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Graduates of the first edition of Bahrain’s bespoke art space’s alternative art education programme are taking centre stage at the new location’s first art exhibition.
Al Riwaq Art Space opened in Gufool last week, and creatives who completed its NEXUS programme as well as other emerging artistic voices are featured in its first exhibition –20/20 Vision.
“The first ever edition of the NEXUS programme was completed just before the Covid-19 pandemic,” Al Riwaq director Bayan Al Barrak told GulfWeekly.
“NEXUS’ curriculum is a deep dive into the global currents of the art world, to examine what other artists have been using to share their message. At the end of the programme, our students can pick a subject they have studied during the programme, and design a project around it.”
Mariam Al-Doseri, Ramah Alhusseini and Shaima Shamsi are NEXUS members who are taking part in the exhibition, which includes sound installations, video exhibits, fashion pieces and comics.
Other artists whose work is showcased include Somaya Abdulghani, Ghalia Abdul Jawad, Aysha Abdulqader, Jaffar Al-Haddad, Shatha Alhusseini, Mai Al Moataz, Tama Al-Pachachi, Ahmed Ashour, Ghadeer Habib, Hayat Hasan, Mohamed Hejair, Fatima Juma, Irina Kotova, Sara Madan and Karima Sharabi.
Each of the artists has taken aim inwards, highlighting personal experiences that have shaped their lives.
Fatima’s artwork, Won’t You Wear a Shawl With That? Features a shoulder drape with lots of hidden detail.
“My piece is about catcalling and how uncomfortable women can feel around the male gaze,” Fatima, 35, explained.
“Growing up, my mother always told me to wear a shawl and I always carry one with me, whether it’s to stay warm or stay safe.”
To create her piece, Fatima surveyed women, asking them about their catcalling experiences and what they wished they could have said in that moment to the people catcalling them.
Some of their responses are embroidered in black against the black shawl, set against white eye-shaped motifs symbolising the male gaze.
The black-against-black are supposed to signify how women’s sentiments can sometimes go unseen in such situations.
Unnerving seems to be a common theme that runs through the exhibition, whether it’s Mohamed’s piece Shelter, which features 3D animated hands, or Tamara Al Pachachi’s sound installation Yes, But I am Not Furniture.
“I had created my piece at the start of the pandemic, and it basically features left and right hand 3D models holding and moving along each other,” Mohamed explained.
“Approximately 150 hands on top of each other are supposed to symbolise our need for socialisation, but at the same time, in a deeply disconcerting way.”
And the effect is quite jarring, especially during a Covid-19 pandemic, which has made most people anxious about human touch.
Tamara’s piece is unnerving in its own way, as it invites visitors to step into a dark room with a single chair, and listen to pre-recorded deeply private conversations between a couple.
“In a traditional, conservative and close-knit society, reputation is everything and privacy is sacred, especially when it comes to the sanctity of marriage,” she explained.
“This sound installation is based on extracted phrases from numerous conversations with married women, and hints at a much larger conversation that needs to be heard. The tone and sequencing of phrases relay the passive-aggressive nature of the unsaid.”
Pieces like those created by Fatima, Mohamed and Tamara which spark conversations and deliver bold messages, are the kind of art that Al Riwaq hopes to continue fostering at its new location.
To encourage different types of creation, there is an art kitchen, library and maker space, overlooking an indoor exhibition area as well as an outdoor art area.
For more details, follow @alriwaq on Instagram.
