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Curator's Comment
Islamic Wing at the Louvre
March 2013
While I was in Paris making friends for The Gallery at the Institut du Monde Arabe and several private galleries, I visited the spectacular, if controversial, new Islamic Wing at the Louvre. Built over ten years, and at huge expense, the gallery, with its undulating glass roof reminiscent of a tent (or some say a carpet) speaks to I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid in the courtyard. Prince Waleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia is the largest donor, and the gallery houses the largest collection of Islamic art in Europe, from the seventh to the nineteenth centuries. The two-story space will feature a rotating selection from the Louvre’s 18,000 piece Islamic collection.
The space features interactive elements such as historical maps of Islamic conquests traced through the movement of colored lights across the continents, and a black wall upon which various elements of calligraphy appear traced by an invisible hand. The lower level is visible from above, to offer the viewer a grand expanse of mosaic floors from Turkish excavations, as well as several vast carpets. All the exhibits are located on slightly angled small platforms, each featuring a mashrabeya panel, a wall of tile work, glass, pottery, or magnificent metalwork candle holders or mosque lamps, among the many historical treasures on display.
And therein lies the controversy. The pieces are mixed together in a loosely thematic fashion, not in a chronological progression, and not by cultural area. Instead, works from the Arab Near East are interspersed with those from the Persian cultures of Iran and Afghanistan, along with some Silk Road artifacts from Samarkand and the like. This has the effect of mixing together the culture and history of profoundly different civilizations. Some scholars have objected to the labeling as well, finding errors of attribution or misleading information.
Additionally, there is some controversy in presenting these works as the static achievements of a dead civilization, instead of contextualizing them into contemporary history and art. While this ongoing argument about the role of museums in representing cultures cannot be resolved, perhaps the roles are logically shared by the exhibition of contemporary works in other venues such as the galleries of the Institut du Monde Arabe.
At any rate, the new wing allows viewers the opportunity to see magnificent examples of historical Islamic art in a stunning setting.
New Year, New Outlook
Winter 2013
2013 will be bracketed by color at the Gallery. In January, Lukman Ahmad’s kaleidoscopic paintings combine symbolism, abstraction and traditional imagery to evoke hopes of freedom. And at the end of the year, winter’s gloom will be lightened by photographer Karam Mishalani’s floral imagery. In between, we will be taking a look at the ways many different artists view Palestine, from the compelling imagery of injustice reflected in Bud Hensgen’s paintings, driven by his powerful feelings after his 2011 visit there, to Vian Shamounki Borchert’s painterly evocations of the sights and sounds of her homeland. Corinne Whitlatch shares her intricate stained glass constructions, incorporating actual
Fall 2012
Here at the Gallery we are (hopefully) saying goodbye to the sweltering summer heat (though since our air-conditioner has been repaired things have been much more bearable!). With the advent of autumn, energy returns to the city and we look forward to a lively season of art that teaches your mind and touches your soul.
I just finished reading my latest copy of American Craft magazine, and have been thinking about how its editorial, "In Defense of the Art History Major," reflects our goals here. The editorial takes exception to businessman Edward Conard’s term for people who, in his opinion, don’t contribute to the economy, “art history majors.” His assertion that the arts have no real value is not an uncommon one. Funding for the arts is the first to be cut, whether by school boards or national governments. Art is seen as a frivolity we are hard pressed to afford in these difficult economic times, when “marketable skills” must be honed and serious world crises must be addressed with spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. But I can’t help but feel that these thinkers know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
During our WORDS exhibition, we hung a sign that quoted Pablo Picasso, “Art is not made to decorate rooms. It is an offensive weapon in the defense against the enemy.” And while all of our exhibitions are not quite so vigorous, our artists contribute real value in their paintings and poetry. They illuminate feelings, elucidate concepts, define the argument for our disparate audience, offering them a new point of view on the conflicts in the world, allowing them to experience a culture different from their own, and see the similarities in their shared humanity. Drawing pictures can become drawing conclusions.
This fall, Oregon artist Anne Barber-Shams takes us to Andalusian Spain at a time when Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in harmony there. With her gilded paintings and transcribed odes, she leads us through a metaphorical portal towards creativity as peace.
And later, Andrew Courtney takes us on a journey with his camera to the heart of a little known community of African Palestinians in Jerusalem. His stunning black and white portraits reflect a two-year effort to illuminate their lives as 'Guardians of the Mosque.'
Both of these artists offer work that is important to the world. As that editorial so rightly concludes, “what has power in the long run is the creative stuff.” It is necessary, in these difficult times, to remember, Ars Longa, Vita Brevis.
Summer 2012
Summer in Washington, D.C., offers many changes—many people leave town, while summer interns arrive, to say nothing of tourists! But for those staying in the city, there are a lot of events on offer to make summer interesting, including here at the Jerusalem Fund Gallery. Opening 29 June, we have a poetry reading by Remi Kanazi, to compliment Rajie Cook’s new interactive exhibit, WORDS. You can participate in this show in a number of ways, including “making your mark” on our Wall. We are demonstrating the power of words in the fight for social justice. Picasso said, “Art is not made to decorate rooms. It is an offensive weapon in the fight against the enemy.” Rajie’s art and Remi’s poetry does just that.
Later in July the photographer Vivien Sansour will come from Palestine to exhibit her work, with interactive elements too. There will be a feeling of walking right into Palestinian farmland, along with films, recipes and even food.
The Jerusalem Fund summer film festival also starts June 20 till July18 with 4 free new films on Palestinian issues.
In the city, one of our Gallery artists, Vian Shamounki, will participate with 26 other artists painting LIVE at ART METAMORPHOSIS GALA at Georgetown's Washington Harbor on Thursday, June 14th from 6pm-12am! For one night and one night only the harbor area in the heart of the nation’s capital will be transformed into an artist’s canvas.
From June 18, tickets will be available for the annual FRINGE theater festival. Literally hundreds of short plays, films, poetry slams and musical events will take place from July 12 to 29. Most are less than 60 minutes long, and discount multi- packs of tickets are available at the Fringe headquarters on New York Ave.
Have a great summer!
Spring 2012
Palestinian arts are flourishing this spring. Among the winners of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize 2012, awarded at Art Dubai in March, is Palestinian artist Taysir Batniji. The Abraaj Capital Art Prize was founded in 2008 and is in its fourth edition. The aim of the prize is to give talented artists the opportunity to break new ground and showcase new work that is reflective of the rich artistic and cultural heritage of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region. It rewards artists on the basis of a proposal rather than completed work. The winning artists then go on to create the works, which form part of the Abraaj Capital Collection. You can also see the work of many contemporary Palestinian artists at the Dubai Art Fair, March 22-29.
www.artdubai.ae
While many Palestinian artists study and or work abroad, young artists now receive excellent training at The International Academy of Art, Palestine, an institution which specializes in higher education programs in the visual arts. As the directors state “The Academy currently offers a BA in Contemporary Visual Art... The Academy is a unique place for the development of the creative talents of Palestinians via its four-year program of study, which is open to all applicants. Our main aim in establishing an academy of art is to nurture the creative potential of Palestinians and to foster originality of thought, while creating a space for the development of individual expression."
Directed by prize-winning artist and educator Khaled Hourani, the academy also boasts visiting professor Suleiman Mansour, a visionary artist and a radical voice for the arts in the 70’s and 80’s, when arts and agricultural academies were vetoed in the West Bank and Gaza (and when it was illegal to produce paintings in the colors red, green, black and white).
This Spring at the Gallery, our colors are flying with work by Helen Zughaib, Manal Deeb and Mona El Bayoumi. Come by and cheer them on.
Holidays
2011
Walking through the piles of fallen leaves this morning I realized that we are fast approaching the season of fairs and festivals. Here at the Gallery we are participating too, with a special exhibition that not only educates but also entrances the gift-givers among us. Suad Raja will present her magnificent oeuvre of contemporary Yemeni silver jewelry, along with 19th century dress and ornaments, from daggers and tobacco boxes to amulet cases, head ornaments and traditional dresses rarely seen outside museums. On November 19th we will be treated to an illustrated talk about the historical antecedents of the contemporary jewelry she makes and exhibits in her Cairo gallery and here for us.
And on December 10 we will once again transform the entire Jerusalem Fund into a Middle Eastern Souk, with music, henna painting, food and vendors of crafts from ka multiplicity of mid-east countries. We will also honor the season of the Olive Harvest in Palestine with our traditional offering of the finest Palestinian olive oil. With a raffle, auction and other surprises, it is a day not to be missed for you and your family.
October 2011
Fall in Washington brings a number of art fairs, formal and informal. For me, it is a good way to scout potential exhibitors for the Gallery. There are many talented Arab American artists working in the DC area and not enough venues. I am pleased to have discovered several whose work will appear at the Gallery in the future.
The Gallery is also reaching out to new audiences. In October we will be co-sponsoring an art exhibit with NAAP-DC (Network of Arab American Professionals). This one-night-only event will feature 10 artists, who will showcase their work in a stunning penthouse model apartment in downtown DC. This will introduce their work to a new audience, and also demonstrate how well art integrates into a domestic environment. At the Gallery, we want not only to exhibit artwork, but also to encourage our audiences to support the artists by buying their work as well.
I recently attended panel discussion with the extraordinary art collector and patron Meera Rubell. She made a point to encourage beginning collectors not to shy away from purchasing original art. By buying with the heart as well as the eye, one can invest in a new young artist, often for little more than the price of a poster. Meeting and engaging with the artist, learning about the work, is very rewarding and can offer a lifetime of pleasure. Our talented Arab American artists are here. Come and find them.
September 2011
With the Washington heat, it is hard to believe we are looking at Fall. But September brings us the beginning of an exciting new season of exhibitions at the Gallery. While Bassima Mustafa’s deep images of olive groves continue to cool us off in through September, I will be in Texas visiting the contemporary art galleries with a view to an exhibition here in the future. Look for Adam Chamy’s Of Refuge, of Home at the end of the month. With his exploration into family history we are bringing 3-D painting to the gallery—you will be pulled into the show in a whole new way. And we are in the midst of preparing for a truly interactive show later in the Fall, with links to Egypt and Yemen. This Fall, the Gallery will also feature the first in a series of Saturday programs, with artist lectures, concerts and other opportunities to further enjoy the exhibitions.
As the poet Rumi said "Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth." Our artists will be doing that this Fall.
Dagmar Painter
Summer 2011
The weather in Washington has already been hot for weeks, and the forecast indicates that it will continue to be so throughout the summer. Here at the Gallery, we think things have been "hot" as well. Our exhibition Breaching the Wall had a record opening crowd, and continues to generate heat in the press. See one of the reviews, this one from Foreign Policy in Focus, here: http://bit.ly/mH2Iy2. We hope to follow this up with an equally provocative show in July, provided artist Nadira Araj is able to make it here from Bethlehem. Her installation, Unconditional, is a thought-provoking and ironic take on the failed United Nations resolutions on Palestinian issues.
But because it is summer, we want to offer a little respite from the heat as well, taking our cue from memories we have of breezes blowing through the olive groves of Palestine. Come to the Gallery in July and August, and you will see lovely silver jewelry with olive leaf motifs, also by Nadira Araj, and an exhibition of photographs by Bassima Mustafa that celebrate the olive groves so close to Palestinian hearts. Looking at her images, such as Olive Mist will transport you to a summer dream.
We have a number of exciting exhibitions on tap for the Fall, but for now, it’s hot and cool at the Gallery.
Dagmar Painter
May 2011
Breaching the Wall, an extraordinary exhibition by 11 artists from across the United States and Canada, will open in the Gallery on May 20.
For millennia, artists have used their talents to express thoughts and emotions deeply personal, as well as reflecting their reactions to the world around them. In light of this, The Jerusalem Fund Gallery invited Rajie Cook, Mona El-Bayoumi, Najat El-Khairy, Elena Farsakh, Adib Fattal, John Halaka, Michael Keating, Ellen O’Grady, Ammar Qusaibaty, Mary Tuma and Helen Zughaib to create a work of art reflecting their perceptions of the separation wall in Palestine. Interpreted in painting, sculpture, video, photography, porcelain and other media, each artist’s work speaks in a unique voice to this issue.
Viewers will see a remarkable array of artwork, many of them physically imposing a rendition of the barrier, both abstractly and concretely. Each artist has contributed a thoughtful, heart-piercing work expressly for this exhibition. Almost a year in the making, this exhibition will showcase the unusual, the poetic, the beautiful, the hopeful and the tragic immensity of this subject. Our hope is that, in viewing this exhibition, you will become a participant in breaching the wall.
Dagmar Painter
April 2011
(above: an image from Art Dubai)
It is spring in Washington, and things are blooming—the cherry blossoms, jonquils and art. There is a move afoot to create another arts district around the DC Convention Center. Several galleries have opened on 9th St. NW, and a pop-up gallery for designers and artists was open for two months to showcase a derelict building that has great potential as an art space.
While DC collectors are slowly coming out of the recession, the art fair world has been making strong showings, outperforming galleries again. This holds true especially for the Middle East. This year, Art Dubai, running from March 16-19th had its largest and most diverse audience to date, attracting more than 20,000 guests, with a 30 percent increase in international visitors. Art Dubai 2011 was attended by curators, collectors, gallerists, artists, museum directors and more than 60 museum groups.
The international art world turned out to Art Dubai 2011 in record numbers, including museum groups and representatives from Qatar Museums Authority, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation (New York), MoMA (New York), Tate Modern (London), Hong Kong Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Sotheby’s Institute, Performa (New York) and Cartier Foundation (Paris).
The Fair featured 81 galleries from 34 countries, and the Global Art Forum, with speakers including Hans Ulrich Obrist, Rashid Rana, Germano Celant, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and Vasif Kortun. The Forum was developed through a partnership between Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar, Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (ADACH), Ministry of Culture, Kingdom of Bahrain.
As part of its educational mandate, Art Dubai 2011 introduced MARKER, a new platform for experimental art spaces from Asia and the Middle East, curated by Nav Haq; the third Abraaj Capital Art Prize and Footnote to a Project*, a book project specially commissioned for the prize; a program of new works and interactive performances by Dubai Art Projects, and Art Park, curated by Bidoun Projects, which included film screenings, talks, performances and workshops.
It is heartening to see the great contemporary art coming out of the Middle East. Watch this space for news of our own contemporary art shows, as we introduce two extremely thought-provoking exhibitions in May and June.
Dagmar Painter
March 2011
This month the Gallery is hosting the first exhibition related to a grant made by The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. Our grant partially funded a project by an NGO called Zakira (“Memory “in Arabic). Zakira’s primary goal is to promote the value of photography through workshops, exhibitions and civil awareness campaigns, among other activities.
In our case, photojournalist Ramzi Haidar launched a project in 2007 to bring together volunteer photographers, journalists and artists with children in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Volunteers in the project, called Lahza (“Glimpse “in Arabic) taught photographic principles to 500 children between the ages 0f 5 and 12 for an entire year. Instruction included learning how to use the camera to capture a desired image, and how to create images as a means of personal expression and of public communication. The volunteers did not steer their work, but rather encouraged their own sense of observation.
For these children caught up in an unfair and horrific situation not of their own making, this sort of empowerment is rare. It offered them a sense of control over their environment, a means of expressing emotions, and a sense of camaraderie that was more than just a by-product of the lessons.
The children subsequently used their cameras to capture images of their reality, with joy, spontaneity and truth. While the technical proficiency of these young people is extraordinary, what is truly moving is to see the joy, hope, and sense of fun that emerges from photos of what adults see only as destruction and deprivation. The minds and hearts of these Palestinian children offer a unique form of resistance and resilience.
We are exhibiting 19 large scale photographs, as well as the book produced by the group. All are for sale. Come to the exhibition and see the hope of the future.
Dagmar Painter
February 2011
I have scrapped my planned comment for this month as it impossible not to note the incredible events happening in the Arab world. Having lived for 5 years in Tunisia and 4 years in Egypt, I feel a personal stake in the outcomes, as well as the universal stake we all have in seeing peace and the rule of the people take hold. We are all watching anxiously as events unfold, and I regret the loss of contact with my Egyptian friends. My friends in Tunisia tell me that they are struggling to deal with the exigencies of daily life, while trying to determine how they can have a real say in their future.
Tragically, in Egypt the violence continues, and opportunists and looters have begun to take advantage of the situation to wreak havoc on their fellow Egyptians. But, as Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s dedicated and charismatic Director of Antiquities said yesterday “good Egyptians have stepped forward” to guard the National Museum and other sites, literally with their lives, forming a human chain around the museum. Egypt, Tunisia, and the other Arab countries on the edge of turmoil all have a rich cultural heritage of which they are justly proud. It is their gift to the world, and it is vital to all of us that it be preserved. Let us hope reflect with pride on the fact that in the midst of these life-changing and life-threatening events, culture has not been forgotten.
January 2011
Happy New Year! Looking back, 2010 was a year of expansion for the Gallery. We increased our virtual presence with an expanded web page, featuring virtual tours, artist videos and a Curator’s Comment. We began and ended the year with two photographic exhibitions that touched the hearts of Palestinians— starting with vibrant contemporary images of daily life in Palestine that covered every inch of our walls, and ending with rare silver print photographs of life in Palestine in the 1930’s. In between, we exhibited artists from around the United States.
Our January-February show of Elena Farsakh’s photographs, Palestine, Meanwhile, got the most press coverage of any show to date.
In March-April we exhibited the nationally known artist Adnan Charara, whose work is featured at the Arab American National Museum in Detroit. Charara’s paintings, sculptures and collages drew a record crowd of over 100 people. His show, Hueman, was opened by a jazz concert by Arab-American singer Lena Seikaly, who has performed at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center and internationally.
April-May featured a lecture and exhibition of paintings by author, activist and artist Ellen O’ Grady. What Ham Saw: Drawings From Palestine, were moving watercolors based on interviews with a poet, teacher, peacemaker, soldier, all of whom had a creative response to their intense desire to see an end to occupation.
Born Among Mirrors: Lebanon 50 Years After in May-June featured the photography of Najib Joe Hakim, whose award-winning images detail his return to Beirut 50 years after the Palestinian Hakim family fled as refugees. He chronicles the determination of the Lebanese to rebuild and survive after numerous invasions, civil war and occupation. The San Francisco-based Hakim brought a large Lebanese-American audience to the Gallery.
In July-September, the Gallery transformed into a surreal village of giant floating heads, as Chicago artist Anna Kipervaser brought sculptural paintings, titled The Light Thread, The Dark Thread, creating visually compelling images that hope to challenge preconceived notions about the Middle East and its people.
Memories Revisited, in October-November introduced famed Iraqi painter Ahmed AlKarkihi to an American audience.
And in December, The Eye Behind the Camera, brought tears to the eyes of gallery goers as they gazed upon scenes of Jerusalem and Palestine from the 1930’s, in our best selling show ever.
To close out the year, we held magnificent exhibition of Kashmir Shawls to accompany the always lively annual Souk and Olive Harvest Festival, attended this year by over 300 people.
2011 will start out colorfully with a bright exhibit of paintings by Zohra Ben Hamida. Here’s looking ahead to many great exhibitions to come!
Dagmar Painter
Walking through the piles of fallen leaves this morning I realized that we are fast approaching the season of fairs and festivals. Here at the Gallery we are participating too, with a special exhibition that not only educates but also entrances the gift-givers among us. Suad Raja will present her magnificent oeuvre of contemporary Yemeni silver jewelry, along with 19th century dress and ornaments, from daggers and tobacco boxes to amulet cases, head ornaments and traditional dresses rarely seen outside museums. On November 19th we will be treated to an illustrated talk about the historical antecedents of the contemporary jewelry she makes and exhibits in her Cairo gallery and here for us.
And on December 10 we will once again transform the entire Jerusalem Fund into a Middle Eastern Souk, with music, henna painting, food and vendors of crafts from ka multiplicity of mid-east countries. We will also honor the season of the Olive Harvest in Palestine with our traditional offering of the finest Palestinian olive oil. With a raffle, auction and other surprises, it is a day not to be missed for you and your family.
October 2011
Fall in Washington brings a number of art fairs, formal and informal. For me, it is a good way to scout potential exhibitors for the Gallery. There are many talented Arab American artists working in the DC area and not enough venues. I am pleased to have discovered several whose work will appear at the Gallery in the future.
The Gallery is also reaching out to new audiences. In October we will be co-sponsoring an art exhibit with NAAP-DC (Network of Arab American Professionals). This one-night-only event will feature 10 artists, who will showcase their work in a stunning penthouse model apartment in downtown DC. This will introduce their work to a new audience, and also demonstrate how well art integrates into a domestic environment. At the Gallery, we want not only to exhibit artwork, but also to encourage our audiences to support the artists by buying their work as well.
I recently attended panel discussion with the extraordinary art collector and patron Meera Rubell. She made a point to encourage beginning collectors not to shy away from purchasing original art. By buying with the heart as well as the eye, one can invest in a new young artist, often for little more than the price of a poster. Meeting and engaging with the artist, learning about the work, is very rewarding and can offer a lifetime of pleasure. Our talented Arab American artists are here. Come and find them.
September 2011
With the Washington heat, it is hard to believe we are looking at Fall. But September brings us the beginning of an exciting new season of exhibitions at the Gallery. While Bassima Mustafa’s deep images of olive groves continue to cool us off in through September, I will be in Texas visiting the contemporary art galleries with a view to an exhibition here in the future. Look for Adam Chamy’s Of Refuge, of Home at the end of the month. With his exploration into family history we are bringing 3-D painting to the gallery—you will be pulled into the show in a whole new way. And we are in the midst of preparing for a truly interactive show later in the Fall, with links to Egypt and Yemen. This Fall, the Gallery will also feature the first in a series of Saturday programs, with artist lectures, concerts and other opportunities to further enjoy the exhibitions.
As the poet Rumi said "Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth." Our artists will be doing that this Fall.
Dagmar Painter
Summer 2011
The weather in Washington has already been hot for weeks, and the forecast indicates that it will continue to be so throughout the summer. Here at the Gallery, we think things have been "hot" as well. Our exhibition Breaching the Wall had a record opening crowd, and continues to generate heat in the press. See one of the reviews, this one from Foreign Policy in Focus, here: http://bit.ly/mH2Iy2. We hope to follow this up with an equally provocative show in July, provided artist Nadira Araj is able to make it here from Bethlehem. Her installation, Unconditional, is a thought-provoking and ironic take on the failed United Nations resolutions on Palestinian issues.
But because it is summer, we want to offer a little respite from the heat as well, taking our cue from memories we have of breezes blowing through the olive groves of Palestine. Come to the Gallery in July and August, and you will see lovely silver jewelry with olive leaf motifs, also by Nadira Araj, and an exhibition of photographs by Bassima Mustafa that celebrate the olive groves so close to Palestinian hearts. Looking at her images, such as Olive Mist will transport you to a summer dream.
We have a number of exciting exhibitions on tap for the Fall, but for now, it’s hot and cool at the Gallery.
Dagmar Painter
May 2011
Breaching the Wall, an extraordinary exhibition by 11 artists from across the United States and Canada, will open in the Gallery on May 20.
For millennia, artists have used their talents to express thoughts and emotions deeply personal, as well as reflecting their reactions to the world around them. In light of this, The Jerusalem Fund Gallery invited Rajie Cook, Mona El-Bayoumi, Najat El-Khairy, Elena Farsakh, Adib Fattal, John Halaka, Michael Keating, Ellen O’Grady, Ammar Qusaibaty, Mary Tuma and Helen Zughaib to create a work of art reflecting their perceptions of the separation wall in Palestine. Interpreted in painting, sculpture, video, photography, porcelain and other media, each artist’s work speaks in a unique voice to this issue.
Viewers will see a remarkable array of artwork, many of them physically imposing a rendition of the barrier, both abstractly and concretely. Each artist has contributed a thoughtful, heart-piercing work expressly for this exhibition. Almost a year in the making, this exhibition will showcase the unusual, the poetic, the beautiful, the hopeful and the tragic immensity of this subject. Our hope is that, in viewing this exhibition, you will become a participant in breaching the wall.
Dagmar Painter
|
John Halaka © 2011 |
Rajie Cook © 2011 |
Mona el Bayoumi © 2011 |
April 2011
(above: an image from Art Dubai)
It is spring in Washington, and things are blooming—the cherry blossoms, jonquils and art. There is a move afoot to create another arts district around the DC Convention Center. Several galleries have opened on 9th St. NW, and a pop-up gallery for designers and artists was open for two months to showcase a derelict building that has great potential as an art space.
While DC collectors are slowly coming out of the recession, the art fair world has been making strong showings, outperforming galleries again. This holds true especially for the Middle East. This year, Art Dubai, running from March 16-19th had its largest and most diverse audience to date, attracting more than 20,000 guests, with a 30 percent increase in international visitors. Art Dubai 2011 was attended by curators, collectors, gallerists, artists, museum directors and more than 60 museum groups.
The international art world turned out to Art Dubai 2011 in record numbers, including museum groups and representatives from Qatar Museums Authority, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation (New York), MoMA (New York), Tate Modern (London), Hong Kong Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Sotheby’s Institute, Performa (New York) and Cartier Foundation (Paris).
The Fair featured 81 galleries from 34 countries, and the Global Art Forum, with speakers including Hans Ulrich Obrist, Rashid Rana, Germano Celant, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and Vasif Kortun. The Forum was developed through a partnership between Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar, Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (ADACH), Ministry of Culture, Kingdom of Bahrain.
As part of its educational mandate, Art Dubai 2011 introduced MARKER, a new platform for experimental art spaces from Asia and the Middle East, curated by Nav Haq; the third Abraaj Capital Art Prize and Footnote to a Project*, a book project specially commissioned for the prize; a program of new works and interactive performances by Dubai Art Projects, and Art Park, curated by Bidoun Projects, which included film screenings, talks, performances and workshops.
It is heartening to see the great contemporary art coming out of the Middle East. Watch this space for news of our own contemporary art shows, as we introduce two extremely thought-provoking exhibitions in May and June.
Dagmar Painter
March 2011
This month the Gallery is hosting the first exhibition related to a grant made by The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. Our grant partially funded a project by an NGO called Zakira (“Memory “in Arabic). Zakira’s primary goal is to promote the value of photography through workshops, exhibitions and civil awareness campaigns, among other activities.
In our case, photojournalist Ramzi Haidar launched a project in 2007 to bring together volunteer photographers, journalists and artists with children in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Volunteers in the project, called Lahza (“Glimpse “in Arabic) taught photographic principles to 500 children between the ages 0f 5 and 12 for an entire year. Instruction included learning how to use the camera to capture a desired image, and how to create images as a means of personal expression and of public communication. The volunteers did not steer their work, but rather encouraged their own sense of observation.
For these children caught up in an unfair and horrific situation not of their own making, this sort of empowerment is rare. It offered them a sense of control over their environment, a means of expressing emotions, and a sense of camaraderie that was more than just a by-product of the lessons.
The children subsequently used their cameras to capture images of their reality, with joy, spontaneity and truth. While the technical proficiency of these young people is extraordinary, what is truly moving is to see the joy, hope, and sense of fun that emerges from photos of what adults see only as destruction and deprivation. The minds and hearts of these Palestinian children offer a unique form of resistance and resilience.
We are exhibiting 19 large scale photographs, as well as the book produced by the group. All are for sale. Come to the exhibition and see the hope of the future.
Dagmar Painter
February 2011
I have scrapped my planned comment for this month as it impossible not to note the incredible events happening in the Arab world. Having lived for 5 years in Tunisia and 4 years in Egypt, I feel a personal stake in the outcomes, as well as the universal stake we all have in seeing peace and the rule of the people take hold. We are all watching anxiously as events unfold, and I regret the loss of contact with my Egyptian friends. My friends in Tunisia tell me that they are struggling to deal with the exigencies of daily life, while trying to determine how they can have a real say in their future.
Tragically, in Egypt the violence continues, and opportunists and looters have begun to take advantage of the situation to wreak havoc on their fellow Egyptians. But, as Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s dedicated and charismatic Director of Antiquities said yesterday “good Egyptians have stepped forward” to guard the National Museum and other sites, literally with their lives, forming a human chain around the museum. Egypt, Tunisia, and the other Arab countries on the edge of turmoil all have a rich cultural heritage of which they are justly proud. It is their gift to the world, and it is vital to all of us that it be preserved. Let us hope reflect with pride on the fact that in the midst of these life-changing and life-threatening events, culture has not been forgotten.
January 2011
Happy New Year! Looking back, 2010 was a year of expansion for the Gallery. We increased our virtual presence with an expanded web page, featuring virtual tours, artist videos and a Curator’s Comment. We began and ended the year with two photographic exhibitions that touched the hearts of Palestinians— starting with vibrant contemporary images of daily life in Palestine that covered every inch of our walls, and ending with rare silver print photographs of life in Palestine in the 1930’s. In between, we exhibited artists from around the United States.
Our January-February show of Elena Farsakh’s photographs, Palestine, Meanwhile, got the most press coverage of any show to date.
In March-April we exhibited the nationally known artist Adnan Charara, whose work is featured at the Arab American National Museum in Detroit. Charara’s paintings, sculptures and collages drew a record crowd of over 100 people. His show, Hueman, was opened by a jazz concert by Arab-American singer Lena Seikaly, who has performed at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center and internationally.
April-May featured a lecture and exhibition of paintings by author, activist and artist Ellen O’ Grady. What Ham Saw: Drawings From Palestine, were moving watercolors based on interviews with a poet, teacher, peacemaker, soldier, all of whom had a creative response to their intense desire to see an end to occupation.
Born Among Mirrors: Lebanon 50 Years After in May-June featured the photography of Najib Joe Hakim, whose award-winning images detail his return to Beirut 50 years after the Palestinian Hakim family fled as refugees. He chronicles the determination of the Lebanese to rebuild and survive after numerous invasions, civil war and occupation. The San Francisco-based Hakim brought a large Lebanese-American audience to the Gallery.
In July-September, the Gallery transformed into a surreal village of giant floating heads, as Chicago artist Anna Kipervaser brought sculptural paintings, titled The Light Thread, The Dark Thread, creating visually compelling images that hope to challenge preconceived notions about the Middle East and its people.
Memories Revisited, in October-November introduced famed Iraqi painter Ahmed AlKarkihi to an American audience.
And in December, The Eye Behind the Camera, brought tears to the eyes of gallery goers as they gazed upon scenes of Jerusalem and Palestine from the 1930’s, in our best selling show ever.
To close out the year, we held magnificent exhibition of Kashmir Shawls to accompany the always lively annual Souk and Olive Harvest Festival, attended this year by over 300 people.
2011 will start out colorfully with a bright exhibit of paintings by Zohra Ben Hamida. Here’s looking ahead to many great exhibitions to come!
Dagmar Painter