Artists wishing to participate in one of Bahrain’s oldest and most prestigious fine arts exhibitions are being encouraged to sign up by November 15, with registration now open to the public.
The 53rd Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition, organised by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca), will be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Since its launch in 1972, the exhibition has established itself as a platform for diverse contemporary artistic practices, offering artists a space to present their perspectives and creative experiences across different artistic styles and movements.
The latest edition, themed ‘In Circulation’, explores the many forms of circulation within human and visual discourse and their connections to creativity and innovation across artistic practices.
It will be curated by Riwaq Art Space as part of its community partnership with Baca, helping to develop a fresh artistic vision for this year’s theme.
The collaboration aims to encourage innovation in artists’ use of different media, supporting the continued development of Bahrain’s local art scene.
“The theme ‘In Circulation’ examines the movement of objects, images, ideas, aesthetics and cultural identities across geographical, digital and economic contexts, and how their form, meaning and significance change as they move between different environments,” Baca said in a statement.
“It also explores the processes of translation, reproduction, exchange and reinterpretation that accompany the movement of cultural and creative forms beyond their original contexts.
“Circulation can create new encounters, foster collaboration and encourage collective production. At the same time, it can flatten complexity, obscure origins and reduce cultural difference to a marketable identity.
“This show invites participating artists to explore the concept of circulation through their own perspectives and artistic practices, examining how artworks, ideas and cultural expressions are transformed as they move between different contexts and narratives.”
The previous edition, held in February this year, brought together 75 visual artists presenting diverse artistic experiences and varied visual approaches, reflecting a wide range of perspectives and styles across different forms of visual expression. The exhibition was officially opened at the Bahrain National Museum.
Abduljabbar Al Ghadhban received the Al Dana Prize for his work Suffering. Khalid Al Abbas was awarded the Nexus Programme Prize presented by Al Riwaq Art Space, while Hussain Ali received the Art Station Prize presented by RAK Art Foundation.
Baca has invited artists interested in participating to review the submission requirements and procedures and submit their complete applications by November 15 through its official website culture.gov.bh
Applications are open to citizens and residents of the kingdom aged 18 and above. Artworks must be original and have been produced within the past year.
The maximum artwork size is 2m x 3m. Works exceeding these dimensions will not be accepted. Sculptures must not exceed 100kg or 2.5m in height.
Each artist may submit up to four works, and each submission must include a 300- to 500-word statement explaining the concept, medium and significance.
Artworks will be evaluated by the selection committee based on visual impact, conceptual coherence, composition and design, innovation and creativity, and alignment with the exhibition’s artistic vision.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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