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MENA
stands for Middle East and North African surrealist group.
Participation of groups or individuals from the Middle East in the surrealist movement
has since long been notable. Not only with the Egyptian group Art et Liberté,
but also, and more intensely, with important individualities like Georges Henein or Joyce Mansour
or even with people like Sarane Alexandrian or Michel Zimbacca.
And more recently with Kader El Janabi - and others.
Starting from the elements created by this remarkable activity, may it be past or still in progress, the objective of the Middle East and North Africa surrealist group is to light up again, extend and develop surrealist activity in the considered geographical area, while taking account of the particular conditions prevailing there.
However, MENA activity, as has always been the case with surrealist activity in general, operates on a resolutely international field of action.
The Middle East and North Africa surrealist group collaborates with the other entities, groups or individuals, of the international surrealist movement, but in no way intends to take part in the struggles and disputes internal to a movement of which nothing is indicates or suggests that they may in any way have proved fruitful as regards achieving the goals that surrealism has long set itself.
Sulfur is an online magazine (and much more) that publishes surrealist texts, poems, articles and researches as well as surrealist games in English, French, Arabic and Spanish.
Sulfur is clearly surrealist in its main orientation, it also welcomes related avant-garde writing and art traditions such as art brut, beatnik etc.
Sulfur participates in organizing major collective and avant-garde surrealist, literary and artistic events
Sulfur, among other features, includes
Sulfur has a strong interest in translation exchange projects and collaborates with La Belle Inutile Editions and other partners on surrealist literary and critical translation projects.
Chrysopoeia is a free association of surrealist groups and individuals,
artists, writers, poets, and researchers.
It is not limited to, nor shaped by any geographic, racial or gender boundaries.
Chrysopoeia embraces Surrealism and its developments as a comprehensive approach,
and seeks to develop a collaborative research context
for international, multidisciplinary, multilingual practice related
to all forms of independent unconscious-based expressions.
Chrysopoiea does not participate in struggles between contemporary surrealist groups. Chrysopoeia neither aims to establish a new form of ideology nor any kind of artistic dogma. Chrysopoeia acts as a collaborative entity whose goal is to further the liberation of imagination.
We think that not only language, but the whole world in all its aspects, was given to humanity to make surrealist use of it.
We think that surrealists should make use of whatever materials and tools that they find suitable for surrealist action.
Whether a feather, a cloud or a computer, any single object in this world becomes a surrealist object
as soon as surrealist use is made of it.
- André Breton, Le Point du Jour.
Restrictions regarding materials and tools, as well as compliance with traditional artistic categories are views that were already considered and experienced as obsolete by most artists of the Renaissance period. We think that an attempt to liberate the human mind may in no way be successfully achieved on basis of a narrower scope of practices and intellectual freedom than that which was already acquired by artists at that time.
Chrysopoeia acts as a cooperative of knowledge.
Chrysopoeia aims to constitute a common of data, ideas, resources, skills and technical knowledge,
with a view to their implementation in the cultural productions of its participating entities.
Chrysopoeia strives to increase and disseminate technical knowledge available within its participating entities
in order to promote their autonomy.
Chrysopoeia activities includes the pooling of technical and intellectual capacities,
and of the required efforts for their implementation in common or specific projects,
such as, for instance the organization of events, actions and publications.
To the extent of the capacities available within it or accessible outside,
Chrysopoiea strives to provide the necessary technical support to its participating entities
while promoting their autonomy and ensuring their independence.
Chrysopoeia is particularly committed to initiating and promoting literary translation efforts.
Chrysopoeia categorically rejects mixing surrealism with whatever form of religion.
Chrysopoeia rejects the presence of any religious persons or groups among its participants.
Chrysopoeia technical pages provide some basic data about dealing with :