'The Place I Call Home,' is a contemporary exhibition of photography commissioned by the British Council and curated by David Drake, Director of Ffotogallery Wales, that presents the work of artists from both the United Kingdom and The Gulf, as they explore the idea of 'home' at a time of rapid change and social mobility.
The project uses lens-based media to explore the notion of 'home' as it relates to contemporary experiences of the Arabic diaspora living in the UK and British people living in The Gulf.
'The Place I Call Home' will be exhibited from 15 - 31 January 2020 at the Bahrain Museum Art Center, one of the City's finest galleries. Bahraini documentary photographers duo Hussain Almosawi & Mariam Alarab will showcase their photo series of the Bahraini immigrants finding 'home' in England, alongside other selected artists whose work opposite the sense of home from photography shot in the UK and other Gulf countries.
The exhibition seeks to promote dialogue and interaction between cultures and challenge isolation and self-segregation. The exhibition will travel to seven countries over a six-month period, including each country within the GCC along with several destinations in the UK.
Photography is one of the greatest mediums for capturing, communicating and sharing people's stories across cultures. 'The Place I Call Home' is just part of British Council's dedicated work in Bahrain which seeks to create new opportunities to develop mutual understanding and respect through sharing and appreciating each other's culture, history, and heritage, and develop long-term arts and education relationships between institutions.
Accompanying the exhibition will be a range of public events and opportunities for students as well. Please visit the public program section at the bottom of the page for more information.
More information about the exhibition and artists can be found on www.theplaceicallhome.org.
#ThePlaceICallHome
Photographers in the Gulf can use the hashtag #everydaygulf to have their images pulled across into a dedicated website that has been set up to engage and showcase local talent around the theme of “home”.
Waseem Kotoub, Senior Programme Manager, Culture and Sport, Gulf at the British Council said: “We want to showcase how photography is being used in the UK and the Gulf to capture and make sense of the world and how it can transcend borders and build understanding. The exhibition is exploring the impact of the creative art forms on people’s lives and the role they can play in society’s understanding of itself - and how this impact should be shared and discussed. Artworks created by young Gulf and UK artists have made references to the strong and rich history and identity that informs the modern Arab art world”
When and where will it be happening?
|
Country |
Exhibition Dates |
Photographers commissioned by country |
Venue |
|
Kuwait |
1-21 October 2019 |
Mohammed Al-Kouh |
Amricani Cultural Centre, Kuwait City |
|
Oman |
14 November – 15 December 2019 |
Eman Ali Josh Adam Jones Hassan Meer Zahed Sultan |
Stal Gallery, Muscat |
|
Qatar |
2-21 December 2019 |
Abi Green Sara Al Obaidly Mashael Al Hejazi Sebastian Betancur-Montoya |
The Fire Station, Doha, Qatar |
|
Bahrain |
15-31 January 2020 |
Hussain Almosawi & Mariam Alarab |
Bahrain Museum Art Space |
|
Saudi Arabia |
9-29 Feb (TBC) |
Moath Alofi |
L’Art Pur |
|
UAE – Abu Dhabi |
7 – 21 March 2020 |
Richard Allenby-Pratt Gillian Robertson Ben Soedira Ammar Al Attar |
Maraya Arts Centre |
| Bahrain Public Programme | |||
|
Date |
Time |
Venue |
Activity |
|
15 January 2020 |
19:00 – 21:00 |
Art Centre |
Exhibition opening event |
|
16 January 2020 |
18:30 – 21.00 |
Art Centre |
Public talk about the project Curator: David Drake Artists: Eman Ali, Hassan Meer, Mariam and Hussain, Moath Alofi 18.30 – panel talk and presentations
|
|
20 January 2020 |
18.30 – 20.00 |
|
Portfolio Reviews and Career Progression Talk David Drake, Curator, The Place I Call Home
|