda, people take center stage, whether in portraits or fashion shots. He emphasizes the importance of telling one’s own stories and developing unique styles, free from external influences. This is evident in his collaboration with the “Afropocene studio lab” in Kampala, where he expresses his experiences on the continent through nuanced images. Martin Kharumwa, a self-taught photographer, works freelance for the fashion industry, NGOs, and international media. His works are characterized by constant change and the exploration of new visual worlds, without limiting himself to photography alone. He was awarded the Sony World Photography Award in 2008.