Passion for Art
March
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March 2012
MANAMA
CAPITAL
OF
ARAB
CULTURE
2012
CAPITAL
OF
ARAB
CULTURE
2012
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Selected works from the
38th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition
38th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition
Laura Egerton
Curator for the the Abraaj Capital Art Prize
in conversation with Laura Stewart
Curator for the the Abraaj Capital Art Prize
in conversation with Laura Stewart
“This year’s committee did not have an easy job. In addition to choosing from so many worthy submissions, they were also tasked with choosing winners based on both the quality and creativity of their proposals, and their belief that the artists could actually deliver on the projects which they proposed in the timeframe provided”.
On the eve of Art Dubai 2012, Laura Stewart spoke to Laura Egerton, Curator for the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, which will be presented at the fair to five deserving artists for the fourth year in a row.
The winners for 2012, whose projects will be unveiled at the fair, are: Taysir Batniji (Palestine), Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige (Lebanon), Wael Shawky (Egypt), Risham Syed (Pakistan), Raed Yassin (Lebanon) with Guest Curator Nat Muller (The Netherlands)*.
“The Abraaj Capital prize, is the only art prize in the world solely focused on artists from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region.” Ms. Egerton explained. “And this year the winners came from an unprecedented number of submissions and represent fabulously diverse geographical backgrounds and varying mediums”.
“This year,” she continued, “has been a wonderful experience. The fact that we see artists at every stage of their career -- some very established and some who are just beginning working on projects of this scale and complexity -- creates a great deal of artistic frisson and opportunity for artistic dialogue. And, as the prize has become more well known and established, the quality of the
submissions has increased in quality and diversity”.
The prestigious selection committee this year was comprised of international art experts including: Antonia Carver, Director, Art Dubai; Dana Farouki, Patron, Ali Khadra, Publisher and Editor in Chief, Canvas Magazine; Salwa Mikdadi, Executive Director, Arts & Culture Program, Emirates Foundation; Jessica Morgan, Daskalopoulos Curator, International Art, Tate; Elaine Ng, Editor, Art Asia Pacific; Glenn Lowry, Director, the Museum of Modern Art and Sharmini Pereira, ACAP 2011 Egerton laughs, “This year’s committee did not have an easy job. In addition to choosing from so many worthy submissions, they were also tasked with choosing winners based on both the quality and creativity of their proposals, and their belief that the artists could actually deliver on the projects which they proposed in the timeframe provided”.
The prize, given by Abraaj Capital, a leading private equity manager, headquartered in Dubai, is unique in that after the winners are chosen, and their works are unveiled at Art Dubai, they become permanent pieces in the Abraaj Capital corporate art collection. This has enabled Abraaj to exhibit past winners all over the world, and distinguishes the prize as a long-term commitment to the recipients, and serves as a catalyst for their career s. The prize was the brainchild of Mr. Frederic Sicre, a partner at the firm, who is a passionate art lover and believes in social as well as financial investing.
A new development this year, Ms. Egerton said, is that the work of the prize winners will be presented in one exhibition, organized by a guest curator. This year the curator will be Nat Muller from the Netherlands and the theme, Egerton revealed, will be “the preoccupation with history and memory in the region. This is an exciting step forward,” she explained, “as it will allow the work of artists from such different backgrounds, ages, and countries, --working in different mediums -- to come together and create a real narrative”.
Mr. Sicre, who Heads the Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Track (ASSET) at Abraaj, announced this year’s winners, stating, “The Abraaj Capital Art Prize presents a unique platform for aspiring artists in the region to showcase their work to the global arts community. Heading into its fourth, year,” he continued, “This prize embodies Abraaj Capital’s unwavering commitment to the promotion of the arts throughout the region and has become a powerful tool to empower individual potential and nurture exceptional talent”.
The winners for 2012, whose projects will be unveiled at the fair, are: Taysir Batniji (Palestine), Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige (Lebanon), Wael Shawky (Egypt), Risham Syed (Pakistan), Raed Yassin (Lebanon) with Guest Curator Nat Muller (The Netherlands)*.
“The Abraaj Capital prize, is the only art prize in the world solely focused on artists from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region.” Ms. Egerton explained. “And this year the winners came from an unprecedented number of submissions and represent fabulously diverse geographical backgrounds and varying mediums”.
“This year,” she continued, “has been a wonderful experience. The fact that we see artists at every stage of their career -- some very established and some who are just beginning working on projects of this scale and complexity -- creates a great deal of artistic frisson and opportunity for artistic dialogue. And, as the prize has become more well known and established, the quality of the
submissions has increased in quality and diversity”.
The prestigious selection committee this year was comprised of international art experts including: Antonia Carver, Director, Art Dubai; Dana Farouki, Patron, Ali Khadra, Publisher and Editor in Chief, Canvas Magazine; Salwa Mikdadi, Executive Director, Arts & Culture Program, Emirates Foundation; Jessica Morgan, Daskalopoulos Curator, International Art, Tate; Elaine Ng, Editor, Art Asia Pacific; Glenn Lowry, Director, the Museum of Modern Art and Sharmini Pereira, ACAP 2011 Egerton laughs, “This year’s committee did not have an easy job. In addition to choosing from so many worthy submissions, they were also tasked with choosing winners based on both the quality and creativity of their proposals, and their belief that the artists could actually deliver on the projects which they proposed in the timeframe provided”.
The prize, given by Abraaj Capital, a leading private equity manager, headquartered in Dubai, is unique in that after the winners are chosen, and their works are unveiled at Art Dubai, they become permanent pieces in the Abraaj Capital corporate art collection. This has enabled Abraaj to exhibit past winners all over the world, and distinguishes the prize as a long-term commitment to the recipients, and serves as a catalyst for their career s. The prize was the brainchild of Mr. Frederic Sicre, a partner at the firm, who is a passionate art lover and believes in social as well as financial investing.
A new development this year, Ms. Egerton said, is that the work of the prize winners will be presented in one exhibition, organized by a guest curator. This year the curator will be Nat Muller from the Netherlands and the theme, Egerton revealed, will be “the preoccupation with history and memory in the region. This is an exciting step forward,” she explained, “as it will allow the work of artists from such different backgrounds, ages, and countries, --working in different mediums -- to come together and create a real narrative”.
Mr. Sicre, who Heads the Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Track (ASSET) at Abraaj, announced this year’s winners, stating, “The Abraaj Capital Art Prize presents a unique platform for aspiring artists in the region to showcase their work to the global arts community. Heading into its fourth, year,” he continued, “This prize embodies Abraaj Capital’s unwavering commitment to the promotion of the arts throughout the region and has become a powerful tool to empower individual potential and nurture exceptional talent”.
*BIOGRAPHIES OF THE ABRAAJ CAPITAL ART PRIZE 2012 WINNERS
Taysir Batniji (Artist, Palestine, b. 1966)
Born in Gaza in 1966, Taysir Batniji studied art at Al-Najah University in Nablus on the West Bank from 1985-92. In 1994 he was awarded a fellowship to study at the École des Beaux-Arts, Bourges, France, where in 1997 he graduated with a DNSEP (Higher National Diploma in Plastic Expression). Since then he has divided his time between France and Palestine, developing an interdisciplinary practice including drawing, painting, installation and performance often closely related to his heritage. Since 2001 Batniji has focused on photography and video.
Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige (Artists, Lebanon, b. 1969)
Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige are Lebanese artists and filmmakers. For the last 15 years they have focused on the images, memory and history of their home country, Lebanon. Together they have directed documentaries such as Khiam 2000-2007 and El Film el Mafkoud (The lost film), and feature films such as Al Bayt el Zaher (1999) and A Perfect Day (2005). Their last feature film Je veux voir (I want to see), starring Catherine Deneuve and Rabih Mroué, premiered at Cannes Film festival in 2008 and was selected for the Prix du Film Singulier. Their films have been enthusiastically received, won many awards in international festivals and have enjoyed releases in many countries.
Wael Shawky (Artist, Egypt, born 1971)
Wael Shawky studied fine art at the University of Alexandria before receiving his M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000. He lives and works in Alexandria. In 2010 he launched MASS Alexandria, the first Independent Studio Programme for young artists in the city. Shawky has received international acclaim for his work as an artist and filmmaker, his work exploring transitional events in society, politics, culture and religion in the history of the Arab world. He has had numerous solo.
Risham Syed (Artist, Pakistan, b. 1969)
Risham Syed’s practice critically focuses on the remains of cultural/historical inheritance and its perceived authenticity in present-day Pakistan. She received a BFA in Painting from the National College of Art, Lahore (1993) and an MA from the Royal College of Art, London (1996).
Raed Yassin (Artist, Lebanon, b. 1979)
Raed Yassin was born in Beirut in 1979. He graduated from the theatre department of the Institute of Fine Arts in Beirut in 2003. An artist and musician, Yassin's work often originates from an examination of his personal narratives and their position within a collective history, through the lens of consumer culture and mass production.
Nat Muller (Curator, The Netherlands, b. 1974)
Nat Muller is an independent curator and critic based between Rotterdam and the Middle East. Her main interests include the intersections of aesthetics, media and politics, media art and contemporary art in and from the Middle East. She has held staff positions at V2_Institute for Unstable Media in Rotterdam and De Balie, Centre for Arts & Politics in Amsterdam.
Taysir Batniji (Artist, Palestine, b. 1966)
Born in Gaza in 1966, Taysir Batniji studied art at Al-Najah University in Nablus on the West Bank from 1985-92. In 1994 he was awarded a fellowship to study at the École des Beaux-Arts, Bourges, France, where in 1997 he graduated with a DNSEP (Higher National Diploma in Plastic Expression). Since then he has divided his time between France and Palestine, developing an interdisciplinary practice including drawing, painting, installation and performance often closely related to his heritage. Since 2001 Batniji has focused on photography and video.
Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige (Artists, Lebanon, b. 1969)
Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige are Lebanese artists and filmmakers. For the last 15 years they have focused on the images, memory and history of their home country, Lebanon. Together they have directed documentaries such as Khiam 2000-2007 and El Film el Mafkoud (The lost film), and feature films such as Al Bayt el Zaher (1999) and A Perfect Day (2005). Their last feature film Je veux voir (I want to see), starring Catherine Deneuve and Rabih Mroué, premiered at Cannes Film festival in 2008 and was selected for the Prix du Film Singulier. Their films have been enthusiastically received, won many awards in international festivals and have enjoyed releases in many countries.
Wael Shawky (Artist, Egypt, born 1971)
Wael Shawky studied fine art at the University of Alexandria before receiving his M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000. He lives and works in Alexandria. In 2010 he launched MASS Alexandria, the first Independent Studio Programme for young artists in the city. Shawky has received international acclaim for his work as an artist and filmmaker, his work exploring transitional events in society, politics, culture and religion in the history of the Arab world. He has had numerous solo.
Risham Syed (Artist, Pakistan, b. 1969)
Risham Syed’s practice critically focuses on the remains of cultural/historical inheritance and its perceived authenticity in present-day Pakistan. She received a BFA in Painting from the National College of Art, Lahore (1993) and an MA from the Royal College of Art, London (1996).
Raed Yassin (Artist, Lebanon, b. 1979)
Raed Yassin was born in Beirut in 1979. He graduated from the theatre department of the Institute of Fine Arts in Beirut in 2003. An artist and musician, Yassin's work often originates from an examination of his personal narratives and their position within a collective history, through the lens of consumer culture and mass production.
Nat Muller (Curator, The Netherlands, b. 1974)
Nat Muller is an independent curator and critic based between Rotterdam and the Middle East. Her main interests include the intersections of aesthetics, media and politics, media art and contemporary art in and from the Middle East. She has held staff positions at V2_Institute for Unstable Media in Rotterdam and De Balie, Centre for Arts & Politics in Amsterdam.
ACAP 2012 winners
From left to right, Raed Yassin, Khalil Joreige, Nat Muller, Risham Syed, Taysir Batniji and Wael Shawky