Radical Contemporary is a creative platform and community organization based between Cairo, Egypt & Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the sharing, discovery and appreciation of artistic and personal expression in the MENA region & beyond. Our motto is: "Learn something new everyday." Radicals are people who notice things. We are observers. Artists. Writers. Designers. Musicians. Filmmakers. Intellectuals. Cultural Producers. Dreamers. Thought-leaders. We’re a community of Creators - who know that your biggest asset is your ability to ask questions, to critique & to converse with like-minded people. On Radical the conversation is always open … so hop on whenever you need a dose of creative genius. & make sure to bring some coffee, tea, a snack? Whatever it is - the brain food is on us.

More

Chiara Costa: Fondazione Prada & The Future of Institutions

Soheil Rad: From Root to Rise

Asif Hoque: Fire and Light

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to the Associate Director of VIP Relations at Art Dubai, Zain Mahjoub. 
Zain Mahjoub leads Art Dubai’s VIP and regional engagement strategies, bringing diverse experience across the commercial and not-for-profit arts and culture sector in the Middle East, having worked as a practitioner, project manager, and researcher.
She is currently associate director of VIP Relations at Art Dubai, and was previously director of Ayyam Gallery, a commercial gallery in Dubai, and held several positions at Sharjah Art Foundation, where she worked on the Sharjah Biennial and looked after the Foundation’s collection.

Zain Mahjoub: Building Life-long Audiences

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to the Regional Director of Art Dubai, Hala Khayat. 
Hala Khayat is a scholar on Arab and Middle Eastern Modern and Contemporary art and has been integral in developing Christie’s Dubai since its inception in 2007, playing a key role in the expansion and globalisation of the Middle East’s art market both within the UAE and the greater region.
Khayat develops strategies for local and regional collectors’ engagement. As Art Dubai continues to foster regional relationships, and with Khayat’s extensive expertise in the Middle East and UAE, the fair aims to drive the growth and development of sustainable long-term engagement.

Hala Khayat: The Global South

Sara El Emary: Bold. Powerful. Free.

Rowana Badry: The Road to Strong

‏Our founder Nour Hassan takes you through her 3-year journey to joining the 5AM Club, and how the book by Robin Sharma, who Nour has met and interviewed, changed her life. This is a quickie for the road. Enjoy.

The Truth About The 5AM Club

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to SNAP14 Productions  co-founder Nadia El-Dasher. They speak about how Snap14 came to light, how Nadia&apos;s interest in Fashion Production started and the behind the scenes of  some of the amazing shoots they did such as Vogue Arabia, GQ Middleeast, Harper&apos;s Bazaar Arabia and many more. 
SNAP14 is a creative production agency producing stills, motion and digital content in the fashion, jewelry, luxury and beauty industries. Based in Cairo, yet working with clients around the Middle East and the globe, they quickly became the go-to for a huge array of creative services. The power couple, Nadia El-Dasher and Adam Mostafa, founded the production house with, what we can safely say, a twist of fate. 
From working with Adriana Lima and Samir Ghanem for Vogue Arabia, to producing a vintage shoot for The Holiday magazine, they proved they can do it all. They skyrocketed in their field, and crossed all barriers, working for international magazines in Germany, Ukraine, and more.

Nadia El Dasher: SNAP14

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Relaxscent founder Nour Zanaty. They speak about their candle collaboration "A Light That Never Goes Out", which sparked a friendship over a mutual love of words and candles. The challenges of starting a business at a young age, and turning a creative hobby into your dream job.
Nour Zanaty is now a contestant on SHARK TANK Egypt. Having been selected out of many contestants, she was made an offer she could not refuse. Stay tuned for bigger and better things coming to you from our favorite scent provider Relaxscent.

Nour Zanaty: Smells Like Teen Spirit

La Société Égyptienne

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Hana Rashad the founder of jewelry brand HRH or Her Royal Highness. This episode marks the drop of Radical Contemporary and HRH&apos;s collaboration "RADICAL ROYALTY" which the two hint, as well as one of many topics covered in this conversation.
HRH was built because we believe that every woman has her own definition of femininity. You can wear our jewelry in many different ways and still look gorgeous doing so. At HRH, we believe that women can exude the utmost femininity and still be a force to be reckoned with. You don’t have to choose between power and elegance, we pride ourselves on creating pieces that are a hybrid of both. The modern woman is strong, fierce, and also delicate, and all our pieces are a testament to that.
We also heavily focus on customization because we believe that jewelry is an extremely personal symbol.
You can now shop the "RADICAL ROYALTY" by clicking on this link to check out the collection made with so much love and passion for our Radical Royals. 

Hana Rashad: Radical Royalty

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Delta Venus. In this episode we spoke to Delta Venus about oneness, spirituality and the practice of mindfulness. We cover topics such horoscopes, divine femininity, creativity, readings and the connection to our Egyptian ancestors. Paige Hasaballah otherwise known as Delta Venus is a visionary artist & conduit of ancient wisdom teachings exploring themes of non-duality & syncretism. Paige works deeply with her Egyptian lineage incorporating ancient spiritual practice into her creative expression and practice. Her intention is to create opportunities for her audience to connect to themselves and the resonance of loving awareness.
You can checkout her work on instagram @deltavenus. 

Delta Venus: Oneness

‏In this week&apos;s episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Hend & Mohamed El Kahhal. In this episode we talked to Hend and Mohamed El Kahhal about their latest collection "Weaving Eternity", landing a store at the Grand Egyptian Museum - one of the biggest museums in the world - and finally the dialogue between heritage and contemporary carpets.
El Kahhal family has the oldest heritage in handmade rugs production and trading. Proudly still operating from the same factory and our oldest existing retail store in Khan El Khalili since 1936. Following the legacy of Wekalel El Kahhal est 1871 in the same historic area by our first generation in Egypt. For more information visit www.kahhallooms.com.

Hend & Mohamed El Kahhal: Weaving Eternity

‏In this week&apos;s episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Naeem Khan. In this episode we spoke with Naeem Khan about his inspiration, the importance of being unique and what are his future plans for the brand. For the first time in Egypt, legendary Indian-American fashion designer Naeem Khan had his sensational SS’23 fashion show at LMD’s Cairo Design District . His designs are inspired by ‘Jardin-De-Nuit’ or ‘Garden-at- Night’; blooming flowers, luscious gardens, life, and happiness.  

Naeem Khan: Jardin De Nuit

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to People and Places  founders Mohamed El Assal, Karim El Assal and Nabil Amasha, . The episode covers many topics including the vision behind People & Places as well as the founding story, why this name in particular was chosen for a real estate company, how the launch of their star project The Med was an integral part and why they chose to begin t the Mediterranean North Coast of Egypt.
We also touched on the brand&apos;s partnership with Campbell Gray Hotels and Resorts for: The Gray Beach Hotel and Residences and what to look forward to from People & Places in the Summer of 2023.

People & Places: Mohamed El Assal, Karim El Assal & Nabil Amasha

‏In this week&apos;s episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Seif Fawzy.
Seifeldin Fawzy is the co-founder & COO of The TriFactory. A former corporate lawyer, Seif has been developing The TriFactory&apos;s sports events portfolio since 2015, including Egypt&apos;s flagship running race, the Pyramids Half Marathon, which is proudly supported by global sports giant Puma. For more information and to join the Race Through History on December 10th 2022 visit https://www.pyramidshalfmarathon.com/.

Seif Fawzy: Race Through History

‏In this week&apos;s episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Essa Ramadan. They spoke about the event, “Waking Up,” which was Dar Al Funoon’s introduction and official launch into the Egyptian art market which took place at Marmonil factory, in collaboration with El Beit Magazine. Waking Up seeks to break through the confinements of the medium of paint, by providing motion through the motion of our own lived world.  Working closely with Flare PR, Dar Al Funoon has managed to create a very significant buzz in the Egyptian art scene. The event itself featured an Egyptian artist, KAIRO, a Syrian artist Fadi Yazigi, a Kuwaiti artist Amira Behbehani, as well as Egyptian award-winning visual artist Walid Tahir Sadek. We spoke about the state of the art scene regionally, as well as why Dar Al Funoon chose this moment in time to enter the Egyptian market with a physical space. We also spoke about Essa’s first time visiting Cairo and how this created an absolute shift in his perspective of where the art scene is going, as well as fueling his passion to make sure that Middle Eastern artists are given the correct platform to thrive. 

Essa Ramadan: Waking Up

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Lana Sawiris. This is Lana&apos;s second time on our podcast. Since our last conversation a year and a half ago, a lot has changed! Most notably, Lana launched her new company &LANA, a creative incubator committed to the development of emerging and established brands. Based in New York & Paris, &LANA works with clients globally to nurture growth and deliver impactful creativite. Services include art direction, marketing activations & strategy, brand partnerships, and PR & events.  The company also provides opportunities for long-term investment through equity partnerships and strategic network development.
We speak about &LANA, what it takes to achieve a work-life balance that allows you to thrive, and what points you have to keep in mind when starting a new business and becoming your own boss. For more information visit  andlana.co.

Lana Sawiris: Ampersand

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Sophia Khalifeh.
Sophia is a third culture creative and photographer based in Dubai who’s passions drive her ambition for creation and collaboration. She graduated from Parsons The New School for Design in NYC during a global pandemic , where she majored in Culture and Media Studies, and Minored in Fashion Communication.
Her breadth of knowledge spans across the beauty, apparel, editorial and entertainment industries, including V Magazine, Vogue, Vogue Italia, Milk Makeup, and renowned fashion stylist Patti Wilson. Her personal work has been featured in VMAN, GQ, Jdeed Magazine, and 3asal Mag. Sophia has also shot for brands like Fendi, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Adidas, Les Benjamins, Okhtein, and Tania George.Sophia has also assisted on several editorial fashion shoots for Vogue Japan, Vogue Australia, Vogue Italia, V, PAPER, GARAGE, and L’oreal with the likes of Gigi Hadid, Naomi Campbell, Anok Yai, Halima Aden, Billie Eilish and photographers like Steven Klein and Luigi and Iango. She currently is existing in Dubai, taking pictures of magical people and magical brands.

Sophia Khalifeh: The Wiz Kid

‏In this week&apos;s episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to actor, writer, producer and comedian, Shadi Alfons. He spearheaded SNL Arabia for the very first time in the Middle East. He was the main cast member and news anchor for Weekend Update. He made his American TV debut in season one of Hulu&apos;s award-winning show RAMY as the titular character&apos;s over the top cousin, Shadi. They speak about how he gets the inspiration from for his material, how to work in an ensemble cast, how to get an audition, his time at SNL, the experience on working on the extrordinary and iconic show, Al Bernameg with Bassem Youssef, as well as the experience of filming  New York City for RAMY and finally stage fright, how it&apos;s actually the key to success. 

Shadi Alfons: Ensemble

‏In this week&apos;s episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian competitive swimmer, Farida Osman.
She specializes in the butterfly and freestyle stroke and she&apos;s known as "el farasha" which means butterfly in Arabic. She&apos;s an All African gold medalist and Egyptian National champion and record holder. They speak about all things swimming, the importance of mental health in sports and much more.
This episode is powered by NEF & AKH.

Farida Osman: Butterfly

‏In this episode, our founder, Nour Hassan speaks to musician and singer Nadine El Roubi.
Nadine El Roubi is a Sudanese artist currently based out of Cairo, Egypt. Through music that blurs the lines between hip-hop, RnB, and neo-soul, Nadine El Roubi hopes to expand the understanding of what it means, and looks like, to be an Arab Muslim woman. Influenced by the likes of Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and modern popular artists like SZA, Jhené Aiko, and Doja Cat, Nadine enjoys channeling both timeless and contemporary sounds. Having performed in Sudan, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, Nadine&apos;s artistry has reached audiences from various walks of life. After the release of her EP &apos;Triplicity&apos; in October 2022, Nadine El Roubi will be relocating to the States to pursue music full-time.
We speak about her moving from country to country across the region and finding her sound, meeting people, and launching her career over social media, her upcoming EP,  as well as her singles including &apos;The Woods&apos; that are coming out as we speak.
This episode is powered by NEF & AKH.

Nadine El Roubi: Triplicity

‏In this episode, our founder, Nour Hassan speaks to contemporary artist extraordinaire, Hana Afifi.
Hana Afifi is a multi-disciplinary artist and sculptor, hailing from Alexandra, and currently residing in Cairo where she staged her second solo exhibition “The Keys to Growing Up” at her personal workspace and home. The exhibition took place in the very same space that played an integral part in the artist’s personal and artistic evolution, which allowed guests to experience a more holistic appreciation and understanding of the art on display. Her paintings are an invitation into the brilliant and complex mind of the artist; ever-evolving, contemplating, and disrupting, brimming with emotional power and raw energy with the self-taught artist Hana herself being the common denominator.They speak about the three-year journey of creating her solo exhibition, the keys to growing up, how transformation leads to brilliance, finding joy in the darkest places, capturing the essence of forgotten childhood naiveties, and the significance of the teddy bear in her work.

Hana Afifi: Keys to Growing Up

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Mohamed Kahhal, the fifth generation inheritor of  Kahhal 1871.
Kahhal is one of the creatives that has taken the contemporary scene by storm, completely revolutionizing his family&apos;s heritage brand that has been around for over 150 years. Introducing new concepts, new ideas, as well as new aesthetics to a heritage brand that is a staple in every Egyptian home. 
In this episode, we speak about the process of inheriting such a heritage and legacy brand and turning it into one of the most convented carpets and looms brands today once again. 

Mohamed Kahhal: Kahhal 1871

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Egyptian author and creative, Alya Mooro.
This is Alya&apos;s second time on the podcast. Since our last conversation, she launched the newsletter The Greater Conversations born from the response to her debut bestselling book The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes. The newsletter aims to facilitate continued dialogue and be a place where subscribers can continue to see themselves, and the many nuances of their lives, explored and represented. In this episode, we speak about her new venture in creating a book club, as well as taking the newsletter to the next level, introducing matcha dates, and, the dichotomy of living in London and Cairo, falling back in love with Cairo, and what this means now, her second album syndrome, and what comes next. For more information go to www.alyamooro.com

Alya Mooro: The Greater Conversation

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Shahira Hemeda, co-founder of NŪR Meditation app.NŪR is a mindfulness and meditation app tailored for the Arab world. It offers culturally relevant meditations in several Arabic dialects to allow a deeper personal experience. Its mission is to offer easily accessible tools for daily mental health supportAfter leaving her job at CNN International, Shahira tackles the tricky and challenging task of creating meditation in all the diverse, beautiful, and varied dialects of the Arabic language.  We speak about how meditation can be life-changing, as well as an even more enriching experience of meditating in your own language and dialect, takes us through the experience of how she&apos;s a non-tech founder of a tech application.  For more information check out Nur Meditation’s page or at https://www.nurmeditation.com/

Shahira Hemeda: The Divine Light

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Noha Mohsen, founder of lighting design company, Enlighten.
Noha Mohsen is the cutting-edge founder of Enlighten, a lighting design company that was established in 2008. Enlighten recently opened a stunning new showroom in Zamalek, that brilliantly fuses art and design. Over the past ten years, Mohsen has successfully established Enlighten’s status as the preeminent lighting design brand for Egypt’s high-end projects, collaborating with the best designers and architects in Egypt and abroad.  After graduating from the American University in Cairo with a degree in mass communication, Noha Mohsen went on to earn an interior design diploma in London, and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York City.
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, Enlighten hosted Egypt’s biggest multisensory experience exploring spirituality in all of its forms. Spirituality: Perspectives & Perceptions is a multisensory experience focused on showcasing varying forms of lighting design through the lens of creatives working in varying mediums and disciplines.
The pieces answer the question: What does spirituality mean to you? In collaboration with 10 Egyptian multidisciplinary creatives, The show includes installations by renowned Fashion Designers Mounaz and Aya Abdel Raouf of OKHTEIN, pioneering jewelry designer Dima Rashid of Dima Jewelry, Architect and Innovator Hala Saleh founder of TDF+, Furniture Design duo Hassan Abu Seda and Jihan Touni representing HAF, Gourmet Chef Karim Abdelrahman known by his experiential culinary kitchen Avec Karim, Visual Artist Karim El Hayawan, Mohamed Talaia Creative Director at The Design Avenue, Multidisciplinary Creative Director Kegham Djeghalian, Composer Ahmed Fahmy and internationally acclaimed Zamalek Art Gallery curating “3, 2, 1...” a show on illumination.

Noha Mohsen: A Light That Never Goes Out

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to artist, Dina Fahmy El Rouby.
She made it a life mission not to settle, and her adult life saw her traveling to several countries to broaden her experiences.  In 2011, she fully embraced her artistic career.  In 2020, and after nine editions of the” Colours of Egypt Exhibition,” Dina Fahmy and her three artist colleagues Farida Darweesh, Rasha Ghaleb, and Farida El Kouni, decided to open their own art gallery, CLEG Art Gallery.
Dina Fahmy&apos;s paintings stretch across continents: at the Egyptian Embassy in Germany, the Egyptian Cultural Center in Paris, the Egyptian Cultural Office in Vienna, the Hassan El Sharq Museum, in Menya, and customers in the UAE, USA, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Switzerland, Spain, UK, Italy and Canada. Her art appeared at the Dubai EXPO 2020 as part of CLEG Gallery&apos;s exhibit at the Egypt Pavilion. She is also set to show at the NEMC - National Egyptian Museum of Civilization and the Egyptian Embassy in Denmark later this year. 
In 2022 Dina Fahmy launched an NFT project “Myth of the 99” as one of the first artists in Egypt and the region to traverse into the realm of Web 3.0. Myth of the 99 will appear as a physical solo exhibition this May 21st 2022 at CLEG Gallery in Cairo. The exhibition will include informative talks on the topic of NFTs, as the regional art community dives into the world of Web 3.0. Dina intends on giving a talk, to help educate and spread knowledge on this emerging medium and market. 

Dina Fahmy El Rouby: Myth of the 99

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to co-founders of Don Tanani, Alia, and Tamara El Tanani. Don Tanani pushes the envelope for Egyptian design creating pieces designed by Egyptians that are handpicked and selected to create collections under the Don Tanani brand. Each of the pieces emulates art, can be collected as art, and is numbered as art. Don Tanani&apos;s inaugural collection "Duality" is designed by product designer Lina El Orabi,  exploring Ancient Egyptian design and culture through a contemporary art lens, redefining and disrupting the perception of contemporary Egyptian design.
Alia is the co-founder of Living in Interiors, a family-owned award-winning interior design business known for its avant-garde approach in the creation and curation of luxury spaces. Tamara is the Creative Director of Living In and Don Tanani. For more information about the collection, go to www.dontanani.com

Alia and Tamara El Tanani: Don Tanani

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Feras Abushaar, co-founder of the online luxury e-commerce platform Thahab. Co-founded with his sister, Sarah Abushaar, Thahab is one of the first e-commerce marketplace coming from the MENA region to go global and is part of the next wave of e-commerce players like GOAT, and Stadium Goods.  During his time in San Francisco, Abushaar was influenced and inspired by the tech-driven innovations that were disrupting industries led by the Bay area’s start-ups. He returned to the MENA region with the hopes of leading the digital transformation of the economy. With the lack of tech-driven infrastructure for global commerce, he and his sister built a much-needed bridge between retailers&apos; and consumers&apos; growing demands. Hosting 40,000 live products and retail stores spanning MENA, Asia, North America, and Europe, THAHAB has established itself as the go-to digital destination for the most sought after drops of global brands sold out everywhere, shipping highly coveted luxury and sustainable pieces for women, men, children, home and beauty to over 190 countries. From a $150 pair of the latest New Balance sneakers to $50,000 limited edition bags and watches, THAHAB delivers on their commitment to bring their customers the most in-demand goods at some of the best prices globally and with record delivery times out of the region, for the first time. While many brick-and-mortar stores suffered during Covid-19, Thahab provided businesses with the digital backbone, allowing them to power online and empower them to digitally transform, compete and grow. It has established itself as the go-to destination for sought-after brands making it easier for consumers to enjoy. Driven by a vision to build the new economy online, THAHAB is poised to continue its rapid expansion at the forefront and is determined to redefine what the digital economy will look like in the post-pandemic world. If you like to see more, visit Thahab&apos;s website

Feras Abushaar: Thahab

‏In this episode, our founder Nour Hassan speaks to celebrity and editorial stylist extraordinaire, Yasmine Kenawi. She has assisted top New York stylists including, Erin Walsh, Rachael Wang, and Sandy Armeni. Her celebrity styling work includes the likes of Anne Hathaway, Mark Ruffalo, Adriana Lima, and Kate Upton. Her branded projects include working with Victoria’s Secret, Neiman Marcus, and NARS. She has dressed Arab celebrities including Felukah, Asmaa Galal, Salma Abu Deif, Lara Scandar, Yosra El Lozy, Samira Said, and most recently, Cynthia Khalifeh. Her work has been featured in Vogue Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Elle Arabia, Teen Vogue, and Elle USA. 
We speak about her journey studying and working in New York City, living across the world between MENA and the United States, her transition into styling after studying fashion buying at FIT, and how her return to Cairo feels like a homecoming and place of opportunity. 

Yasmine Kenawi: Empire Style of Mind

‏Minotti is an Italian company with a solid reputation at an international level as an excellent expression of “Made in Italy” in the field of contemporary furniture design and ambassador of a classic-modern lifestyle in the residential and hospitality segments.
The company was established in 1948 and born out of the intuition of Alberto Minotti. The small scale artisan workshop grew quickly and, starting from the Sixties, became more industrialized in character and size. The next step was taken by Renato and Roberto Minotti, who, after the premature death of their father in 1991, took over the reins of the company and began a process of growth and expansion into the international markets.
Responsible for the corporate strategy, since 1998 they have shared their creative vision and aesthetic keyprinciples with the architect Rodolfo Dordoni, who has been assigned the strategic role of Art Director and coordinator of all the company collections. A story of Italian excellence also been shared by the third generation: in the forefront, Alessio, Alessandro, Susanna and Leonardo who are facing the challenges of the third millennium, of the digital and multicultural world.
In 2022, Minotti gets a prestigious recognition that includes the company into the Special Register of Historic Trademarks of National Interest, established by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE), to enhance the Made in Italy excellences which have been registered for at least fifty years and historically rooted into the territory.
Minotti’s international vision has resulted in a widespread presence in 64 countries, through a network of 44 flagship stores and over 300 qualified dealers around the world, where people can fully experience the international refined lifestyle of the company.
www.minotti.com

Pablo Nardini: Minotti Made In Italy

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Hala Khayat Regional Director of Art Dubai. As Art Dubai aims to continue fostering regional relationships, Khayat’s extensive expertise in the Middle East and UAE will drive the growth and development of sustainable long-term engagement. Khayat is a scholar on Arab and Middle Eastern Modern and Contemporary art and has been integral in developing Christie’s Dubai since its inception in 2007, playing a key role in the expansion and globalization of the Middle East’s art market both within the UAE and the greater region. During her time at Christie’s, Khayat was known as a specialist on Arab, Iranian and Turkish art, and she worked closely with collectors on an international scale to oversee the production of catalogues. She also established research criteria for the Middle East’s top modern artists, establishing key relationships with artist estates. Khayat is also an advocate for Syria’s art community, having founded an NGO titled SAFIR in 2014 that aims to support and bolster the work of young Syrian artists. She also played an integral role in documenting the collections of key Syrian collectors, including the Jalanbo Art Collection and the Khair Collection of Fateh Moudarres. Furthermore, Khayat has lectured on Arab art history and the market throughout the region since 2010 and developed curriculum on Modern and Contemporary Arab art that were later adopted into short courses under Christie’s education in Dubai and Doha.

Hala Khayat: Art Dubai & Digital Futures

‏In this episode Nour Hassan speak to Norshek Fawzy - a graphic designer turned entrepreneur, she is the founder and CEO of her eponymous brand NORSHEK. Creating eco friendly, sustainable and environmentally conscious products for the Hair, Body and Spirit. We speak about her move to El Gouna, a Coastal Town in Egypt, what are the tools to build a sustainable lifestyle, what her name "Norshek" means and the inception story for the brand, how to cater to your spirit and not only your body, and cultivating relationships through life and work that make it all worth it!This season is powered by INERTIA and is in collaboration with Egypt&apos;s Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event&apos;s winners visit @eeawards_.

Norshek Fawzy: The Crack Of Dawn

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Ziad Abbas and Salah El Abd are the dynamic duo behind some of Egypt and the region&apos;s biggest tech startups and innovations. Both Ziad and Salah have worked on the Ai-Da project, contributing to creating what is now widely known as the world&apos;s first robot artist. Ziad was in charge of developing the creative algorithms that allowed Ai-Da, the robot, to be able to draw people from sight. Ziad joined IBM UK for a year, where he was a DevOps software engineer in charge of developing and maintaining Event Streams on Cloud, one of IBM’s managed cloud offerings. Ziad&apos;s robotics foundation was nurtured through completing both a Bachelor and Masters in Robotics at Leeds University. Ziad conducted intensive research in bio-mechatronics at Leeds.
Salah studied Mechatronics and Robotics also at the University of Leeds - where the two met.  Salah joined the team that developed Ai-Da also working on the robot&apos;s creative capability to sketch anything that it can see. After finishing his bachelor&apos;s degree, Salah took a different turn and went into construction briefly. Finally, Ziad and Salah founded Collard together, a start up focused on revolutionizing the art of networking through digital business cards. The startup then went on to develop different platforms such as penetrating the online ticketing market and becoming the lead online ticketing platform in Egypt. We speak about the relationship between technology and magic, how working on a robotics project pushes your creativity to its limits, and what it means to be two young men in their early twenties at the forefront of the tech industry in the MENA.
For more information check out www.collardeg.com.This season is powered by INERTIA and is in collaboration with Egypt&apos;s Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event&apos;s winners visit @eeawards_.

Ziad & Salah: Robotics & Magic

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Deanna Marsigliese, Canadian born Animation Art Director and Illustrator living in San Francisco, CA.Specializing in storytelling through character design, Deanna has worked at Pixar Animation Studios since 2012. Her credits include Soul (2020), Onward (2020), Toy Story 4 (2019), Incredibles 2 (2018), Bao (2018), Inside Out (2015) & The Good Dinosaur (2013), and Luca 2021.Past clients include Laika, Sony Pictures, Universal Feature, Walt Disney Feature, Reel FX, Disney TV, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network & PBS Kids, among others.Deanna delivers panel talks & leads workshops world-wide, having been hosted by SXSW, D23, ILM, Leaders London, CTNX & The Walt Disney Family Museum. I met Deanna at Abdeen Palace in Cairo for an event by Lebanese Fashion Designer Elie Saab, hosted by EMAAR. She was in Cairo giving the closing talk at Rise Up Summit hosted at the Great Pyramids of Giza Plateau.We speak about harnessing the creative spark, the importance of walks, taking in life, sketching daily, how to turn your passion into your job and why Deanna is a lover and advocate for all things vintage clothing. Check out Deanna&apos;s work at www.dmarsigliese.com.

Deanna Marsigliese: A Slice of Life

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to executive and entrepreneur Maha Gaber, who has more than 28 years of global communications experience advising global corporate giants, high growth tech startups, top governments and high net worth individuals. She helps people and brands tell their stories to build and protect their reputations.She is the Managing Director & Founder of Digital & Savvy, a strategic communications consulting firm that has offices in the USA and Dubai. She manages the personal brand PR for Gary Vaynerchuk and consults for other high profile individuals and companies. She is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Now Gaming (an esports consulting firm). I had the pleasure of meeting Maha at the Rise Up Summit at the Great Pyramids of Giza Plateau in November 2021. I have been following Maha for years and she is one of the key individuals who encouraged me to harness my personal brand and start The Radical Contemporary Podcast in 2020. We speak about integrity, reputation, building a name for yourself and your brand, workin on being a lifelong learner, asking for help, finding mentors and the state of PR in the Middle East and North Africa region. 

Maha Gaber: The Secret Sauce

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Lara Maysa - British Egyptian Nude and Women&apos;s Empowerment photographer, Portrait Photographer, Documentary Filmmaker, Storyteller, Consciousness Explorer, and Believer in all things Magic and founder of Haus of Light. Lara was born in Egypt, raised in Thailand and adopted by Bali. Her mission through photography is to activate women into stepping back into their raw, authentic power and beauty in a filtered and photoshopped world. Having gone deep in her own spiritual journey, she uses creativity and art as a bridge to profound transformation and healing. She is based between London and Bali to balance the stimulation of the city with a strong dose of nature. When visiting her hometown, Cairo, you can find her meditating in the Pyramids and stumbling upon desert Stargates. This episode taught me so much about the creative process, self discovery, transformation, and how to harness your own life narrative and make it into something meaningful. We speak about going from the rat race in London to spiritual exploration in Bali, what the camera lens can truly reveal and unveil about a person, how to get your life back on track and how to lose yourself and   then find yourself again through magic. Lara is organizing a one of a kind retreat experience at the end of 2022 in Egypt so follow her page Haus of Light and keep an eye out if you&apos;re in the mood to completely shift perspective on what it means to be alive. 

Lara Maysa: Creativity, Consciousness & Alchemy

‏In this episode Nour Hassan speak to Lino Meoli, the son of iconic stylist, photographer and cultural producer Maripol. Born and raised in New York City, Lino is an artist, film maker, disk jockey and actor who has traveled to over 70 countries.
He is primarily a coveted international DJ, Lino has been invited to grace with his talent private events, galas, and parties for some of the most iconic individuals, such as Prince , Kenny Scharf, Grace Jones, Maison Valentino x Vogue (Venice Bienale, Italy), Snoop Dogg, Gipsy Kings , Afrika Burn, and more.
As a Creative Producer, Lino was commissioned as director of photography for brands such as Dior, Moussy, Disney, Beats by apple, Joy Rich, Patricia Field…
Above and beyond his Artistic service, his angelic work extends into worlds of philanthropic support, as Lino has assisted to help raise over 600k euros for the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation.

Lino Meoli: حب ابدي

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Saudi Arabian creative, model and make-up guru Nouf Abdullah. Nouf considers herself a beauty trainer by profession and hobby, but an organic being and a caretaker in reality. A lover of heritage, language and cats we delve into all things spirituality and more. Nouf has worked with multiple magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia and GQ; her take on beauty is trying to blur the forms between fashion and beauty, always going for natural looks and desert hues reflecting her Bedouin culture and Arabism.
A firm believer in spiritual well being, Nouf is a full moon lover and a practitioner when it come to cleansing, beauty detoxing, a skincare expert, and believer in inner-beauty. "What I think an artist has to do is to keep learning, I’m always in search of knowledge and I’ve never been one to shy away from dense research. I like to link earth to my work because I feel so attached to nature." - Nouf Abdullah.
To  check out Nouf&apos;s work visit @nouf.and.more.

Nouf Abdullah: The Desert Moon

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Margarita Andrade who was born in Ecuador, where she grew up. Margarita came to Egypt to visit a friend and ended up living here, after falling in love with the country.While growing up in Ecuador, as a young child, Margarita felt how much injustice, racism and inequality was prevalent in the country. Coming from a charitable family, she learnt from a young age how to care for others– a lesson she holds as one of the greatest gifts a parent can offer to their children. From early on, Margarita wanted to work independently. She was not willing to be tied to a system.This is what led her to come up with a concept of how to develop a product that will actually change people’s lives - from there came Threads of Hope, a space that has offered refugee women employment, shelter, safety and so much more.Threads of Hope is a social impact business that recruits, trains and subsequently provides talented underprivileged, marginalized women and girls such as refugees and local Egyptian women with work so they can attain a sustainable income. Threads of Hope is specialized in high end embroidery and aims to serve clients in the international textile and fashion industry.
One of her lead educators at Threads of Hope as they told the story of hope the space came to life!

Margarita Andrade: Threads of Hope

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Karen Wazen - International Style Icon, Entrepreneur, Wife, and Mother of three. Originally from Lebanon and now based in Dubai, Karen is redefining the concept of the modern working mother.By sharing her life with an intimacy that reflects her style and personality - Karen has amassed over 6 million followers on Instagram, appeared on International magazine covers, worked with the world&apos;s biggest brands such as Christian Dior, Prada, Jimmy Choo and more and now runs her own eyewear company ByKarenWazen which most recently launched in Cairo, Egypt to huge acclaim.
To follow her work follow @karenwazen.

Karen Wazen: The Eyes, They Never Lie

‏In this episode Nour Hassan speak to Gallery Director Aidan Meller a specialist in modern and contemporary art. With over 20 years’ experience in the art business, he works closely with private collectors and is often consulted by those who wish to begin, or further develop their collections. He regularly has original works by the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, to older works such as John Constable and Turner. Aidan has been an Art Dealer for over 20 years with an Art and History of Art Degree, then training at Sotheby’s Institute. He set up the longest established gallery in Oxford. He has appeared on BBC News, Sky TV, CNN and more. In 2019 Aidan developed the concept of the world’s first ultra realistic robot artist called Ai-Da. Bringing a team of experts together, called the Oxfordians, Aidan was able to devise a cutting edge artistically creative robot. Named after Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer of all time, Ai-Da’s first exhibition at the University of Oxford created a media storm, appearing in over 1000 publications worldwide. Ai-Da&apos;s latest exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum showcased the artist robot dressed in AURO BOROS in a biomimicry sustainable dress, that expanded and came to life, as the exhibition did. An intersection between art, tech and fashion in the Metaverse. 
To follow Ai-Da and her work visit @aidarobot. 

Aidan Meller: Ai-Da Robot & Art For The Metaverse

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Manjit Thapp, UK based artist and illustrator. Her latest show “My Head Is A Jungle” is open to viewers at NOW Gallery in London until October 31st. NOW Gallery, one of London’s most exciting public exhibition spaces housed on Greenwich Peninsula, announcing My Head Is A Jungle by Birmingham born illustrator Manjit Thapp as its Young Artist Commission 2021.
Available to the public to view for free from 23rd July – 31st October, this annual commission celebrates the best rising talent in the fields of visual arts and illustration, with previous commissions including award-winning Pakistani visual artist and internet sensation Sara Shakeel and popular London illustrator, Hattie Stewart.
My Head Is A Jungle will see Thapp transform the gallery space into a three-dimensional maze-like structure adorned with large-scale murals and sculptures for visitors to explore, with a large fluorescent red sun hanging above. This symbol is an integral theme of the young illustrators’ renderings, as well as snakes, tigers, tropical flora and a young Asian protagonist, which feature regularly to represent empowerment, particularly for women, within today’s modern, cultural landscape.
Manjit Thapp is an illustrator who graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2016 where she studied Illustration. Her work combines digital and traditional media and she enjoys layering textures and patterns to create her illustrations. Much of her art revolves around female characters that often have an air of mystery and silence. She balances working on both commission and personal work. She illustrated her first book ‘The Little Book of Feminist Saints’ with Penguin Random House in March 2018 and her debut graphic novel, ‘Feelings’ is to be published in Spring 2021. Clients include Penguin Random House, Google, Apple, Tate, TIME and Stylist. Her work has been featured in British Vogue, Vogue India, Wonderland, Dazed and Instagram.
Check out her work at @manjitthapp.

Manjit Thapp: My Head Is A Jungle

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Writer, Media Guru and Bonafide storyteller Amy Mowafi co-founder of one of Egypt’s most expansive media agencies MO4 Network. We speak about women in media in the MENA region, building an empire while juggling motherhood and the madness of Cairo, and her ability to expand at an exponential rate with a team of social media mavens!
Checkout Amy&apos;s work on MO4 Network&apos;s various media platforms @mo4network @cairoscene @thecairozoom @startupsceneme @elfaslaonline @scenenoise @scenetraveller @sceneeats @scenehome
This season is powered by INERTIA and is in collaboration with Egypt&apos;s Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event&apos;s winners visit @eeawards_. For more information on INERTIA&apos;s developments such as JEFAIRA Egypt&apos;s Year Round Coastal Town call 19655. #inertiabuildingmomentum

Amy Mowafi: A Seat At The Table

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Bea Bongiasca, an Italian Jewelry Designer. Bea&apos;s inspiration stems from her deep passion for pop culture, contemporary art and design, conflated with her love for everything colorful. Hers is a spirited and non-traditional take on jewelry which does not compromise on quality but remains accessible to people of her own age.
Bea’s focus is on jewelry as an art form, a concept that is pivotal to her design process. Each piece – at once playful and intricate – functions as a miniature fantasy world for the
wearers to immerse themselves in and evade reality, even if just for a minute!Her pieces have been worn by Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, and most recently Kim Kardashian. Check our  her work @beabongiasca.

Bea Bongiasca: Iridescence

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to adventure traveler, humanitarian and entrepreneur Omar Samra, whose accomplishments include being the 1st Egyptian to summit Everest, climbing the 7 summits, and skiing to both Poles as well as 3 first ascents in Antarctica.
We speak about finding your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses, Omar’s journey across the Atlantic with Omar Nour and the much anticipated cinematic release of Beyond The Raging Sea - a film that tells this story of survival and sheds light on the refugee crisis in our world today. I asked Omar what matter most when you’re on top of the world? And he allowed us into the mindset of an introvert who loves to travel the world with people and discover places few have had the pleasure of experiencing. If you would like to learn more about Omar Samra&apos;s work, causes and dive into adventure travel visit @wildguanabana @basecampegypt @beyondtheragingsea and more.
Our summer season is in collaboration with Egypt&apos;s Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event&apos;s winners visit @eeawards_. This season is also powered by INERTIA. For more information on INERTIA&apos;s developments such as JEFAIRA Egypt&apos;s Year Round Coastal Town call 19655. #inertiabuildingmomentum

Omar Samra: Above and Beyond

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Asmaa Naga, an Egyptian Musician and Songwriter. Asmaa is an English Language Professional and studied at the University of Oxford. She grew up in Cairo and moved to Jeddah, pursuing her music career in parallel to her teaching career as a hobby. Asmaa writes her own original music, and has performed in several cities around the world.
To listen to Asmaa music visit her Instagram page here. 

Asmaa Naga: Find Your Sound

‏In this episode our founder Nour Hassan speaks to Interior Designer and Furniture Designer Nadia Salem the found of Beit Nadia and co-founder of Noun for Contemporary and Modern furniture. We speak about finding inspiration in spaces, pin pointing your own personal style, playing with materials and creating homes that feel like a sanctuary for their owners.
Our summer season is in collaboration with Egypt&apos;s Entrepreneur Awards - to check out the inaugural event&apos;s winners visit @eeawards_. This season is also powered by INERTIA. For more information on INERTIA&apos;s developments such as JEFAIRA Egypt&apos;s Year Round Coastal Town call 19655. #inertiabuildingmomentum

Nadia Salem: Beit Nadia

All Episodes