What the Butler Saw

A Conversation with Fida Touma, the Deputy Director General of the A.M. Qattan Foundation, on the Occasion of the Fourth Qalandiya International, Palestine, by James Scarborough

INTRODUCTION The fourth Qalandiya International (QI) will take place from October 3rd - October 30th. Also known as the Palestine Biennial, it’s the largest contemporary art event in Palestine. This year's QI examines the theme of Solidarity. Exhibitions and programs will take place throughout the country. Sites include Jerusalem, Gaza, Ramallah, Al Bireh, Birzeit, and several Palestinian villages. It will feature the work of dozens of Palestinian and international artists (See below). Solidarity-themed events will... Read more →

A Conversation with Farah Khelil on the Occasion of her Exhibition “Graines de pensée” at Selma Feriani Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia, by James Scarborough

INTRODUCTION Farah Khelil was born in Carthage, Tunisia. She graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Tunis. She holds a PhD in Art and Art Sciences from Paris/Pantheon - Sorbonne. She lives and works in Paris. Graines de pensée is her first solo exhibition at the Selma Feriani Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia. Her work in the show includes installations made from documents, objects, refuse and plant elements. There is also a slide show, collages, and... Read more →

A Conversation with Reem Shadid and Yazan Khalili on the Occasion of their Exhibition "Debt" at the Fourth Qalandiya International, Palestine, by James Scarborough

INTRODUCTION. The fourth Qalandiya International (QI) will take place from October 3rd - October 30th. Also known as the Palestine Biennial, it’s the largest contemporary art event in Palestine. This year's QI examines the theme of Solidarity. Exhibitions and programs will take place throughout the country. Sites include Jerusalem, Gaza, Ramallah, Al Bireh, Birzeit, and several Palestinian villages. It will feature the work of dozens of Palestinian and international artists (See below). Solidarity-themed events will... Read more →

A Conversation with Eltiqa & Shababek on the Occasion of their Exhibition "Toward Hope" at the Fourth Qalandiya International, Palestine, by James Scarborough

INTRODUCTION. The fourth Qalandiya International (QI) will take place from October 3rd - October 30th. Also known as the Palestine Biennial, it’s the largest contemporary art event in Palestine. This year's QI examines the theme of Solidarity. Exhibitions and programs will take place throughout the country. Sites include Jerusalem, Gaza, Ramallah, Al Bireh, Birzeit, and several Palestinian villages. It will feature the work of dozens of Palestinian and international artists (See below). Solidarity-themed events will... Read more →

A Conversation with Rachel Dedman, Curator of "Labour of Love: New Approaches to Palestinian Embroidery", The Palestinian Museum, by James Scarborough

INTRODUCTION. Labour of Love: New Approaches to Palestinian Embroidery at The Palestinian Museum features 80 dresses and accessories. Archival photographs, posters, paintings, music, and a video place these objects in their historical context. Below follows a generous and thoughtful conversation with Rachel Dedman, the exhibition’s Curator. In it, she discusses the show's origins; expands on its themes; offers insights into the economic and social conditions of the otherwise anonymous embroiderers; and expands on the aptness... Read more →

A Conversation with Tato Akhalkasishvili, participant in Art Dubai 2018’s Inaugural "Residents" program, by James Scarborough

Tato Akhalkasishvili was born in 1979, Tbilisi, Georgia. He graduated from Tbilisi Academy of Arts in 2003. Afterwards he moved to Germany where he lived and worked in Cologne. In 2008 the artist decided to go back to his country. Nowadays he is based in Tbilisi, Georgia. He works in painting, in addition to making objects, installations and collages. Akhalkasishvili expresses important issues and concepts with the help of different metaphors. Childhood is one of... Read more →

It’s about time: Jack Persekian and Jerusalem’s eternal present, by James Scarborough

(Jerusalem) is an oxymoron, chockfull of contradictions and schizophrenic realities, which we embrace in this seemingly blessed, but so easily deadly, potent formula of persistent animosity and violence. Jack Persekian, After Matson For the Middle East in general and Palestine in particular, 2018 is a landmark year. A hundred years ago, the Balfour Declaration and Jerusalem’s occupation by British forces. Fifty years ago, the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem. Enter Jack Persekian, to remind us,... Read more →

A Conversation with Jose Lerma, participant in Art Dubai 2018’s Inaugural "Residents" program, by James Scarborough

José Lerma was born in 1971 in Seville, Spain and grew up in Puerto Rico. He was recently named Chair of the Painting Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His solo exhibitions include Kemper Museum of Art, Andrea Rosen Gallery, Galería Roberto Paradise, Galerie Xavier Hufkens, Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Green Gallery, Gallery Loock, Galería Marta Cervera, Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh, NC, Arario Gallery in Seoul, Galleria Il... Read more →

A Conversation with Iabadiou Piko, participant in Art Dubai 2018’s Inaugural "Residents" program, by James Scarborough

Iabadiou Piko (Piko Sugianto) was born in 1984 in Prabumulih, South Sumatera, Indonesia. In 2005, he graduated from the Academic Design of Vision Yogyakarta Department (ADV) with a major in Diploma of Art Photography Design. He is a self-taught painter who now lives and works in Yogyakarta. He participated in Art Dubai 2018’s inaugural Residents program. New to Art Dubai programming, Residents 2018 invited 11 international artists to spend 4 to 8 weeks in a... Read more →

A Conversation with Pablo del Val, Art Dubai Artistic Director, by James Scarborough

Art Dubai 2018 opens this week. It will showcase the work of 500 artists. It will also offer talks, performances, tours, and workshops. Programming includes: Contemporary and Modern. This will feature work from 105 galleries based in 48 countries. The inaugural Residents program. This will feature 11 global artists whose work reflects their experience in the UAE. The Global Art Forum. Titled “I Am Not A Robot”, it will discuss the impact that automation has... Read more →

The Banality of Conversion: "Also Known as Jihadi," directed by Eric Baudelaire, by James Scarborough

Without the context its title provides, Eric Baudelaire’s latest film, Also Known as Jihadi, now showing at Art Basel, would be the cinematic equivalent of a butt-dial; the difference being you accidentally turn on the video camera, not dial the phone. We see passages of what appear to be random, unrehearsed scenes (a nice metaphor for life, by the way). We hear ambient noise - the sound of voices and motor vehicles, but nothing by... Read more →

A Conversation with Djon Mundine and Judith Blackall, Co-Curators, and Nasim Nasr, Participating Artist, in “Sixth Sense,” National Art School Gallery, NSW, Australia, by James Scarborough

In his Dadaist poem Anna Blume, Kurt Schwitters proclaims that the eponymous fraulein is the beloved of his 27 senses. Presumably he experiences her in ways we can only imagine. Sixth Sense, guest-curated by Djon Mundine for the National Art School Gallery, explores how cross-generational Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal artists perceive their world in ways that extend beyond the visual component of their otherwise visual art. Artists in the exhibition are Daniel Boyd,... Read more →

A Conversation with Vivian Ziherl, Curator of the 8th Jerusalem Show “Before and After Origins,” a part of the Qalandiya International (The Palestinian Biennial), 2016, by James Scarborough

By their very nature, Biennials present a lot of moving pieces. Usually, they’re of the logistical sort. This year’s Qalandiya International (QI), also known as the Palestinian Biennial, doesn’t just have a lot of moving pieces, it’s also fraught by social and political turmoil. Rarely does a biennial’s past literally erupt into the present in such an immediate way. Given the region’s recent politically inclement climate, the QI’s continued existence is no mean feat. Perhaps... Read more →

Nasim Nasr’s Zaeefeh (The Wretchedness) and Shadi (Happiness), GAGPROJECTS Adelaide/Berlin at the 2015 Art Dubai, by James Scarborough

Nasim Nasr has two new bodies of work. One is called Zaeefeh (The Wretchedness), 2015. Across her portraits of historical Persian shahs, the artist has inscribed Farsi quotes. These quotes include citations from Iranian poet’s Forough Farrokhzad’s, Another Birth, and from Iranian writer Sadegh Hedayat’s influential story, The Blind Owl (1937). Both writers expressed dissatisfaction with their then-current regimes. Both writers’ work was banned in Iran. The Zaeefeh format is especially effective. The portraits look... Read more →

Hossein Khosrojerdi at Tara Gallery, by James Scarborough

Admirality Arch 2014 50.75” x 61.75” mixed media on cardboard Photos courtesy of Tara Gallery. In 2009 Hossein Khosrojerdi and his family left Iran to seek political asylum in England. His interest in the country’s popular but politically dangerous green movement as well as shrinking opportunities for post-Revolution Iranian artists provided the impetus. “Redefining Home”, his current exhibition of paintings and digital media at Tara Gallery, is his first U.S. solo show. It maps his... Read more →

A Conversation With Jack Persekian, Director and Head Curator of the Palestinian Museum/Artistic Director of Qalandiya International, by James Scarborough

The second Qalandiya International (Qi), also known as the Palestine Biennial, will take place from October 22 - November 15. It’s the largest contemporary art event in Palestine. Exhibitions and programs will be staged throughout the country. Sites include Jerusalem, Haifa, Ramallah, Gaza, and Hebron. It will feature the work of over 100 Palestinian and international artists. Each artist’s work will contribute to the theme “Archives, Lived and Shared.” Along with the exhibited art, QI... Read more →

The Qalandiya International, the second edition of the Palestinian Biennial, October 22 - November 15., by James Scarborough

Vita brevis, arts longa. Perhaps no circumstance better reflects this now than the second edition of the Qalandiya International. Otherwise known as the Palestine Biennial, it will run from October 22 - November 15. Weathering the region’s tumultuous climate, this cultural celebration will occur in cities, towns, and villages throughout Palestine. It will feature over 100 artists and include a slate of educational programing. These events will take place at nine partner institutions. Each of... Read more →

A Conversation With Ahmed Mater, Co-founder of Edge of Arabia, by James Scarborough

Arab art is hitting the global art world with the force of a haboob, a summer sandstorm. A lot of the credit goes to Edge of Arabia. The initiative is the brainchild of two artists, Stephen Stapleton (British/Norwegian) and Ahmed Mater, (Saudi Arabian). Both shared a common desire “to create a real artistic movement inside Saudi Arabia that also connected with the outside world.” Stephen and Ahmed were later supported by fellow Saudi artist Abdulnasser... Read more →

A Conversation With Slavs and Tatars, on the Occasion of Their Curation of Art Dubai’s 2014 Marker Program, by James Scarborough

Each year Art Dubai, the leading international art fair in the MENASA (Middle East/North Africa/South Asia), presents its Marker program. The program focuses either on relevant and significant themes or else geography. Marker 2014 will be curated by the artist collective Slavs and Tatars. (They will also have a show of their own, “Language Arts,” at The Third Line in Dubai.) Its geographical focus will be Central Asia and the Caucasus. Featuring five booth exhibitions... Read more →

Hassan Hajjaj: My Rock Stars: Volume 2 , Gusford Gallery, Los Angeles, by James Scarborough

If art were only about the marketing of a commodity, then Hassan Hajjaj’s My Rock Stars: Volume 2 at Gusford Gallery, his first American one-man show, would be a product placement consultant’s dream. Even a sideways, unintentional glance into the gallery as you charge down Melrose stops you dead in your tracks. You see large photographs of men and women. These are Mr. Hajjaj’s chums; upon them he has conferred the status of rock star.... Read more →

An Interview with Taymour Grahne, on the Occasion of the Opening of His Gallery in New York, by James Scarborough

A prominent collector of Middle Eastern and North African art as well as the creator of the wildly popular “Art of the Middle East” blog, Taymour Grahne is about to open an eponymous gallery on September 7 in Tribeca. What follows is his thinking on the significance of Middle Eastern/North African art, what he hopes to accomplish with his gallery and why he chose Iranian artist Nicky Nodjoumi’s “Chasing the Butterfly and Other Recent Paintings”... Read more →

Interview: Nasim Nasr on the Occasion of her Exhibition “Untitled 2013” at Australia’s Greenaway Art Gallery, by James Scarborough

Nasim Nasr’s artistic practice seeks to diagnose and interpret universal themes that resonate with all viewers, irrespective of cultural heritage. Her statement for her upcoming show at Australia’s Greenaway Art Gallery, which includes new video, photographic and three-dimensional works, elaborates on this practice: The repetitive chant of “I believe in love” manifests a non-denominational universalism in belief, both as announcement and affirmation, of a philosophy of compassion, harmony and goodness in a contemporary world of... Read more →

An Interview with Lebanese artist, Pascal Hachem, from London’s Selma Feriani Gallery, Art Dubai 2013, by James Scarborough

JS: When and how did you decide you wanted to be an artist? What was it like growing up in Lebanon, personally and artistically, and why did you leave? PH: No decision in being an artist or not, simply doing what I felt the need to do. And maybe Beirut was the one to push me to do and say what I have to say... To face things instead of neglecting them, It was simply... Read more →

An Interview with Pakastani artist Nusra Latif Qureshi, from Australia’s Sutton Gallery, Art Dubai 2013, by James Scarborough

JS: When and how did you decide you wanted to be an artist? What challenges did you face growing up as a female artist in Lahore? Why did you leave? Describe your immigrant experience in Australia as a woman, a Pakistani, and an artist. How is this expressed in your work? NLQ: I do not really remember deciding to become an artist- just did not want to study sciences. I chose to study art in... Read more →

An Interview with Prateek Raja, Co-Founder of Experimenter Gallery in Kolkata, India, on the Occasion of His Gallery’s Participation in Art Dubai, by James Scarborough

JS: When you and your wife Priyanka began Experimenter in April 2009, what gap were you trying to fill? What inspired to open the gallery in the first place? PR: We started Experimenter with a very clear focus. At the time we felt that contemporary practice was being under-represented in the country. There were several major developments that were taking place in the art world and we in India completely engrossed with commercial successes that... Read more →

An Interview With Bisi Silva, Curator of Art Dubai’s ‘Marker’ Project, by James Scarborough

This third edition of Marker, curated by Lagos-based Bisi Silva for the seventh edition of Art Dubai, describes the societal changes sparked by the rapid development of West African cities. The founder and artistic director of the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, she chose five West African artspaces — Centre for Contemporary Art (Lagos, Nigeria); Espace doual’art (Douala, Cameroon); Maison Carpe Diem (Ségou, Mali); Nubuke Foundation (Accra, Ghana); and Raw Material Company (Dakar, Senegal) for... Read more →

A Conversation with Lebanese Director Hadi Tabbal on the Occasion of His Upcoming Production, ‘After,’ at CUNY, by James Scarborough

The Sharjah Biennial and Art Dubai are taking place this week and next. Showcasing the quality, relevance, and complexity of Middle Eastern art, it makes sense as well to investigate the achievement of contemporary Middle Eastern theatre. What follows is an interview with Lebanese Director Hadi Tabbal. Mr. Tabbal is directing After, a play which examines the travails of an Arab-American family in New York City, which will open at CUNY (City University of New... Read more →

Spectral Imprints, Abraaj Capital Art, Art Dubai 2012, by James Scarborough

Featured at Art Dubai 2012, Spectral Imprints, the 4th edition of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, was conceived and implemented to encourage critical discourse. As shown below, it does so, nicely. It’s the only competition that focuses on often-underrepresented contemporary artists from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA). Significant, that, given how the region’s history re-writes itself on a daily basis. The curating is organic: awards are based on proposals and not... Read more →

Prolegomena to the 2012 Dubai Art Fair, by James Scarborough

This is the first of a series of pieces on the week long Art Dubai, the Middle East’s largest art fair. Because the Fair is like an enormous souk (multivalent, complex if not exotic, and full of all manner of curiosities and intrigues), it requires a series of visits to apprehend its significance, its art and, to a large extent, its patronage and sponsorship. Being sardined with a host of international critics and journalists, it... Read more →

"Sharjah Biennial 10: Plot For A Biennial," Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Part 2, by James Scarborough

“I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that never sallies out and sees her adversary but slinks out of the race, where that immortal garland is to be run for, not without dust and heat.” John Milton, “Areopagitica” Though the Sharjah Biennial 10: Plot for a Biennial engages and scintillates, its achievement, attested to by recent events, is hard won. Intellectually, it presents a forum in which the viewer can challenge... Read more →

"A Meta-Narrative for the "Sharjah Biennial 10: Plot For A Biennial," Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, by James Scarborough

Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes. --- Walt Whitman Rather than prattle on about the function, significance, and viability of the Sharjah Biennial 10: Plot for a Biennial, about whether it does or does not live up to whatever idée fixée that professionals, viz., curators and critics, can ascribe to it, let's pretend instead that you're at a movie. Suzanne Cotter and Rasha Salti, the... Read more →

"Sharjah Biennial 10: Plot for a Biennial," United Arab Emirates, Part 1, by James Scarborough

Now, especially, the point seems so obvious that it's hardly worth stating. Still, in an era of political doublespeak and misread texts secular and divine, the Sharjah Biennial 10: Plot for a Biennial, curated by Suzanne Cotter, Rasha Salti, and Haig Aivazian, confirms that biennials and the sites that stage them must be historically engaged and spatially meaningful. In both texture (an ordered clamor: gritty, raucous, exuberant) and tenor (oracular, statesmanlike), this exhibition represents the... Read more →