Set in the middle of Baku’s ancient old city, the three-level Yay Gallery is putting contemporary Azerbaijani art firmly on the regional map. This summer, Yay has teamed up with Dubai gallery Cuadro for a collaborative show – a must-see if you are holiday-making on the Caspian this summer.
For The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Roberto Lopardo, the gallery manager from Cuadro and an excellent photographic artist, has produced Mapping Baku, a specially commissioned work in his Mapping series. In it, he goes on a walking tour of the given city (Baku, in this case) and takes a photograph every minute. The results are presented as one work in a light box, offering a visual rhythm of the place.
Creations from Bahrain-based Camille Zakharia are also in the show. Out Then documents the journey the artist has taken since his departure from Lebanon in the 1985 civil war, through abstract photographic collages.
Manal Al Dowayan, the prominent Saudi artist who explores social politics and identity, is showing If I Forget You, Don't Forget Me, which reconstructs the memories of her father's generation. Through her photographs, she documents conversations and objects from "oil" men and women across Saudi Arabia to create personal narratives.
Lastly, Emirati Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim will exhibit pieces from Turãb, his most recent show at Cuadro, a showcase of abstract shapes and forms that explore his relation with nature.
A little closer to home, in Bahrain, Sueraya Shaheen, a Dubai-based photographer, is showing Encounters, her stunning collection of personal portraits of Middle Eastern artists that made its debut at FotoFest in Houston last year. Exhibited in La Fontaine, a 150-year-old building in Manama's old souq, the photographs are a stunning contrast to their environment.
Ismail Azzam, a renowned Iraqi artist who has been living in Qatar since 1996, is showing a major body of work at the QM Gallery in Doha's Katara Cultural Village. For the exhibition, titled For Them, he has created a series of charcoal portraits of painters and sculptors who have made a significant contribution to regional art.
“We hope that this exhibition helps to educate audiences across Qatar on the lives and artistic contribution made by these important and artistic figures,” says Jean-Paul Engelen, director of public art for Qatar Museums, the body that oversees the gallery.
A robust summer programme is under way at Jeddah’s Athr Gallery, which has been instrumental in opening the gateway for Saudi artists.
Constellations is described as "a cluster of exhibitions, talks and workshops", and highlights include Dana Awartani's first solo exhibition, The Hidden Qualities of Quantities, featuring her geometric work inspired by Islamic patters. Contemporary calligrapher Nasser Al Salem offers his latest installation, And We Adorned the Nearest Heaven with Lamps. Both artists show great promise, and their work is certainly worth taking the time to discover.
Also at the gallery is a series of talks and workshops for adults and children as well as two group exhibitions, Triplicity and Athr X Design. If you are interested in the rich cultural diversity of Saudi art, Athr is the place to be.
aseaman@thenational.ae
