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Darat Al Funun is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the
establishment of the Arab Bank through a series of exhibitions,
lectures, films and poetry readings.
The
main event is a series of exhibitions featuring the works
of contemporary artists from the Arab World. Art critic Mazen
Asfour said Darat Al Funun is aiming to acquaint the Jordanian
audience with the best Arab artists and create an open dialogue
among the Arabs on fine arts.
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The "Journey Through the Contemporary Arts of the Arab World"
series was inaugurated last week with an exhibition of works
by 11 artists from the Gulf countries, featuring a collection
of paintings, sculptures and photographs.
Asfour
described the dominating trend among contemporary Gulf artists
as a quest to combine modern international influences with
traditional oriental space. "Gulf artists have a capacity
to cerate dialogue between local and international dialects,
yet there is a persistent search for Arabic identity in modern
art," he explained.
Although participating artists do not deny the influence of
Western art in their work, and especially the dominance of
abstraction, they maintain that their works are a reflection
of their own environment and identity.
They tend to use Islamic ornaments and Arabic calligraphy
to create modern compositions, and some-times experiment with
individual elements derived from a strictly Arabic environment-palm
trees, wicker baskets, fishing boats-by portraying them in
abstract forms.
"Their paintings also demonstrate a high capacity for reshaping
materials and colours and employing them in a variety of forms,"
Asfour added.
Another characteristic of contemporary Gulf art is the tendency
to work with big spaces, and the ability to deal with space
with the utmost care. Asfour praised the artists ability to
give attention to the slightest details despite the enormity
of their work.
The Gulf exhibition runs until March 2. Gulf intellectuals
will also contribute to the to the celebrations at the gallery
with two poetry reading by poets from Saudi Arabia and Oman,
and two films;" Bas Ya Bahar" from Kuwait and " The Barrier"
from Bahrain.
Darat Al Funun will also host a series of exhibitions by artists
from Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Libya,
Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
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