DOCSLIB.ORG

Contemporary Curatorial and Exhibition Practices At

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Contemporary Curatorial and Exhibition Practices At Contemporary Curatorial and Exhibition Practices at Twenty-First Century Academic Art Museums A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Fine Arts of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Lisa A. Quinn May 2019 © 2019 Lisa A. Quinn. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled Contemporary Curatorial and Exhibition Practices at Twenty-First Century Academic Art Museums by LISA A. QUINN has been approved for the School of Art + Design and the College of Fine Arts by Jennie Klein Professor of Art History Matthew R. Shaftel Dean, College of Fine Arts 3 ABSTRACT QUINN, LISA A., M.A., May 2019, Art History Contemporary Curatorial and Exhibition Practices at Twenty-First Century Academic Art Museums Director of Thesis: Jennie Klein This thesis discusses the role of the academic art museum as a space for contemporary curatorial and exhibition practices and the potential for these on campus entities to be leaders in the evolution of museum practices. Positioned at the intersection of the academic, museum, and art worlds, academic art museums have the capacity to be more experimental and innovative as instruments for evolving strategies and modes of learning within institutions of higher learning. This paper identifies characteristics of contemporary curatorial and exhibition practices that intersect with current trends in university ideology and pedagogy. Case studies of recent exhibitions are examined, providing models of engagement that may be emulated and expanded upon in the constant effort by art museums and academic institutions to provide a positive impact on society and maintain relevance in the twenty-first century. 4 DEDICATION I would like to thank my committee, Dr. Samuel Dodd, Dr. Andrea Frohne, and Dr. Jennie Klein, for the privilege of their time and knowledge; my co-worker and mentor, Sally Delgado, for her invaluable feedback; and my husband and daughter, Charles and Elyssa Smith, for their encouragement and for reading all of my papers and correcting my silly typos. I would also like to acknowledge my parents, John and Jeannie Quinn, who have always supported me financially, emotionally and intellectually. 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not be possible without the contributions of those who participated in my study. The following museum professionals generously gave their time to complete my survey and participate in interviews, providing me with invaluable insight into the extraordinary exhibitions they helped to create. From the Allen Museum of Art at Oberlin College, Andria Derstine, Ph.D., John G.W. Cowles Director; former Ellen Johnson ’33 Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Denise Birkhofer, Ph.D., now Collections Curator at Ryerson Image Center; and Alexandra Nicome, Student Assistant (OC '17) and current Interpretive Fellow at the Walker Art Center. From Bates College, Loring M. Danforth, Ph.D., Charles A. Dana Professor of Anthropology; Dan Mills, Director of the Museum of Art and Lecturer in the Humanities; and Anthony Shostak, Education Curator at Bates College Museum of Art. From the Nasher Museum, Marianne Wardle, the former Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Academic Programs and Head of Education & Interpretation who is currently the director of the University of Wyoming Art Museum; and Elizabeth Johnson, who at the time of the exhibition was Assistant Research Professor of Neurobiology and Associate Director of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and is currently Assistant Research Professor, Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania. From the Wexner Center of the Arts, Alana Ryder, Educator for Public and University Programs. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ................................................................................................................................ 3 Dedication ............................................................................................................................ 4 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 10 Challenges in the Museum Field ................................................................................. 12 Case Studies ................................................................................................................. 14 Chapter 1: Fred Wilson: Black to the Power of Ten and Wildfire Test Pit at Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio ............................................... 17 Profile of Oberlin College and Allen Memorial Art Museum .................................... 18 Fred Wilson at Oberlin ................................................................................................ 20 Fred Wilson and Institutional Critique .................................................................. 21 Alignment with Ideological and Pedagogical Trends ................................................. 23 Multidisciplinary and Postcolonial Curriculum .................................................... 23 Appropriation of Curatorial Methods and Exhibition Practices ............................ 26 Dialectical and Postcolonial Methods of Exhibition ............................................. 29 Chapter 2: Phantom Punch: Contemporary Art From Saudi Arabia in Lewiston at Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, Maine ........................................................................ 32 Connections Between Bates, Lewiston and the Muslim World .................................. 32 Bates College Museum of Art ............................................................................... 35 Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia ......................................................................... 37 Interdisciplinary Approach and New Museum Theory ......................................... 37 Artists as Subversive Activists .............................................................................. 40 A Feminist Point of View ...................................................................................... 44 Interdisciplinary Curriculum and Cross-Cultural Connections ............................. 47 Chapter 3: Making Faces at the Intersection of Art & Neuroscience at Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University ......................................................................................................... 50 From Humble Origins .................................................................................................. 51 A Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Approaches .......................................................... 52 Displaying the Intersection of Art and Science ..................................................... 54 Chapter 4: Mickalene Thomas: I Can’t See You Without Me at the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University ..................................................................................... 59 7 The Best of Both Worlds ............................................................................................. 60 A Public Land-grant Institution of Higher Learning ............................................. 60 An Essential Cultural and Educational Resource .................................................. 61 Impactful Programming at the Intersection of Art and Community ........................... 64 Curricular Connections .......................................................................................... 66 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 70 Mission Alignment ...................................................................................................... 70 Benefits of Academia .................................................................................................. 78 Financial Components ................................................................................................. 81 Coda ............................................................................................................................. 81 References ......................................................................................................................... 84 Appendix A: A Survey of Contemporary Exhibition Practices in Academic Art Museums ........................................................................................................................................... 91 Appendix B: Art Imagery .................................................................................................. 95 8 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Fred Wilson, Wildfire Test Pit, Allen Memorial Art Museum, 2017 ................ 95 Figure 2. Fred Wilson, Wildfire Test Pit, Allen Memorial Art Museum, 2017... ............. 96 Figure 3. Edmonia Lewis, Untitled drawing after Urania, the Greek Muse of Astronomy, reproduction of original pencil drawing on buff paper, 1862. ........................................... 97 Figure 4. Fred Wilson, Wildfire Test Pit, Allen Memorial Art Museum, 2017.. .............. 98 Figure 5. Figure 5. Baule artist, Ivory Coast, Female Figure, wood and gold leaf. 20th century.. ............................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • EDGE of ARABIA PRESENTS: ABDULNASSER GHAREM PRIVATE VIEW 8 October 2013, 6-8Pm EXHIBITION 9 October
    EDGE OF ARABIA PRESENTS: ABDULNASSER GHAREM PRIVATE VIEW 8 October 2013, 6-8pm EXHIBITION 9 October – 8 November 2013 Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm. Closed Mondays. LOCATION 40 Elcho Street, London, SW11 4AU Edge of Arabia presents the first major solo exhibition of work by Abdulnasser Gharem – the most significant Saudi artist of his generation and the highest-selling living Arab artist. A pioneering conceptual artist and Lieutenant Colonel in the Saudi army, Gharem has consistently challenged existing modes of artistic practice in the isolated, rapidly changing Saudi cultural landscape. This immersive exhibition draws together the different strands of his practice – photography, video, painting, sculpture and performance – giving audiences the first opportunity to experience the full scope of the artist’s work. At the core of Gharem’s work is a negotiation between paving the way for progress (both artistically and socially) and maintaining a connection with Saudi heritage. His desire to preserve and build upon traditional art forms rather than break with the past is a radical gesture in the context of the recent history of Western contemporary art. Though frequently reflecting on and questioning sensitive issues, his work maintains a respect for history, and the influence of his military role can be felt with references to authority and use of established symbols of power and bureaucracy. Gharem’s role in developing an audience for conceptual art within Saudi Arabia has been pivotal. When he started out there were no art schools and only a handful of contemporary galleries to display his work, so his response was to take it to the streets.
    [Show full text]
  • Female Presence in the Middle Eastern and North African Art Market
    History Department Female Presence in the Middle Eastern and North African Art Market Andreia Helena Nascimento Pires Project submitted as partial requirement for the conferral of Master in Art Markets Supervisor: Doutor Luís Urbano de Oliveira Afonso Professor Auxiliar com Agregação Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa October, 2019 History Department Female Presence in the Middle Eastern and North African Art Market Andreia Helena Nascimento Pires Project submitted as partial requirement for the conferral of Master in Art Markets Supervisor: Doutor Luís Urbano de Oliveira Afonso Professor Auxiliar com Agregação Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa October, 2019 Acknowledgments I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Luís Urbano de Oliveira Afonso for his rigorous follow- up and advice along this path. To my parents, Margarida and Maximino, for your unconditional support, your tireless motivation and your wise advices, not only while developing this dissertation, but throughout my life. To my aunt Neusa, for your unconditional love. To my friends, Rita, Fábio, Sulamita and Didi, for your support, your company, both in good and bad times, and for never letting me give up until the last phase. To André, for your great patience, meticulous insight and your incessant support during this phase. Words will never be enough to thank you. And finally, my sincere gratitude to Dr. Salwa Mikdadi, Amirali Ghasemi, Myrna Ayad and Hala Khayat for your availability for the interviews, and your interesting and enriching insights that provided me with all the information that made possible the development of the present dissertation. i Abstract The present dissertation aims to show the strong presence of modern and contemporary female artists, and art businesswomen from the Middle East and North Africa, as well as providing possible explanations for the success of women in the art market of this region.
    [Show full text]
  • Changing Saudi Arabia: Art, Culture & Society in the Kingdom
    EXCERPTED FROM Changing Saudi Arabia: Art, Culture & Society in the Kingdom Sean Foley Copyright © 2019 ISBNs: 978-1-62637-756-1 hc 978-1-62637-986-2 pb 1800 30th Street, Suite 314 Boulder, CO 80301 USA telephone 303.444.6684 fax 303.444.0824 This excerpt was downloaded from the Lynne Rienner Publishers website www.rienner.com Contents Preface vii 1 Creating Change in Saudi Arabia 1 2 The Modern Saudi Visual Arts Movement 21 3 The Emerging Comedy Scene 73 4 Media Companies and Filmmakers 113 5 Shaping the Future 163 Bibliography 189 Index 211 About the Book 221 v 1 Creating Change in Saudi Arabia “Suspended Together” is a powerful installation that gives the impression of movement and freedom. However, a closer look at the 200 doves allows the viewer to realize that the doves are actually frozen and suspended with no hope of flight. If you examine it even more minutely, it shows that each dove carries on its body a permission document that allows a Saudi woman to travel. Notwithstanding their circumstances, all Saudi women are required to have this document, issued by their appointed male guardian. —Manal al-Dowayan The power of the arts to anticipate future social and technological devel - opments, by a generation and more, has long been recognized. In this cen - tury, Ezra Pound called artists “the antennae of the race.” Art as radar acts as “an early alarm system,” as it were, enabling us to discover social and psychic targets in lots of time to prepare to cope with them.
    [Show full text]
  • Catalogue Design Yusef Alahmad Yusefalahmad.Com
    SAUDI CONTEMPORARY ART IN DEARBORN, MI الفــــــن السعـــودي المعاصـــــر في مدينـــة ديربــورن Organizer Museum partner Epicenter X Exhibition _ Dates Opening: Saturday, July 8, 2017 Community Program: Sunday, July 9, 2017 Exhibition: July 8–October 1, 2017 _ Curator Devon Akmon _ Museum partner Arab American National Museum 13624 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126 arabamericanmuseum.org _ Organiser King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture Ring Rd, Gharb Al Dhahran, Dhahran 34461, Saudi Arabia kingabdulazizcenter.com _ Producer Culturunners Director: Stephen Stapleton culturunners.com _ Catalogue design Yusef Alahmad yusefalahmad.com Cover art Yusef Alahmad & Josh Higgins 10 72 76 Curatorial Statement Safia Ahmed Masameer _ _ _ مساميــــــــر صفيــة أحمـــد كلمــــة قيــــم المعـــرض 14 78 Saudi Artists’ Tour Salehah Yahya Alalmaiy Telfaz 11 _ _ _ تلفـــاز ١١ صالحــــه يحــــيى العلـــــمي جولة الفنانين السعوديين 16 82 King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture Amira Al–Almai Acknowledgements المحـتـــــوى CONTENTS _ _ _ شكـــــــــر و تقديـــــــــر أميــــرة العلمــــــي مركــــــز المــلك عبـدالعزيــز الثقافــي العالـــــمي 18 Arab American National Museum Nala Ali _ _ نـاال علــي المتحـــــــف العـــــــــربي االمريكـــــــــي Salha Mohammed Al–Qahtani _ صالحــــــة محمــــــد القحطانـــــــي 24 Qamar Abdulmalik Salehah Abdulzeaz Alraqde _ _ صالحــــــة عبدالعزيـــــز الرقــدي قمـــــــر عبدالمـــــالك 26 Yusef Alahmad & Josh Higgins Zaina Al–Shahrani _ _ زينـــــــة الشهرانـــــــي يوســف األحمــد و جــوش هيچيــــنز 28 Musaed Al Hulis
    [Show full text]
  • The Bates Student the VOICE of BATES COLLEGE SINCE 1873
    Bates College SCARAB The aB tes Student Archives and Special Collections 2-1-2017 The aB tes Student - volume 147 number 12 - February 1, 2017 Bates College Follow this and additional works at: https://scarab.bates.edu/bates_student Recommended Citation Bates College, "The aB tes Student - volume 147 number 12 - February 1, 2017" (2017). This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Archives and Special Collections at SCARAB. It has been accepted for inclusion in The aB tes Student by an authorized administrator of SCARAB. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Bates Student THE VOICE OF BATES COLLEGE SINCE 1873 WEDNESDAY February 1, 2017 Vol. 147, Issue. 12 Lewiston, Maine FORUM ARTS & LEISURE SPORTS Darrius Campbell ‘17 Katie Ziegler ‘19 keeps tabs Men’s basketball and James Brown ‘17 on the ManOps as they hands Tufts frst discuss the necessity for prepare for TV competi- conference loss. co-conspirators rather tion. than allies. See Page 2 See Page 5 See Page 8 Green means intervene Student government Bates College combats sexual violence through Green Dot program. recap Te BCSG discusses numerous issues that arose on campus last semester and in recent weeks. BCSG discusses campus issues at a recent meeting. JOHN NEUFELD/THE BATES STUDENT tive to organize a more interactive MARIAM HAYRAPETYAN discussion with a friendly atmo- ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR sphere so that students cease viewing Students explain what Green Dot means to them. security with animosity. It is further PHYLLIS GRABER JENSEN/BATES COLLEGE Te Bates Student Government important to understand that secu- held their weekly Sunday meeting rity is required to report underage Te Green Dot program, creat- webpage, “Green Dot, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Middle East Exhibition at Willem Baars Projects, Hoogte Kadijk 17 Hs, Amsterdam May 21 Till July 30, 2011
    The New Middle East Exhibition at Willem Baars Projects, Hoogte Kadijk 17 hs, Amsterdam May 21 till July 30, 2011 Ahmed Mater: Evolution of Man, 2010 The wave of popular uprisings throughout the Arab world has revealed a new Middle East – young, dynamic, secular, pragmatic and creative – which few people in the West know about. It did not however appear out of nowhere: as this exhibition shows, contemporary Middle Eastern culture has been developing very quickly over these last few years For a long time ‘contemporary art from the Middle East’ was considered a misnomer, because modern art was seen as intrinsically Western. But artists from the Middle East and beyond have successfully appropriated and further developed the universal contemporary art idiom by enriching it with local themes and their own hybrid visual language. The increasing presence of art from the Middle East in biennials, art fairs and in leading Western museums bears witness to a dynamic and creative art scene that is poised to also leave its mark on the Dutch scene. The New Middle East will show the work of six established artists from the wider Middle East. Each of them explores unique positions with regard to contemporary Arab culture. Far from the stereotypes of war, Islamic fundamentalism, female oppression and tribal pride, their works reveal how places such as Cairo, Dubai or Saudi Arabia are entering the 21st century. This is the first major Middle Eastern contemporary art exhibition in the Netherlands. It will introduce Dutch collectors to thriving art scenes that stretch from Saudi Arabia to California and from London to Cairo.
    [Show full text]
  • Abdulnasser Gharem (Saudi Arabia, B
    ! Abdulnasser Gharem (Saudi Arabia, b. 1973) Abdulnasser Gharem is a conceptual artist who operates over a multitude of fields, challenging the perception of art and visual culture in his native Saudi Arabia. His work comprises photography, video, performance and sculpture, examining the nature of life in the modern day. In his performances, he playfully uses the street as a canvas to construct a social critique, often by welcoming collaboration and involving the community within his projects. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Saudi Army, themes of control and authority can be felt within this work, as well as a desire to preserve and respect the history upon which traditional art is built. Gharem, therefore, presents conceptual work that not only references heritage, but also is also politically and socially astute. ! Born in 1973, Gharem attended the King Abdulaziz Academy and the Leader Institute in Riyadh before studying at the Al-Meftaha Arts Village in Abha. Following his record- breaking sale at Christie’s in 2011, Gharem helped found the nonprofit arts organization Edge of Arabia to help promote arts education and to give an international platform to contemporary Saudi artists. His works are housed in public collections across Europe and the Middle East and he has exhibited at the Venice, Sharjah and Berlin biennales. ! Solo exhibitions for the artist include Edge of Arabia, London (2013); Side by Side Gallery, Berlin (2013); XVA Gallery, Dubai (2010); King Fahd Art Village, Abha (2006, 2004) and Atelier, Jeddah (2004, 2003). Group exhibitions include Ikono On Air Festival, online and broadcasted (2013); Victoria & Albert Museum, London (2012-13); Edge of Arabia, London (2012); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2012); British Museum, London (2012); Katara Galleries, Doha Qatar (2012); Contemporary Istanbul (2012) and the Venice Biennale (2011).
    [Show full text]
  • Contemporary Art from the Arabian Gulf A
    Fueling Petroculture: Contemporary Art from the Arabian Gulf A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Fine Arts of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Rawya M. Aljared May 2018 © 2018 Rawya M. Aljared. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Fueling Petroculture: Contemporary Art From the Arabian Gulf by RAWYA M. ALJARED has been approved for the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and the College of Fine Arts by Andrea Frohne Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts Matthew R. Shaftel Dean, College of Fine Arts 3 Abstract ALJARED, RAWYA M., Ph.D., May 2018, Interdisciplinary Arts Fueling Petroculture: Contemporary Art From the Arabian Gulf Director of Dissertation: Andrea Frohne The unprecedented transformation of petromodernity in the Arabian Gulf’s landscape and culture during the twentieth century coincided with the formation of the Arabian Gulf nation states. As such, the Arabian Gulf’s oil economy is considered as an important factor in the stability and prosperity of these countries. This oil transformation has generated a modern lifestyle, denoted by petromodernity, which hinges on petroleum as its mode of energy. Petromodernity and its subsequent petroleum culture, or petroculture, serve as the framework for this research analysis of the Arabian Gulf’s contemporary art. The project focuses on how the works of art reflect the manifestation of petroculture on: 1) urban landscape; 2) social behaviors; and 3) environmental issues of the region. Navigating contemporary art in the Arabian Gulf through manifestations of petroculture attest to a new regional field in art history. This dissertation aims to lay out art as a mode of civic engagement and critical space regarding the discourse around the inevitable ramifications of energy transition by opening the possibility for the advocacy and the discussion of this topic within and beyond the region.
    [Show full text]
  • Challenging the Politics of Iconoclasm: Reflections, Artists from the Asir and the Subversive Potential of Contemporary Art in Saudi Arabia" by Joséphine LASQUIER
    "Challenging the Politics of Iconoclasm: Reflections, Artists from the Asir and the Subversive Potential of Contemporary Art in Saudi Arabia" By Joséphine LASQUIER Course “Contemporary Art in the Arab World” Taught by Robert Kluivjer at Sciences Po Spring 2016 This paper has received the KSP Student Paper Award ©of the Kuwait Program at Sciences Po © The copyright of this paper remains the property of its author. No part of the content may be reproduced, published, distributed, copied or stored for public or private use without written permission of the author. All authorisation requests should be sent to [email protected] Contemporary Art in the Arab World Joséphine Lasquier Robert Kluijver, 2016 Challenging the Politics of Iconoclasm: Reflections, Artists from the Asir and the Subversive Potential of Contemporary Art in Saudi Arabia “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under earth” (Exodus 20: 3-5) “Every picture maker will be in Hellfire, every picture they make will be revived by Allah to torment them in Hellfire” (Fatwa No. 2036) © Figure 1: “Magnetism photogravure III”, 2012 1 © The copyright of this paper remains the property of its author. No part of the content may be reproduced, © published, distributed, copied or stored for public or private use without written permission of the author. All authorisation requests should be sent to [email protected] Contemporary Art in the Arab World Joséphine Lasquier If the phrasing of the Exodus is slightly fancier than that of the recently issued Fatwa No 2036i, their message is however the same.
    [Show full text]
  • Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia
    CONTEMPORARY ART GUIDE SPONSOR FROM SAUDI ARABIA PROJECT GUIDE 2010 WORLD TOUR HEADLINE SPONSOR WORLD TOUR HEADLINE PARTNER EDGE OF ARABIA IS A BREAKTHROUGH INITIATIVE PROMOTING CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FROM SAUDI ARABIA. FOLLOWING CELEBRATED EXHIBITIONS IN LONDON AND VENICE, 2010 MARKS THE LAUNCH OF AN EDGE OF DIRECTOR: CONTENTS ARABIA WORLD TOUR. STEPHEN A. STAPLETON INTRODUCTION 02 THE VISION 09 CREATIVE DIRECTOR: THE ARTISTS 11 IN TOURING A NEW ABDULLAH AL-TURKI LONDON TO VENICE 15 LONDON 17 GENERATION OF SAUDI ASSISTANT CURATOR: VENICE 21 AYA MOUSAWI RIYADH 25 ARTISTS, THE PROJECT AIMS WORLD TOUR 29 WORLD TOUR MANAGER: 2010 PARTICIPATIONS 31 TO SEND A POWERFUL TAHIRA FITZWILLIAM-HALL WORLD TOUR FANTASY ADS 33 AND POSITIVE MESSAGE EDUCATION PROGRAMME 37 WORLD TOUR PROJECT MANAGERS: COMMUNCATIONS 39 AROUND THE WORLD, MIRIAM LLOYD-EVANS AYMAN ALWAN AMPLIFYING MODERATE WAEL GHAREM AJLAN GHAREM VOICES AND INVESTING IN THE KINGDOM’S CREATIVE POTENTIAL AT A CRUCIAL MOMENT IN THE REGION’S CULTURAL HISTORY. WORLD TOUR HEADLINE SPONSOR: FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: ABDUL LATIF JAMEEL COMPANY LTD WWW.EDGEOFARABIA.COM WORLD TOUR HEADLINE PARTNER: EMAIL: [email protected] SAUDI ARABIAN GENERAL INVESTMENT AUTHORITY TEL: +44 (0) 207 832 1331 GULF EDUCATION PROGRAMME SPONSOR: ABDUL LATIF JAMEEL COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS GUIDE SPONSOR: CANVAS MAGAZINE R PROJECT PARTNERS: SAUDI ARABIAN MINISTRY OF CULTURE & INFORMATION BRITISH COUNCIL ARAB BRITISH CENTRE GALLERY PARTNERS: CUADRO GALLERY ATHR GALLERY GUIDE DESIGNED BY ONE DARNLEY ROAD: WWW.ONEDARNLEYROAD.COM 02 Offscreen, Four Young Artists in the Middle East “ART PRACTICE IN SAUDI ARABIA HAS EXPERIENCED MANY CHANGES THAT HAVE ACCOMPANIED THE INTELLECTUAL AND IDEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL IN SAUDI SOCIETY.
    [Show full text]
  • Abdulnasser Gharem Location: Edge of Arabia, London Preview: 8 October 2013, 6-8Pm Dates: 8 October - 8 November
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Exhibition: Abdulnasser Gharem Location: Edge of Arabia, London Preview: 8 October 2013, 6-8pm Dates: 8 October - 8 November Ayyam Gallery in partnership with Edge of Arabia present the first major solo exhibition of work by Abdulnasser Gharem – the most significant Saudi artist of his generation and the highest-selling living Arab artist. A pioneering conceptual artist and Lieutenant Colonel in the Saudi army, Gharem has consistently challenged existing modes of artistic practice in the isolated, rapidly changing Saudi cultural landscape. This immersive exhibition draws together the different strands of his practice – photography, video, painting, sculpture and performance – giving audiences the first opportunity to experience the full scope of the artist’s work. At the core of Gharem’s work is a negotiation between paving the way for progress (both artistically and socially) and maintaining a connection with Saudi heritage. His desire to preserve and build upon traditional art forms rather than break with the past is a radical gesture in the context of the recent history of Western contemporary art. Though frequently reflecting on and questioning sensitive issues, his work maintains a respect for history, and the influence of his military role can be felt with references to authority and use of established symbols of power and bureaucracy. Gharem’s role in developing an audience for conceptual art within Saudi Arabia has been pivotal. When he started out there were no art schools and only a handful of contemporary galleries to display his work, so his response was to take it to the streets. These early performances helped inspire a new generation of Saudi artists to take their practice from their studios to the streets - a hugely important development marking a radical shift in artistic production in the Kingdom.
    [Show full text]
  • Edge of Arabia: Contemporary Art from Saudi Arabia
    GALERIE KRINZINGER · SEILERSTÄTTE 16 · 1010 WIEN TEL +43 1 513 30 06 FAX +43 1 513 30 06 33 [email protected] EDGE OF ARABIA: CONTEMPORARY ART FROM SAUDI ARABIA With Hala Ali, Abdulnasser Gharem, Maha Malluh, Ahmet Mater and Saeed Salem, five representatives of the present art scene in Saudi Arabia are being presented for the first time by Galerie Krinzinger in Vienna. On the occasion of the opening the recent publication Edge of Arabia: Contemporary Art from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be presented. Opening with book presentation and Thursday, 21 June 2012, 7 p.m. performance by the text artist Hala Ali Exhibition duration 22 June 2012 – 07 July 2012 Location Galerie Krinzinger Seilerstätte 16, 1010 Vienna Information www.galerie-krinzinger.at With the beginning revolutions in the Arabic world Saudi Arabia has also increasingly moved into the center of international politics. The country was considered to be one of the most strictly governed with regard to the religious rules of Islam and a hotbed of international Islamic movements. At the same time, enormous revenues from exports of petroleum – Saudi Arabia exports about 25% of the world’s extracted oil – have enabled a remarkable technological and economic development. Against the backdrop of these contrasts, an art scene has emerged in recent years - one that is young but also very interesting in terms of its formal repertory. This scene has yet to be fully appreciated by the international art. The project “Edge of Arabia”, which was launched in 2008, has presented a number of these artists is very different compositions in exhibitions in Riyadh, Berlin, Istanbul, Dubai and twice at the Biennale in Venice.
    [Show full text]