SIX Bahraini artists will display around 20 works of art at next month’s Venice Biennale.
Participation at the prestigious exhibition is part of initiatives held under Art Bahrain Across Borders (ArtBab), which is managed by international art investment and consultancy firm Art Select.
Titled The Wait, the exhibition is about how each artist portrays the sea from their perspective, inviting the viewer to rethink their changing relationship with the sea from the point of view of Bahrainis.
“The title of the exhibition takes its cue from a print of the same name by late Bahraini artist Nasser Al Yousif, a leading figure in Bahrain’s art history,” said artist, curator and project curator at Serpentine Galleries in London Amal Khalaf.
Imagination
“The linoleum print made in 1999 depicts figures looking out to sea, waiting, focused on the horizon and what lies beyond.
“We don’t see the sea, but rather are faced with a group of figures, leaving us to imagine what their relationship is to what they are seeing.”
The print, which was made five years after the artist lost his vision, is a stark contrast of black and white linoleum prints.
It documents the daily island life of Bahrain along with the rituals and life at the sea shore, from the fishing boats to pearl diving along the coast.
“You can see the adaptation of printing techniques that he uses in this work and in the rest of the series of prints,” added Ms Khalaf.
“I wanted to include this work as a starting point for all the different approaches the contemporary artists take to represent our relationship to the sea.”
At the Venice exhibition, different mediums will be used by the artists to express themselves, ranging from music, film and performance, linoleum prints, installations, photography and sculpture.
ArtBab founding member Tasneem Al Shurougi said they have been in contact with the Venice team since the start of the year and have been working on preparing for the show for a month.
“The Venice Biennale is a bi-yearly exhibition and it is one of the most important exhibitions in the world,” she said.
“It is our dream come true to represent Bahrain as a pavilion in 2021.”
Ms Al Shurougi said she felt the local talent in Bahrain was underrated, explaining that although a small country, the art community has had quite an impact and the talent has progressed tremendously.
“Bahrain has a rich and active art scene that is a great platform for finished art works,” said Ms Khalaf.
“What we need is more space for collaboration to support artists and curators to develop critical thinking about art making and displaying art so that the ecosystem for art practice can develop.”
Study
She added that this could be done through various means including independent study programmes, workshops, residencies, exchanges and support for research and development for artists.
The Venice exhibition will run from May 7 to 17 and feature artists Mariam Alnoami, Hasan Hujairi, Hala Kaiksow, Ghada Khunji, and Nasser Al Yousif. It also includes a Bahraini-Danish art establishment by architects Batool Alshaikh, Maitham Almubarak, and Christian Vennerstrøm Jensen.
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