Kevork Mourad Exhibition– Press Coverage Summer 2019

7/10/2019 Kevork Mourad exhibition– Press Coverage Summer 2019

AKDN Department of Communications

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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

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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.

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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

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.

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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.

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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 differences.

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.

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An installation view of Kevork Mourad's Seeing Through Babel exhibition, 2019. Photo by Anne Purkiss, Courtesy of The Ismaili Centre, London

On a variety of media that includes paper, fabric and acetate, the works allow the viewers to look into the fabrication of the tower, and to understand how different fragments were pieced together. Like the ancient story of Babel, many of the buildings printed onto the fabric appear as though they have been inspired from the earliest civilisations and, Mourad’s monotype technique – which he dips in black ink – creates the idea of aging with time.

Mourad has a fascination with cosmology, something that the story of Babel appears to be against. As in the musical performance during the exhibition’s opening, Mourad’s fabric tower illustrates cultures melding together. Within the Old Testament fable, God punished mankind for attempted to reach their dreams.

But, instead of believing in the end of everything, Mourad decided to take an optimistic view, reinterpreting the curse as a blessing, the start of diversity and our wealth of languages. Mourad’s Seeing Through Babel includes many cultures, civilisations and histories. Within each window, he represents a space for every one of us, providing a space where we might find a symbol or shape from our own culture, reminding us that while we cannot erase our past, we can certainly add to it to create a greater story.

Kevork Mourad: Seeing Through Babel is on display at Ismaili Centre, London until 15 August 2019

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Online article : https://www.artlyst.com/reviews/takis-tate-modern-kevork-mourad-ismaili- centre-two-shows-edward-lucie-smith/

Takis Tate Modern Kevork Mourad Ismaili Centre – Two Shows – Edward Lucie-Smith (Artlyst)

7 July 2019

The Greek artist Panayiotis Vassillakis, known simply as Takis, born in Athens in 1925, is a very senior member of today’s international avant-garde. His new show at Tate Modern – what? Not a woman, not a person of colour? – therefore qualifies as an event of some interest.

One of the things it brings into focus is how one defines the concept of avant-gardism

Especially in today’s complex circumstances. It is not, for example, that Takis’ variety of avant-gardism lacks social and even political roots. As the leaflet handed out with the Tate show tells one: “Social and political activism hold a central place in Takis’s life and practice.” As a young man, he lived through World War 2 in Greece, and through the civil conflict that followed. He has long been a supporter of the causes that resonate today. He was, in the 1970s a founding member of the Art Workers’ Coalition. This, as the leaflet, says: “included artists, filmmakers, writers, critics and museum staff. The coalition advocated for museum reform including a less exclusionary exhibition policy concerning women artists and artists of colour.” Reading this, one can quite understand why the present regime at Tate might want to celebrate Takis with a show.

Takis Télélumière Relief No. 5 1963-1965 Tate Presented by Tate Members 2018 © Takis

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The exhibition itself, however, has little or nothing to say about social or political causes. There are no statements, overt or covert, about either gender or race. Nothing about contemporary art as it operates within society. What it does, instead, is to over a series of technological tricks and wonders. Here you have suspended spheres, antennae, dials and gauges, flashing lights, sudden waves of sound. “My desire as a sculptor,” Takis explains, was to learn to use this [technological] energy, and through it, to attempt to penetrate cosmic mysteries.”

In order to accomplish that, Takis has moved from one artistic environment to another. He left Athens for Paris in 1954, when France was still clinging on to its position as the centre of the contemporary art world. From there he made regular visits to London in the late 1950s and early 1960s. There he teamed up with the artist-run Signals gallery, so named as a tribute to Takis’s sculpture Now he is back in Greece, where he has a personal foundation, opened in 1993. Making signals, often in a quite literal sense, is very much what his production as an artist has been about. Tate acknowledges this in the names given to the various spaces that house the show: Magnetism and Metal, Poetry – Transmission and Space, Sound and Silence, Light and Darkness. And, finally, a room called Music of the Spheres. Under the mechanical, there lies something mystical.

Though the works on show are quite solidly present in the galleries they occupy, they often seem to try to escape the idea of materiality. There are spheres that float, suspended from the ceiling. There are flashing lights. There is a multitude of quivering stalks. Many of the sculptures move. The movement is often based on an adroit use of magnetism.

Much of the technology is repurposed, using items found in military surplus stores, discount electronic shops and flea markets. Like any number of contemporary artists, most of them younger than himself, Takis has been adroit in re-purposing what are in fact discards – parts from aeroplanes and cars, industrial machine parts. He incorporates versions of the traffic signals that police our modern urban lives. He scavenges, then he re-invents.

What this suggests, maybe unintentionally, is the degree to which this kind of avant-gardism still exists on the margins. It entertains. It offers commentaries. It certainly has, in Takis’s hands, genuine moments of poetry. As for hitting you in the solar plexus – I think not.

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TAKIS Tate Modern Until 27 October

Kevork Mourad Photo: P C Robinson © Artlyst 2019

Kevork Mourad – Seeing Through Babel, The Ismaili Centre, London Until 15 August 2019

After a long hiatus, the Ismaili Centre, situated opposite the Victoria & Albert Museum in Exhibition Road, is re-opening its space for exhibitions again. First up is Kevork Mourad, who identifies as Armenian, though he was born and grew up in Syria, moving to Armenia in 1992. The exhibition is the offspring of a project that started life at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. The theme of the show is the Tower of Babel, which seems appropriate, given both its authorship and the place and situation in which it is now being shown.

I have often thought of this story, as it is said to be a moment that divided mankind – KM

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.” He adds, apropos of his work as an artist: “It can connect people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds. What Babel separated, visual art connects.” Sure enough, as you walk in, a version of the legendary Tower rises up from the basement of the building to greet you. Since it has no colour and is made of fragile materials, it offers a somewhat ghostly presence. You feel that ancient legend is ready to whisper in your ear.

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Kevork Mourad – Seeing Through Babel

Since what you enter through is a rather posh boutique, full of goodies designed to tempt prosperous Middle Eastern ladies on a shopping trip to South Kensington, this can be disconcerting in more ways than one.

Downstairs, in the main space, the paradoxically monochromatic visual clamour continues, in works which range in size from the quite small to the enormous. The biggest of them all is a screen made from a large number of different pieces suspended from the ceiling on strings. The underlying theme here is still architectural. What one is looking at seems like an ancient city in flux – its buildings trembling and ready to fall. As a metaphor for the urgent situation in the Middle East, not only in Syria but also in Iraq and in Iran, it is undoubtedly effective.

The quality it lacks is any sense of the permanent, but that aspect is clearly intentional. Part of the installation’s purpose is to remind one of the fragilities of things, not only in the troubled area to whose history it directly refers but also to regimes striving in vain for stability throughout the world.

The artist has created a theatrical experience. He has, for example, made a full-length performance piece to accompany the 2018 Armenia! Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. What this event in London has, for better or worse, is the fragility of theatre. But that has also been the fate of a lot of art in the past. Much of it, even work by the most notable names – Leonardo’s designs for Sforza masques, Rubens’s triumphal cars – vanished promptly and almost entirely very soon after it was made. What we have, in the case of the two examples just cited, is only a handful of preliminary sketches. “Like dream, like a vision, like a bubble,” as the Diamond Sutra puts it. Look away, and the thing is gone.

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Online article : https://www.artlyst.com/whats-on-archive/kevork-mourad-seeing-babel/

Kevork Mourad: Seeing Through Babel (Artlyst)

01 July 2019 - 15 August 2019 / The Ismaili Centre / / Art Tags Aga Khan Museum, Kevork Mourad, The Ismaili Centre / / / / /

The Ismaili Centre, in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, presents Seeing Through Babel, a solo exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad.

The work, which uses the artist’s trademark techniques – monotypes and drawing onto the surface of the work – is designed to allow visitors to walk in and around it, allowing closer consideration of its themes.

Observes Kevork: ‘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.’ Describing his work, he points to how, through visual language, ‘it can connect people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds. Where Babel separated, visual art connects.’

Says Henry S. Kim, the Director and CEO of the Aga Khan Museum: ‘We are very pleased to be able to present an exhibition in London for the very first time and even more so that it is Kevork’s premiere in the city. He is an extraordinary artist who has developed a unique technique to tell stories visually.’

The exhibition will be installed in The Ismaili Centre’s Zamana Space, which reopens to the public with this exhibition. Liakat Hasham, President of the Shia Imami Ismaili Council for

Page 13 of 46 the United Kingdom, says: ‘The reopening of the Zamana Space after such a long hiatus is an important moment, as it offers the opportunity for The Ismaili Centre to contribute to the thriving arts corridor of Exhibition Road.’

Duration 01 July 2019 - 15 August 2019

Times Monday to Friday from 11am-6pm

Cost Free

Venue The Ismaili Centre

1 Cromwell Gardens Cromwell Gardens Entrance South Address Kensington. London SW7 2SL, ,

+ 44 (0) 20 72 78 30 29 / [email protected] Contact / https://the.ismaili/microsite/london

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Online article : https://www.artlyst.com/previews/kevork-mourad-explores-babel-story- ismaili-centre-london/

Kevork Mourad Explores The Babel Story At The Ismaili Centre London (Artlyst)

27 June 2019 / Art Categories Preview / Art Tags Kevork Mourad, London, The Babel Story, The Ismaili Centre / / / / /

The Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad unveils his latest exhibition Seeing Through Babel at The Ismaili Centre, London. The show is in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto and explores the Old Testament story of Babel, where mankind is punished for attempting to construct a tower to heaven, an act of hubris that led God to create multiple languages to prevent such collisions happening again. For this exhibition, Mourad takes the story of Babel, using visual imagery as a means to connect people across the language divide.

I have often thought of this story, as it is said to be a moment that divided mankind – Kevork Mourad

Making artworks in public is an integral part of Mourad’s practice, and he hopes that many people will visit the gallery as he creates his six-meter hanging sculpture, Seeing Through Babel, between 21 June and 30 June. Mourad will also hold talks at 11.30am and 2.30pm every day during this period. The work, which uses the artist’s trademark techniques – monotypes and drawing onto the surface of the work – is designed to allow visitors to walk in and around it, allowing closer consideration of its themes.

Time Immemorial Modern Art Museum of Yerevan Armenia 2018. Photo Ed Tadevossian Courtesy Kevork Mourad

Observes Kevork: ‘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.’ Describing his work, he points to

Page 15 of 46 how, through visual language, ‘it can connect people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds. Where Babel separated, visual art connects.’

Says Henry S. Kim, the Director, and CEO of the Aga Khan Museum: ‘We are very pleased to be able to present an exhibition in London for the very first time and even more so that it is Kevork’s premiere in the city. He is an extraordinary artist who has developed a unique technique to tell stories visually.’

The exhibition will be installed in The Ismaili Centre’s Zamana Space, which reopens to the public with this exhibition. Liakat Hasham, President of the Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the United Kingdom, says: ‘The reopening of the Zamana Space after such a long hiatus is an important moment, as it offers the opportunity for The Ismaili Centre to contribute to the thriving arts corridor of Exhibition Road.’ The exhibition will launch on 1 July and opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 11am-6pm. The show is free to attend, and booking is not required.

A video documenting the creation of Seeing Through Babel will be shown during the show. In addition, visitors can also explore the world of jewellery, textiles and one of a kind objects for sale at the Centre inspired by the Collections at the

A member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, he was featured in the documentary The Music of Strangers. His animated short film, Four Arts for Syria, was funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung Prize and premiered in the Stuttgart Animation Festival. He has performed at the Brooklyn Museum, Nara Museum in Japan, Art Institute of Chicago, American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center Atrium, Rhode Island School of Design, Harvard University, Rubin Museum, Tanglewood, Dutch Royal Palace for the Prince Claus Foundation, ElbPhilharmonie, and Walt Disney Concert Hall, in a commission of Handel’s Israel in Egypt by the LA Master Chorale, which was later performed by Master Voices in Carnegie Hall. In 2018 he was commissioned to create a full-length performance to accompany Armenia! Exhibit by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2019 he was in residence at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto in a project entitled The Museum as Studio.

The Ismaili Centres are symbolic markers of the permanent presence and core values of Ismaili communities around the world. Incorporating spaces for social and cultural gatherings, intellectual engagement and reflection, as well as spiritual contemplation, they are bridges of friendship and understanding and serve to enhance relationships among faith communities, government and civil society.

The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims – generally known as the Ismailis – are a community of ethnically and culturally diverse peoples living in over 25 countries, mainly in Central and South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Australia. They are united in their allegiance to His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) and the direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad.

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The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada, has been established and developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The Museum’s mission is to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contribution that Muslim civilizations have made to world heritage while often reflecting, through both its permanent and temporary exhibitions, how cultures connect. Designed by architect Fumihiko Maki, the Museum shares a 6.8-hectare site with Toronto’s Ismaili Centre, which was designed by architect Charles Correa. Landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic designed the surrounding landscaped park. https://www.agakhanmuseum.org/

Kevork Mourad (Top photo by Connie Tsang)

Kevork Mourad: Seeing Through Babel, The Ismaili Centre, London 1 Cromwell Gardens Cromwell Gardens Entrance South Kensington. London SW7 2SL Exhibition dates: 1 July 2019 — 15 August 2019 Open invitation to view the artwork being created: 21 — 30 June 2019, 11 am–6 pm

Installation view, The Memories of Stone, Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, 2019, Courtesy Kevork Mourad

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Online article : https://www.lux-review.com/the-ismaili-centre-presents-a-new-exhibition-by- the-syrian-armenian-artist-kevork-mourad/

The Ismaili Centre presents a new exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad (Lux magazine)

Seeing Through Babel The Ismaili Centre, London

Exhibition dates: 1 July 2019 — 15 August 2019 Open invitation to view the artwork being created: 21 — 30 June 2019, 11am–6pm Exhibition Launch/Private Press View: 1 July 2019, 6–8pm Meet the Artist Public Day: 6 July 2019

The Ismaili Centre, in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, is delighted to announce Seeing Through Babel, a solo exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad.

Making artworks in public is an integral part of Mourad’s practice, and it is his hope that many people will visit the gallery as he creates his six-metre hanging sculpture, Seeing Through Babel, between 21 June and 30 June. Mourad will also hold talks at 11.30am and at 2.30pm every day during this period. The work, which uses the artist’s trademark techniques – monotypes and drawing onto the surface of the work – is designed to allow visitors to walk in and around it, allowing closer consideration of its themes

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The exhibition will launch on 1 July and opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 11am-6pm. The show is free to attend and booking is not required.

A video documenting the creation of Seeing Through Babel will be shown during the show.

In addition, visitors can also explore the world of jewellery, textiles and one of a kind objects for sale at the Centre inspired by the Collections at the Aga Khan Museum.

The Ismaili Centre 1 Cromwell Gardens Cromwell Gardens Entrance South Kensington London SW7 2SL https://the.ismaili/ismailicentres/london

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Online article : https://haydzayn.com/en/page/syrian-armenian-artist-kevork-mourad-to- create-six-meter-hanging-sculpture-of-babel

Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad to create six-meter hanging sculpture of Babel (Haydzayn)

25/06/2019 | 19:40

Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad will create a six-metre hanging sculpture live in situ as part of his upcoming exhibition, Seeing Through Babel, the London Resident reports.

‘Where Babel separated, visual art connects,’ says Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad, who launches his solo exhibition, Seeing Through Babel, at The Ismaili Centre, South Kensington, this summer.

In the Old Testament story of Babel, mankind is punished for attempting to construct a tower to heaven, an act of hubris that led God to create multiple languages to prevent such collusions happening again.

For this exhibition – running from 1 July until 15 August 2019, in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto – Mourad explores the story of Babel, using visual imagery as a means to connect people across the language divide.

Kevork Mourad will create a six-metre hanging sculpture in situ before the public prior to the exhibition launch.

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‘I have often thought of the story of Babel, as it is said to be a moment that divided mankind. I have often thought of this story, as it is said to be a moment that divided mankind,’ says Kevork, who was born in 1970 in Syria, studied in Aleppo, obtained his Masters of Fine Arts in Armenia and then moved to New York City to where he establish his practice.

Through visual language, his work ‘can connect people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds,’ he says.

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Online article : https://fadmagazine.com/2019/06/24/seeing-through-babel-a-solo-exhibition- by-the-syrian-armenian-artist-kevork-mourad/

24 June 2019 by Mark Westall

Seeing Through Babel, a solo exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad (FAD Magazine)

Portrait Kevork Mourad at work Photo Connie Tsang

The Ismaili Centre, in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, is presenting Seeing Through Babel, a solo exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad.

In the Old Testament story of Babel, mankind is punished for attempting to construct a tower to heaven, an act of hubris that led God to create multiple languages so as to prevent such collisions happening again. For this exhibition, Mourad explores the story of Babel, using visual imagery as a means to connect people across the language divide. Making artworks in public is an integral part of Mourad’s practice, and it is his hope that many people will visit the gallery as he creates his six-metre hanging sculpture, Seeing Through Babel, between now to 30th June. Mourad will also hold talks at 11.30am and at 2.30pm every day during this period. The work, which uses the artist’s trademark techniques – monotypes and drawing onto the surface of the work – is designed to allow visitors to walk in and around it, allowing closer consideration of its themes.

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Installation view, Immortal City, Rose Art Museum, Massachusetts, 2018. Photo Charles Mayer, Courtesy Kevork Mourad

Observes Kevork:

‘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.’ Describing his work, he points to how, through visual language, ‘it can connect people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds. Where Babel separated, visual art connects.’ Says Henry S. Kim, the Director and CEO of the Aga Khan Museum: ‘We are very pleased to be able to present an exhibition in London for the very first time and even more so that it is Kevork’s premiere in the city. He is an extraordinary artist who has developed a unique technique to tell stories visually.’

Installation view, The Memories of Stone, Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, 2019, Courtesy Kevork Mourad

The exhibition is located in The Ismaili Centre’s Zamana Space, which reopens to the public with this exhibition. Liakat Hasham, President of the Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the United Kingdom, says:

‘The reopening of the Zamana Space after such a long hiatus is an important moment, as it offers the opportunity for The Ismaili Centre to contribute to the thriving arts corridor of Exhibition Road.’

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The exhibition will launch on 1st July and the opening hours are Monday to Friday from 11am-6pm. The show is free to attend and booking is not required. A video documenting the creation of Seeing Through Babel will be shown during the show. In addition, visitors can also explore the world of jewellery, textiles and one of a kind objects for sale at the Centre inspired by the Collections at the Aga Khan Museum.

Seeing Through Babel The Ismaili Centre, London Exhibition dates: 1st July 2019 — 15th August 2019 Open invitation to view the artwork being created: Now — 30th June 2019, 11am–6pm Exhibition Launch/Private Press View: 1st July 2019, 6–8pm Meet the Artist Public Day: 6th July 2019 The Ismaili Centre 1 Cromwell Gardens Cromwell Gardens Entrance South Kensington London SW7 2SL the.ismaili/london

Installation view, The Memories of Stone, Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, 2019, Courtesy Kevork Mourad

About the artist: Kevork Mourad was born in 1970 in Qamishli, Syria. He grew up and studied in the city of Aleppo before moving to Armenia in 1992 where obtained his Masters of Fine Arts at the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts. In 2001 he moved to the United States where he established his practice in New York City. Represented by Galerie Claude Lemand, he has exhibited at Galerie Tanit, Beirut, and the Rose Art Museum, Boston. A painter and video artist, he has performed his animated and live visuals around the world. A member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, he was featured in the documentary The Music of Strangers. His animated short lm, Four Arts for Syria, was funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung Prize and premiered in the Stuttgart Animation Festival. He has performed at the Brooklyn Museum, Nara Museum in Japan, Art Institute of Chicago, American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center Atrium, Rhode Island School of Design, Harvard University, Rubin Museum, Tanglewood, Dutch Royal Palace for the Prince Claus Foundation, ElbPhilharmonie, and Walt Disney Concert Hall, in a commission of Handel’s Israel in Egypt by the LA Master Chorale, which was later performed by Master Voices in Carnegie Hall. In 2018 he was commissioned to create a full-length performance to accompany the Armenia! Exhibit by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2019 he was in residence at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto in a project entitled The Museum as Studio. kevorkmourad.com

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About the Ismaili Centres: The Ismaili Centres are symbolic markers of the permanent presence and core values of Ismaili communities around the world. Incorporating spaces for social and cultural gatherings, intellectual engagement and re ection, as well as spiritual contemplation, they are bridges of friendship and understanding, and serve to enhance relationships among faith communities, government and civil society. the.ismaili/ismailicentres/london

About the Ismaili Community: The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims – generally known as the Ismailis – are a community of ethnically and culturally diverse peoples living in over 25 countries, mainly in Central and South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Australia. They are united in their allegiance to His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) and direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad. the.ismaili

About the Aga Khan Museum: The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada, has been established and developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The Museum’s mission is to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contribution that Muslim civilizations have made to world heritage while often reflecting, through both its permanent and temporary exhibitions, how cultures connect with one another. Designed by architect Fumihiko Maki, the Museum shares a 6.8-hectare site with Toronto’s Ismaili Centre, which was designed by architect Charles Correa. The surrounding landscaped park was designed by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic. agakhanmuseum.org

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Online article : https://www.admiddleeast.com/art-design/agenda/torontos-ismaili-centre- presents-new-exhibition-by-syrian-armenian-artist-in-july

23 June 2019

Ismaili Centre presents new exhibition by Syrian-Armenian artist in July (Architectural Digest)

Kevork Mourad explores the story of Babel using visual imagery as a means to connect people across the language divide in this London exhibition

In an exploration of language, Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad is presenting his first solo exhibition at the Ismaili Centre, in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum in London this July.

Featuring a six-metre hanging sculpture titled Seeing Through Babel, the work takes inspiration from the Old Testament story of Babel, in which mankind is punished for attempting to construct a tower to heaven, an act of hubris that led God to create multiple languages so as to prevent such collusions happening again.

Through monotypes and surface drawings, Mourad has designed the exhibition to give visitors a chance to walk in and around it, allowing closer consideration of its themes.

Kevork Mourad.

“I have often thought of this story, as it is said to be a moment that divided mankind,” Kevork said. “I see it as a moment when diversity was created.” Describing his work, he points to how, through visual language, ‘it can connect people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds. “Where Babel separated, visual art connects” he added.

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The exhibition will be installed in The Ismaili Centre’s newly reopened Zamana Space. “The reopening of the Zamana Space after such a long hiatus is an important moment, as it offers the opportunity for The Ismaili Centre to contribute to the thriving arts corridor of Exhibition Road,” explained Liakat Hasham, President of the Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the United Kingdom.

Installation view, Time Immemorial, Modern Art Museum of Yerevan, Armenia, 2018. Photo Ed Tadevossian, Courtesy Kevork Mourad.

The public is welcome to watch the artist create this work between 21 and 30 June, with Mourad also scheduled to hold talks at 11.30am and at 2.30pm every day during this period.

The exhibition will launch on 1 July and opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 11am- 6pm. The show is free to attend and booking is not required.

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Online article : https://medium.com/@anniecarpenter93/ismaili-centre-reopens-zamana- space-with-major-new-exhibition-by-kevork-mourad-8e46065c4201

Ismaili Centre reopens Zamana Space with major new exhibition by Kevork Mourad (Medium)

Annie Carpenter

Jun 22 · 3 min read

Installation view, Time Immemorial, Modern Art Museum of Yerevan, Armenia, 2018. Photo Ed Tadevossian, Courtesy Kevork Mourad

The Ismaili Centre’s Zamana Space, reopens to the public with an exciting new exhibition entitled, Seeing Through Babel, by Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad. Not only does this show mark Mourad’s UK premiere but significantly re-establishes the Centre as a key arts venue. Liakat Hasham, President of the Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the United Kingdom, says:

The Ismaili Centres are symbolic markers of the permanent presence and core values of Ismaili communities around the world. Incorporating spaces for social and cultural gatherings, intellectual engagement and reflection, as well as spiritual contemplation, they are bridges of friendship and understanding, and serve to enhance relationships among faith communities, government and civil society.

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The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims — generally known as the Ismailis — are a community of ethnically and culturally diverse peoples living in over 25 countries, mainly in Central and South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Australia. They are united in their allegiance to His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) and direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad.

Kevork Mourad. Photo Connie Tsang

This exhibition is presented in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. The Museum was established and developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The Museum’s mission is to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contribution that Muslim civilizations have made to world heritage while often reflecting, through both its permanent and temporary exhibitions, how cultures connect with one another.

Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad’s way of creating work is unique to himself, and this month — from now until June 30— visitors can witness him putting together a six-metre structure at the Ismaili Centre. The work will be completed by July 1, the official opening date, and will then be on display at the Centre’s Zamana Space until August, 2019.

In addition, visitors can also explore the world of jewellery, textiles and one of a kind objects for sale at the Centre inspired by the Collections at the Aga Khan Museum.

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Exhibition dates: 1 July 2019–15 August 2019

Open invitation to view the artwork being created: 21–30 June 2019, 11am–6pm

Exhibition Launch/Private Press View: 1 July 2019, 6–8pm

Meet the Artist Public Day: 6 July 2019

The Ismaili Centre, 1 Cromwell Gardens Cromwell Gardens Entrance South Kensington, London SW7 2SL

For more information see: https://the.ismaili/united-kingdom/seeing-through-babel

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Online article : https://wsimag.com/art/55412-seeing-through-babel

Seeing Through Babel (Wall Street Magazine)

1 Jul — 15 Aug 2019 at The Ismaili Centre in London, United Kingdom

22 June 2019

Seeing Through Babel. Courtesy of The Ismaili Centre

The Ismaili Centre, in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, is delighted to announce Seeing Through Babel, a solo exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad.

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Says Henry S. Kim, the Director and CEO of the Aga Khan Museum: ‘We are very pleased to be able to present an exhibition in London for the very rst time and even more so that it is Kevork’s premiere in the city. He is an extraordinary artist who has developed a unique technique to tell stories visually.’

The exhibition will launch on 1 July and opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 11am- 6pm. The show is free to attend and booking is not required.

A video documenting the creation of Seeing Through Babel will be shown during the show.

In addition, visitors can also explore the world of jewellery, textiles and one of a kind objects for sale at the Centre inspired by the Collections at the Aga Khan Museum.

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Online article : http://abakanews.org/arts-and-culture/syrian-armenian-artist-kevork-mourad- addresses-divisions-in-humanity-by-recreating-babel/ https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2019/06/19/Syrian-Armenian-artist-Babel/2130133 https://hyetert.org/2019/06/19/syrian-armenian-artist-kevork-mourad-to-create-six-meter- hanging-sculpture-of-babel/

Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad addresses divisions in humanity by recreating Babel (Abaka News)

June 21, 2019

Making artworks in public is an integral part of Mourad’s practice, so as a prologue to the exhibition he will live create a six-metre hanging sculpture at the gallery between 21 June and 30 June, holding talks daily at 11.30am and 2.30pm.

‘I have often thought of this story, as it is said to be a moment that divided mankind,’ says Kevork, who was born in 1970 in Syria, studied in Aleppo, obtained his Masters of Fine Arts

Page 33 of 46 in Armenia and then moved to New York City to where he establish his practice. ‘I see it as a moment when diversity was created.’

Through visual language, his work ‘can connect people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds,’ he says.

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Online article : https://www.artrabbit.com/events/kevork-mourad-seeing-through-babel https://www.list.co.uk/event/1311943-kevork-mourad-seeing-through-babel/ https://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=215216

just opened

Kevork Mourad: Seeing Through Babel (Art)

1 Jul 2019 – 15 Aug 2019

The Ismaili Centre

London England, United Kingdom

The Ismaili Centre, in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, is delighted to announce Seeing Through Babel, a solo exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad.

About

Page 35 of 46 trademark techniques – monotypes and drawing onto the surface of the work – is designed to allow visitors to walk in and around it, allowing closer consideration of its themes.

The exhibition will launch on 1 July and opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 11am- 6pm. The show is free to attend and booking is not required.

A video documenting the creation of Seeing Through Babel will be shown during the show.

In addition, visitors can also explore the world of jewellery, textiles and one of a kind objects for sale at the Centre inspired by the Collections at the Aga Khan Museum.

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Online article : https://www.greatexhibitionroadfestival.co.uk/event/seeing-through- babel/?backto=whats-on

Seeing through Babel (The Great Exhibition Road Festival)

Event schedule details

Saturday 29 JuneSunday 30 June

11.00-17.00

Event location details

Zamana Space

The Ismaili Centre

In the Old Testament story of Babel, mankind is punished for attempting to reach heaven by constructing a tower. According to the story, God created languages to divide mankind and scattered them across the face of the world to prevent them from ever collaborating in this manner again.

In 'Seeing Through Babel', Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad explores the story of Babel, using visual imagery to connect people across the language divide. While language often defines and separates people, imagery is a universal that connects people in the past and today. His work will be created in-situ in the Zamana Space of the Ismaili Centre using a monotype technique in addition to direct drawing onto the surface of the work.

The sculpture will hang within the six meter height of the space and allows you to walk in and around its hanging printed fabric panels.

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Online article : https://www.discoversouthken.com/itinerary/great-exhibitions/

Seeing Through Babel (Discover South Kensington)

1st July - 15th Aug

The Ismaili Centre

The work of the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad, Seeing Through Babel uses the artist’s trademark techniques – monotypes and drawing onto the surface of the work – and is designed to allow visitors to walk in and around it, Drop-in and see him at work from .21 — 30 June , 11am–6pm

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Online article : https://www.theresident.co.uk/london-culture-events/syrian-armenian-artist- kevork-mourad-addresses-divisions-in-humanity-by-recreating-babel/

Syrian-Armenian Artist Kevork Mourad Addresses Divisions in Humanity by Recreating Babel (The Resident)

Victoria Purcell on 18th June 2019 Tagged South Kensington

Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad will create a six-metre hanging sculpture live in situ as part of his upcoming exhibition, Seeing Through Babel – and you’re invited to watch

Kevork Mourad will create a six-metre hanging sculpture in situ before the public prior to the exhibition launch (photo: Connie Tsang)

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‘I have often thought of the story of Babel, as it is said to be a moment that divided mankind’

‘I have often thought of this story, as it is said to be a moment that divided mankind,’ says Kevork, who was born in 1970 in Syria, studied in Aleppo, obtained his Masters of Fine Arts in Armenia and then moved to New York City to where he establish his practice. ‘I see it as a moment when diversity was created.’

Through visual language, his work ‘can connect people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds,’ he says.

A painter and video artist, Mourad has performed his animated and live visuals around the world, in places such as the Brooklyn Museum, Nara Museum in Japan, Art Institute of Chicago and Walt Disney Concert Hall, in a commission of Handel’s Israel in Egypt that was later performed by Master Voices in Carnegie Hall.

The exhibition will be installed in The Ismaili Centre’s Zamana Space, which reopens to the public with this exhibition. While you’re there, make sure to explore the world of jewellery, textiles and one-of-a-kind objects for sale at The Ismaili Centre, inspired by the Collections at the Aga Khan Museum (take a look at some of them in the photos below).

Jewellery, textiles and unique objects inspired by the Aga Khan Museum Collections will be on sale at the Ismaili Centre

Dubai-based jewellery brand Rŭhania celebrates spirituality

Page 40 of 46

Rŭhania jewellery

Exhibition dates: 1 July-15 August 2019 Open invitation to view the artwork being created: 21-30 June 2019 (11am–6pm) Exhibition Launch/Private Press View: 1 July 2019 (6-8pm) Meet the Artist Public Day: 6 July 2019 Address: The Ismaili Centre, 1 Cromwell Gardens, Cromwell Gardens Entrance, South Kensington SW7 2SL Further information: the.ismaili

Page 41 of 46

Online article : https://www.artweek.net/events/united-kingdom/art- exhibition/london/kevork-mourad-seeing-through-babel#

Kevork Mourad: Seeing Through Babel (Artweek)

Submitted by AlbanyArtsCommu... on 31 May 2019 - 1:24pm

Date: Monday, 1 July 2019 to Thursday, 15 August 2019 Opening: Monday, 1 July 2019 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm

The Ismaili Centre, in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, is delighted to announce Seeing Through Babel, a solo exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad.

Making artworks in public is an integral part of Mourad’s practice, and it is his hope that many people will visit the gallery as he creates his six-metre hanging sculpture, Seeing Through Babel, between 21 June and 30 June, 11am-6pm. Mourad will also hold talks at 11.30am and at 2.30pm every day during this period. The work, which uses the artist’s trademark techniques – monotypes and drawing onto the surface of the work – is designed to allow visitors to walk in and around it, allowing closer consideration of its themes.

Says Henry S. Kim, the Director and CEO of the Aga Khan Museum: ‘We are very pleased to be able to present an exhibition in London for the very first time and even more so that it is

Page 42 of 46

Kevork’s premiere in the city. He is an extraordinary artist who has developed a unique technique to tell stories visually.’

The exhibition will launch on 1 July and opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 11am- 6pm. The show is free to attend and booking is not required.

A video documenting the creation of Seeing Through Babel will be shown during the show.

In addition, visitors can also explore the world of jewellery, textiles and one of a kind objects for sale at the Centre inspired by the Collections at the Aga Khan Museum.

Artist ( Name ): Kevork Mourad.

Kevork Mourad was born in 1970 in Qamishli, Syria. He grew up and studied in the city of Aleppo before moving to Armenia in 1992 where obtained his Masters of Fine Arts at the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts. In 2001 he moved to the United States where he established his practice in New York City. Represented by Galerie Claude Lemand, he has exhibited at Galerie Tanit, Beirut, and the Rose Art Museum, Boston. A painter and video artist, he has performed his animated and live visuals around the world. A member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, he was featured in the documentary The Music of Strangers. His animated short film, Four Arts for Syria, was funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung Prize and premiered in the Stuttgart Animation Festival. He has performed at the Brooklyn Museum, Nara Museum in Japan, Art Institute of Chicago, American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center Atrium, Rhode Island School of Design, Harvard University, Rubin Museum, Tanglewood, Dutch Royal Palace for the Prince Claus Foundation, ElbPhilharmonie, and Walt Disney Concert Hall, in a commission of Handel’s Israel in Egypt by the LA Master Chorale, which was later performed by Master Voices in Carnegie Hall. In 2018 he was commissioned to create a full-length performance to accompany the Armenia! Exhibit by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2019 he was in residence at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto in a project entitled The Museum as Studio. https://www.kevorkmourad.com/

Other Info: Image: Kevork Mourad (photo by Connie Tsang)

Web: https://the.ismaili/ismailicentres/london

Venue ( Name ): The Ismaili Centre

Cromwell Gardens Entrance South Kensington London SW7 2SL

Page 43 of 46

Online article : https://medium.com/@anniecarpenter93/the-ismaili-centre-presents-a-new- exhibition-by-the-syrian-armenian-artist-kevork-mourad-e743b8b1b155

New exhibition by the Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad takes the tower of Babel as its inspiration (Medium)

Annie Carpenter

Jun 13 · 3 min read

Portrait of Kevork Mourad. Photo: by Connie Tsang

Syrian-Armenian artist Kevork Mourad’s way of creating work is unique to himself, and this month — starting June 21 — visitors can witness him putting together a six-metre structure at the Ismaili Centre in South Kensington, London. The work will be completed by July 1, the official opening date, and will then be on display at the Centre’s Zamana Space until August, 2019

The exhibition, entitled Seeing Through Babel, comes through a partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, where Mourad had an exhibition in 2019, and the Ismaili Centre, and has been inspired by the Old Testament story of Babel.

In that story, mankind is punished for attempting to construct a tower to heaven, an act of hubris that led God to create multiple languages so as to prevent such collusions happening again. For this exhibition, Mourad explores the story of Babel, using visual imagery as a means to connect people across the language divide.

Page 44 of 46

Making artworks in public is integral to Mourad’s practice, and in addition to inviting the public to witness him creating it he will also hold talks at 11.30am and at 2.30pm every day during this period. The work, which uses the artist’s trademark techniques — monotypes and drawing onto the surface of the work — is designed to allow visitors to walk in and around it, allowing closer consideration of its themes.

Atassi Foundation, In the Age of New Media exhibition: installation shot. Photo: Nairy Shahnian

Liakat Hasham, President of the Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the United Kingdom, says: ‘The reopening of the Zamana Space after such a long hiatus is an important moment, as it offers the opportunity for The Ismaili Centre to contribute to the thriving arts corridor of Exhibition Road.’

The Ismaili Centres — they are many all over the world — are symbolic markers of the permanent presence and core values of Ismaili communities around the world. Meanwhile, the Aga Khan Museum has been established and developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The Museum’s mission is to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contribution that Muslim civilizations have made to world heritage while often reflecting, through both its permanent and temporary exhibitions, how cultures connect with one another. Designed by architect Fumihiko Maki, the Museum shares a 6.8-hectare site with Toronto’s Ismaili Centre, which was designed by architect Charles Correa. The surrounding landscaped park was designed by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic.

Page 45 of 46

Atassi Foundation, In the Age of New Media exhibition: installation shot. Photo: Nairy Shahnian

Exhibition dates: 1 July 2019–15 August 2019

Open invitation to view the artwork being created: 21–30 June, 11am–6pm

Meet the Artist Public Day: 6 July 2019

For more information see: https://the.ismaili/united-kingdom/seeing-through-babel

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