Algerian academic pays tribute to artists with a new encyclopaedia

2007-01-03

Abrous Mansour has written an encyclopaedia on Algerian artists. He says he wants to restore the presence of Algerian artists.

By Mohand Ouali for Magharebia in Algiers -- 03/01/07

[Mohand Ouali] Algerian academic Abrous Mansour has written a new encyclopaedia on Algerian artists.

In a new encyclopaedia, Algerian author Abrous Mansour follows the story of Algerian art from 1917 until 2006. The new work documents a variety of Algerian artists -- painters, cartoonists, photographers and designers. For the project, Mansour has compiled 1705 biographies -- 1324 plastic artists, 118 Muslim art specialists, 151 designers and 112 photographers.

Mansour is best known for his books, Algerian artists: Biographical dictionary 1917-1999, The contribution to history of the Algerian student movement 1962-1982 and The Algerian Arts Directory.

Magharebia: Why did you decide to make an encyclopaedia of Algerian artists?

Abrous Mansour: I'm pleading for the presence of Algerian artists to be restored.

Magharebia: You have already written other works on the same subject: Algerian artists, biographical dictionary and an Algerian arts directory. How did the public receive them?

Mansour: I have no idea how such publications have been received. The second work, Arts directory, as I published it myself, did not receive any media coverage.

Magharebia: Have you had any particular difficulties in producing your work? I'm thinking particularly of the problem of sources for artists from the period prior to independence.

Mansour: It's a fastidious, complex task of patience. You have to keep at it, with tiny steps and huge waves of tiredness. You have to have commitment to undertake this work, and especially to bring it to fruition.

Magharebia: What methods did you use to complete your work?

Mansour: Work, work and more work. I don't know any other way of working which is sufficient to complete this sort of enterprise.

Magharebia: Do you think it was too ambitious to write the biographies of such a large number of artists? Do you worry you may have forgotten certain artists worthy of being featured?

Mansour: In a country where little work is devoted to artists, the obvious thing is to give homage to artists, whether or not in they are in the media, working in and for a country where talent and intelligence are given low status. I may have forgotten about some artists. My defence is my human frailty.

Magharebia: From 1917 to 2006: that's nearly a century that you have looked over.

Mansour: I wanted to produce a document with a defined timeframe, covering the history of artistic practices from the first exhibition to those produced this year.

Magharebia: Why has your work has been published by a French publishing house? Have you had any difficulties getting it done in Algeria?

Mansour: I didn't find a "taker" in Algeria. This had nothing to do with censorship. It was a lack of response -- which led me to turn to a French publisher, L'Harmattan as it turned out.

Magharebia: Why do you think many Algerian authors have their works published abroad?

Mansour: I can only answer for myself. My first choice is always Algerian publishers, for the simple reason that I want to be close to Algerian readers. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Casbah Editions who, for my first work, showed me all the confidence and help I needed. In the case of this [latest work], which came out December 1st, three Algerian publishing houses were approached first, but did not respond.

Magharebia: What is your next project?

Mansour: It is a bibliographical index of Algerian art from 1840-2006, which will survey the documents on art and culture and which will bring together a digest of national and international press articles on Algerian artists. I hope an Algerian publisher will be interested this time.