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Mohammed Al-Kouh

The Place I Call Home is a photography touring exhibition curated by David Drake, Director of Ffotogallery Wales, commissioned by the British Council. This cross-cultural exhibition presents the work of 15 artists, each using photography, to experience the idea of home through the experience of people living in the Gulf and the UK at a time of rapid change and social mobility. All 15 have at some time called the Gulf ‘home’. 

The project uses photography and lens-based media to explore the notion of home as it relates to contemporary experiences of the Arabic diaspora living in the UK and British people living in the Gulf. Much of the work turns the notion of home on its head, questioning stereotypes we hold about each other’s nationalities, cultures and the notion of home. 

Photography is an amazing medium for capturing, communicating and sharing people’s stories across cultures. This project aims to create new opportunities to develop mutual understanding and respect through sharing and appreciating each other’s culture, history and heritage and developing long-term arts and education relationships between institutions. Showcasing commissioned work from 15 artists based in the Gulf and the UK, the exhibition, travels to ten venues over the six-month period.  

Photography is arguably one of the most democratic art forms, and our aim is to engage more young people with it through workshops and events and to start new conversations about its use. The project aims to inspire and trigger interest in the variety of lens-based media - photography all the way from a smartphone to analogue photography. The exhibition is a mixed media one, reflecting the diverse interests of 15 photographers. More information about the artists can be found on www.theplaceicallhome.org. Photographers in the Gulf can use the hashtag #everydaygulf to have their images pulled across into a dedicated website that has been set up to engage and showcase local talent around the theme of “home”. 

Waseem Kotoub, Senior Programme Manager, Culture and Sport, Gulf at the British Council said: “We want to showcase how photography is being used in the UK and the Gulf to capture and make sense of the world and how it can transcend borders and build understanding. The exhibition is exploring the impact of the creative art forms on people’s lives and the role they can play in society’s understanding of itself - and how this impact should be shared and discussed. Artworks created by young Gulf and UK artists have made references to the strong and rich history and identity that informs the modern Arab art world”.

 

When and where will it be happening? 

 

Country

Exhibition Dates

Photographers commissioned by country

Venue 

Kuwait

1-21 October 2019

Mohammed Al-Kouh

Amricani Cultural Centre, Kuwait City

Oman

20 November – 15 December 2019

Eman Ali

Josh Adam Jones

Hassan Meer

Stal Gallery, Muscat

Qatar

1-21 December 2019

Abi Green

Sara Al Obaidly

Mashael Al Hejazi

Sebastian Betancur-Montoya

The Fire Station, Doha, Qatar

Bahrain

14-31 January 2020

Hussain Almosawi & Mariam Alarab

Mai Almoataz

Bahrain Museum Art Space

Saudi Arabia

9 -29 Feb (TBC)

Moath Alofi

TBC

UAE – Abu Dhabi

2019/January 2020 (TBC)

Richard Allenby-Pratt

Gillian Robertson

Ben Soedira

Ammar Al Attar

TBC