Kevork Mourad Exhibition– Press Coverage Summer 2019
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7/10/2019 Kevork Mourad exhibition– Press Coverage Summer 2019 AKDN Department of Communications Page 1 of 46 Syrian Armenian artist creates six-meter high sculpture of Babel (Public Radio of Armenia) . 3 Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad shows 'Seeing Through Babel' exhibition at London's Ismaili Centre (Harper’s Bazaar) ............................................................................................... 5 Takis Tate Modern Kevork Mourad Ismaili Centre – Two Shows – Edward Lucie-Smith (Artlyst) ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Kevork Mourad: Seeing Through Babel (Artlyst) ................................................................... 13 Kevork Mourad Explores The Babel Story At The Ismaili Centre London (Artlyst) ............. 15 The Ismaili Centre presents a new exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad (Lux magazine) ........................................................................................................................ 18 Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad to create six-meter hanging sculpture of Babel (Haydzayn) ............................................................................................................................... 20 Seeing Through Babel, a solo exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad (FAD Magazine) ................................................................................................................................ 22 Ismaili Centre presents new exhibition by Syrian-Armenian artist in July (Architectural Digest) ...................................................................................................................................... 26 Ismaili Centre reopens Zamana Space with major new exhibition by Kevork Mourad (Medium) ................................................................................................................................. 28 Seeing Through Babel (Wall Street Magazine) ....................................................................... 31 Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad addresses divisions in humanity by recreating Babel (Abaka News) .......................................................................................................................... 33 Kevork Mourad: Seeing Through Babel (Art) ......................................................................... 35 The Ismaili Centre.................................................................................................................... 35 Seeing through Babel (The Great Exhibition Road Festival) .................................................. 37 Seeing Through Babel (Discover South Kensington) .............................................................. 38 Syrian-Armenian Artist Kevork Mourad Addresses Divisions in Humanity by Recreating Babel (The Resident) ............................................................................................................... 39 Kevork Mourad: Seeing Through Babel (Artweek) ................................................................ 42 New exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad takes the tower of Babel as its inspiration (Medium) ............................................................................................................... 44 Page 2 of 46 Online article : https://en.armradio.am/2019/07/08/syrian-armenian-artist-creates-six-meter- high-sculpture-of-babel/ Syrian Armenian artist creates six-meter high sculpture of Babel (Public Radio of Armenia) Siranush Ghazanchyan July 8, 2019, 11:48 Photo by Anne Purkiss A six-meter high artwork that took 9 days to create has been officially unveiled at the Ismaili Centre in South Kensington, London Live reports. Inspired by the old testament story of Babel – and the tower built to heaven – Syrian- Armenian artist Kevork Mourad has explored his belief, that the story was the moment that mankind was divided on earth. Page 3 of 46 Mourad says of his chosen theme: “I have often thought of this story, as it is said to be a moment that divided mankind. I see it as a moment when diversity was created.” “It can connect people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds. What Babel separated, visual art connects,” the artist said of his creature, according to Artlyst. Photo by Anne Purkiss To create the work, Mourad spent the last week of June working in situ in London, collaborating with a group of local art students. The six-metre hanging sculpture consists of monotype printing on fabric, which was printed and cut with the help of his assistants. Throughout this period, Mourad also allowed visitors to walk into the space and watch him as he worked, offering them the chance to see him at work, Harper’s Bazaar Art reports. In addition to the wedding-cake-like monument to Babel, a number of monotype prints made during the creation process are also on display around the Ismaili Centre. Displayed flat instead of in the round, viewers are able to view fragments of the larger tower, giving them the chance to decipher the imaginary civilisations printed across Mourad’s tower. That piece is available to see during opening hours at the Ismaili Centre until the 15th of August. Kevork was born in 1970 in Syria, studied in Aleppo, obtained his Masters of Fine Arts in Armenia and then moved to New York City. Page 4 of 46 Online article : https://www.harpersbazaararabia.com/syrian-armenian-artist-kevork- mourads-seeing-through-babel-in-the-zamana-space-exhibition-at-londons-ismaili-centre Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad shows 'Seeing Through Babel' exhibition at London's Ismaili Centre (Harper’s Bazaar) Photo by Anne Purkiss, Courtesy of The Ismaili Centre, London Artist Kevork Mourad at his Seeing Through Babel exhibition in London's Ismaili Centre 07July2019Lizzy Vartanian Collier During the opening at The Ismaili Centre's Zamana Space, the Syrian-Armenian artist created a live drawing performance accompanied by musicians from Iraq and Spain... Playing oud and guitar, while the artist made ink drawings on a projector, the musical accompaniment was made to illustrate cultures melding together, something that runs through the heart of Mourad’s work. The exhibition, which is the first in what will be a series presented by Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum in London, is inspired by the Old Testament story of Babel. In the tale, God punishes mankind for attempting to build a tower to heaven in a bid to reach him. To punish them for their presumptuousness, God creates many languages, preventing his admirers from being able to communicate with each other and therefore smashing their hopes of building the tower. And, while many people might view this as a curse, Mourad decided to interpret this story as a blessing, because it marks the beginning of diversity and in turn allows for cultures to explore each others differences, generating intellectual and emotional wealth. Thus, the central work to the London exhibition consists of a six-layered fabric tower, hanging from the Page 5 of 46 ceiling and brushing the centre’s floor. It doesn’t quite reach heaven, but it does give the audience an idea of the scale and ambition of the builders in the Old Testament tale. An installation view of Kevork Mourad's Seeing Through Babel exhibition, 2019. Photo by Anne Purkiss, Courtesy of The Ismaili Centre, London Born in 1970 in Qamishli, Syria, Mourad can be considered a double refugee, his family fled Turkey during the Armenian Genocide; before he then became a refugee himself again, leaving Syria, and now living in New York. Growing up in Aleppo, he has been exposed to different cultures, languages, histories and traditions. At times, the marks made within his work look like Arabic calligraphy, and then a moment later they appear as Roman column. You walk around the tower however, are confronted with Armenian churches. And yet, despite their differences in origin, all of these elements appear on Mourad’s fabric tower with ease, as though they were always meant to have existed together. While it is predominantly covered in images of buildings, the work also includes scribbles in incomprehensible languages and hieroglyphic-like symbols from a variety of sources. Though the cities in Mourad’s Babel are imaginary, they look real, with cultures flowing in and out of each other effortlessly. Growing up, Mourad was fascinated by Babylonian and Sumerian culture, influences of which can be seen within the work, which is made quickly, without planning. The way in which aspects of different cultures have been fused together has been done to enable viewers to find parts of themselves within the work, illustrating that communities are made up when different peoples come together. Page 6 of 46 An installation view of Kevork Mourad's Seeing Through Babel exhibition, 2019. Photo by Anne Purkiss, Courtesy of The Ismaili Centre, London To create the work, Mourad spent the last week of June working in situ in London, collaborating with a group of local art students. The six-metre hanging sculpture consists of monotype printing on fabric, which was printed and cut with the help of his assistants. Throughout this period, Mourad also allowed visitors to walk into the space and watch him as he worked, offering them the chance to see him at work. The collaboration process is important to Mourad, and as in his interpretation of the story of Babel, it allows him to create communities, sharing skills, ideas and