Illustrator Nada Dalloul and artist Faten Kanaan respond to a series of vintage film posters. Page 34.

Volume II • Issue 06 • Summer 2012

Current Affairs Culture New Media

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Sarah Kanbar analyses the situation in Lebanon in relation to neighbouring revolutions. Page 16.

From London, Sheyma Buali sits with London Palestine Film Festival’s Nick Denes. Page 40.

Danah Abdulla grabs coffee with performance artist Joseph Shahadi in Brooklyn to talk about his practice, performance art, and more. Page 95.

Leila Khatib takes us on a tour of Art Dubai...the hipstamatic way. Page 128.

Kifak Inta?

Art & Design

CA $12.99USA $12.95 GB £5.50 IT • SP €7

DE • AT • FR €8 MA 80MAD

7 8 D O S S I E R K A L I M AT

BUILDING AN ARAB WORLD CULTURE CAPITAL

ART & DESIGN

text & photos: ALEX AUBRY

As the Arab World Culture Capital for 2012, Bahrain has a string of high

profile projects under way to transform the Island Kingdom into the region’s

next cultural hub. Leading this transformation is a group of visionary women.

O n a balmy evening last January, a cosmopolitan crowd

mingled at the opening exhibition of pioneering Bahraini

artist Ebrahim bu Saad. It could have been a scene played

out at any number of gallery openings in London or Los Angeles, except

that this sleek art venue is housed in a restored early 20th century man-

sion. Once home to a prominent pearl merchant, whose client list included

famed Parisian jeweller Jacques Cartier; today the Bin Matar House is part

of an ambitious plan to transform Bahrain into the region’s next cultural

powerhouse.

Hidden behind Muharraq’s ornately

carved wooden doors lies some of the Kingdom’s

most intriguing interiors. The former home of

Abdullah Al Zayed, the man who established the

island’s first magazine in 1934, has been trans-

formed into the Press Heritage House; boasting

exhibit spaces and a research library. In the last

few years, countless historic homes in the area

have been restored and converted into galleries,

libraries, cultural centres and retail spaces; revi-

talising a once sleepy neighbourhood.

“Our mission is to develop Bahrain’s cul-

tural infrastructure in order to create a sustainable

environment for the arts to thrive in,” explains

Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, the

driving force behind this cultural renaissance and

the first woman in the Arab world to hold the

post of Minister of Culture. “I’ve always believed

culture can be a powerful tool in bringing com-

munities together, especially in times of strife

or conflict,” she adds.

As a result of her early efforts to preserve

the island’s culture and heritage, Bahrain was

selected by UNESCO as the Arab World Culture

Capital for 2012. Sheikha Mai and her team saw

the designation as an opportunity to further

cultural dialogue in the region. “We’ve organised

music festivals and art exhibitions in the past,

and we wanted to take a different approach for

the Arab World Culture Capital,” explains Aisha

Al Sada, the Head of Cultural Programming at

the Ministry. “Each month will be dedicated to

a particular art form, such as painting, poetry

or design. But these events will also be com-

plemented with lectures and workshops lead by

experts in each field,” she continues.

Since assuming her role, Sheikha Mai

has transformed the Ministry into a showcase for

Bahraini art. Along its corridors hang works by the

some of the Kingdom’s leading artists. “Culture

is a universal language, and

when I travel abroad to promote

Bahraini artists, I never have

to explain the work because it

speaks for itself,” she noted,

seated behind a conference ta-

ble in her office, stacked high

with art books and publications

produced by the Ministry.

Although Bahrain has

taken the unique step in the

region to preserve its architec-

tural heritage, it has also taken

an innovative approach to com-

missioning new work. Unlike its

wealthier neighbours across the

Gulf, who have invested in large

museum complexes, Bahrain has

embarked on a more modest,

though no less impressive ap-

proach to culture building.

“The Ministry is unique

in that it goes against pre-con-

ceived ideas of how a govern-

mental institution functions,”

observes Noura Al-Sayeh, the

Head of Architectural Projects

at the Ministry. She points to a

large architectural model that

takes up most of the floor space

in her office. “We’re currently working on a com-

petition to redesign the public square in front

of Bab Al Bahrain, which has historically been

the gateway to Manama’s business centre,” she

explains, noting the project’s social impact. Many

of the proposed designs will be displayed at the

site and open to public debate. “With few public

spaces available in Manama for people to congre-

gate, we felt it was important to engage locals

in the decision making process,” adds Noura.

In the last two years alone, a roster of

international architects have quietly flown into

the island for meetings on proposed cultural

projects. Instead of mega museums, this crop

of designers are being asked to produce small

scale jewel-like buildings

scattered throughout the

island. For Sheikha Mai, the

goal is to create an eco-

nomic impact. “By increas-

ing the number and diversity of cultural events,

we hope to attract a wider audience, not just from

abroad but locally as well. There is also a huge

potential for job creation in the cultural sector.”

To get an idea of her master plan, one

“I’ve always believed culture can be a powerful tool in bringing communities together, especially in times of strife or conflict,”

Gallery opening at the Bin Matar House in Muharraq

Murals covered in winding calligraphy that bleed onto the pavement, by Lebanese artist & designer Dia Battal

Sheikha Mai accepting the Golden Lion award at the Venice Architecture Biennale, 2010

Muharraq’s historic neighbourhoods fuse the past with the future

8 0 D O S S I E R K A L I M AT K A L I M AT D O S S I E R 8 1

ART & DESIGN

COLOURS. COLOURS.by: JOE NAMY

need only cross the sculpture garden that separates the Ministry from the

National Museum, whose main hall has been transformed into a virtual

timeline of projects that are either in the planning phase or under con-

struction. It is all part of the Ministry’s efforts to engage and inform the

public about its various cultural efforts.

Rising in the distance beyond the museum is the new National

Theatre for the Performing Arts, which is currently under construction.

Conceived by the innovative Paris firm, AS Architecture Studio, the theatre’s

main feature is a canopy of woven aluminium that stretches out over a

nearby lagoon. “Bahrain has one of the oldest performing arts communities

in the Gulf and we wanted to create a venue that attracts both local and

international performances,” says Sheikha Mai.

The shear number and quality of projects planned for Bahrain is

impressive when one considers the innovative approach Sheikha Mai and

her team have taken to bring these proposals to reality. “Funding for arts

and culture at a governmental level has traditionally been low, so we’ve

had to come up with alternative ways to finance these projects,” noted

Noura Al-Sayeh.

In response to these challenges Sheikha Mai launched an unu-

sual fundraising campaign. Called Investing in Culture, its mission it is to

garner financial support from the private sector for the Ministry’s various

cultural projects. “I learnt some valuable lessons when I established my

NGO, the Sheikh Ibrahim Centre for Culture & Research. As a business hub

for companies and banks, there is an opportunity here in Bahrain to tap

into the private sector for alternative sources of funding, and it has proved

a successful model for us thus far,” explains Sheikha Mai.

One of the earliest projects to come out of this unusual collabo-

ration is the Bahrain Fort Site Museum. Opened on February 18th, 2008

it became the first museum dedicated to an archaeological site in the

Kingdom. Overlooking the ruins of Qal’at Al Bahrain, an imposing fortress

rising from palm groves on the north coast of the island, it occupies one of

the most important excavated sites in the country. In 1954, archaeologists

uncovered the remains of almost 5,000 years of continuous settlement.

As the Minister of Culture, Sheikha Mai’s first order

of business was to raise her country’s cultural profile through

a place on the World Heritage Committee. In 2005, UNESCO

listed the fortress and its harbour as a World Heritage Site.

One of the conditions for being added to the prestigious list

was that a museum be built on the site.

Conceived by Danish architect Klaus Wohlert, the

elegant building echoes the proportions of the nearby fort.

“Many of the artefacts that were discovered here were displayed

at the National Museum, and it was important to put them

back in context,” explains the museum’s Director Dr. Nadine

Boksmati-Fattouh, of the innovative displays which include

Greek, Portuguese and Islamic artefacts uncovered at the site.

“What’s unique about Bahrain is that it’s rich in cultural and

historical resources. We don’t have to import collections from other in-

stitutions or buy at auctions to fill our museums, and this presents an

incredible opportunity,” adds Nadine, noting that Sheikha Mai and her

team also lobbied UNESCO for the privilege of locating the Middle East

headquarters of the World Heritage Regional Centre in Bahrain. Designed by

Japanese architect Tadao Ando, its purpose is to support and guide other

Arab countries attempting to get their own cultural, archaeological and

natural sites on the World Heritage List.

“Our biggest challenge now is to create awareness of our culture

not only in Bahrain, but internationally as well,” says Sheikha Mai, who

has orchestrated exhibits of Bahraini art and culture at Paris’ Arab World

Institute, the Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C. and the Hermitage in

St. Petersburg.

In 2010, Bahrain became the first Gulf nation to participate in the

Venice Architecture Biennale; walking away with the Golden Lion award

for best pavilion. “It was a big moment for us,” recalls Noura Al-Sayeh,

who co-curated the installation. “Instead of showcasing new architectural

projects, we wanted to think critically about the effects of urban devel-

opment on Bahrain.” The result was an installation of three traditional

fisherman’s huts, transported from Bahrain’s coast to the Venice Arsenal.

Accompanied by images and interviews, it was praised by jurors for its

“lucid and forceful self-analysis of the nation’s relationship with its rapidly

changing coastline.”

This innovative approach to cultural production reflects Sheikha

Mai’s mission to create a vibrant cultural legacy for Bahrain’s future gen-

erations. “Investing in culture is about improving quality of life, which is

why we want to educate people in the region and beyond about the value

of the arts in daily life,” notes the cultural pioneer, who was named one

of the most influential individuals in the Middle East by Forbes Magazine.

I met up with Christine Tohme, founder

and director of Ashkal Alwan, at her lo-

cal hang out Bread Republic, an outdoor

café nestled in an alley just off the main road

of Hamra in Beirut. On Tuesday mornings, it’s

transformed into a bustling organic farmer’s

market, which was just wrapping up as we sat

down to talk. I initially panicked, suspecting I

had made a mistake in agreeing to meet here

amidst the chaos of the crowd. However, I soon

realised that with all this activity surrounding

us, interruptions occurring every few minutes,

she was in her element.

The interruptions themselves were

evidence to the kind of social fabric in which she wraps her-

self. Alexander Paulikevitch (dancer and one of the organisers

of Lebanon’s Laique Pride) passed by to say hello, Monika Borgmann (director of UMAM, a space dedicated to the memory and archive of Leba-

non’s civil war) lamented with Christine about the difficulties of finding proper affordable housing for their residency programmes in Beirut’s

ridiculously inflated housing market, and Ghassan Salhab (independent filmmaker and writer) stopped to offer us some fresh mulberries from

the organic market which we devoured—and this was just within our twenty minutes together.

As a facilitator par excellence (a blurred mix between organiser, producer, curator and activist)—first and foremost a people person—it is this

drive to surround herself with brilliance and inspiration that figures into the equation of what makes her one of the most influential figures

in the Arab art world today. In the midst of the bubbling

art market madness for consuming and exploiting anything

“Arab”, she is one of the few players on the scene that op-

erate contrary to what should be possible, grounded in her

community and generosity. This is her specialty: making the

impossible a reality. Her single-handed contribution to the

cultural scene in Beirut and throughout the region has been

immeasurable. Now with her most ambitious project to date

underway – the Home Workspace Programme – her mark on

the global contemporary art scene is more apparent than ever.

JN: Tell me about how you became involved in arts produc-

tion. What was the first project you initiated?

CT: In the beginning I wasn’t involved in arts production,

photos courtesy of ASHKAL ALWAN

Bahrain pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale