Building Community
by Making Art 

The artist eL Seed and the director of New York’s Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF), Kyle Bergman, will discuss the power of public art and depict its ability in bringing communities together. Through select projects such as “The Journey” in Lebanon, “Perception” in Cairo and “Lost Walls” in Tunisia, we take a deep dive into eL Seed’s process of making and how working together with a community can prove to be invaluable, even more so than the final art produced.

Speaker: eL Seed is a contemporary artist whose practice crosses the discipline of painting and sculpture. He uses the wisdom of writers, poets and philosophers from around the world to convey messages of peace and to underline the commonalities of human existence. eL Seed uses his art as an echo of the stories of the communities that he meets and aims to amplify their voices. Through his artworks, his goal is to create a bond between people across borders. His work has been shown in exhibitions and in public places all around the world: on the facade of lnstitut du monde Arabe in Paris, in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, on the DMZ between North and South Korea, in the slums of Cape Town and in the heart of Cairo's garbage collectors neighborhood. eL Seed’s accomplishments include being selected by the World Economic Forums in 2021 as one of the Young Global Leaders, and winning the International Award for Public Art in 2019 for his project in Cairo, “Perception.” 

Moderator: Kyle Bergman, an architect by profession, founded the Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF) in 2009 and serves as its festival director. He has always recognized the strong connection between architecture and film. ADFF provides a unique opportunity to educate, entertain and engage people who are passionate about the world of architecture and design. Now in its 13th season, ADFF has grown to become the largest film festival dedicated to the creative spirit of architecture and design. Bergman also serves as president for Pacific Rim Park (PRP) whose mission is to use the process of designing and building parks as a tool to connect people and communities around the Pacific. An entrepreneur at heart, Bergman founded Alt Spec in 1999, a publishing company that produced a visual resource of unique and alternative products for architects and designers.