My Father's House is a large-scale, lens-based project which toured the Middle East from February 2009 to March 2010. The centrepiece of the project is an exhibition featuring photography, film and digital projection produced by artists from both the Middle East and the UK.
An edited version of the exhibition is now on display at the Art and Design Academy, Liverpool John Moores University as part of the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival. The exhibition will run there until 5 August. Contributing artist Hazel Thompson will also participate in the Festival's The Freedom Hour debate series on 5 July.
The project uses architecture to explore the role and value of cultural heritage in defining cultural identity. In a rapidly changing region it posed the question - how do we see where we live? The project's activities were designed to inspire us to take a fresh look at our surroundings, the impact they have on our culture and environment, and how we value our cultural heritage.
The Exhibition
Camille Zakharia - Bouri (2000-2006). From the series: 'Distorted Memories (Bahrain)'.
The centrepiece of My Father's House is an exhibition featuring work by five emerging Middle East artists and three UK photographers: Wed Abduljawad from Saudi Arabia; Hafiz Ali from Qatar; Boushra Almutawakil from Yemen, Lamya Gargash from United Arab Emirates; Camille Zakharia from Bahrain and Tim Hetherington (who tragically died in the recent Libyan uprising), Tim Loveless and Hazel Thompson from the UK.
Much of the artists' work was specially commissioned for the exhibition, and their inspiration came from the oral-tradition of story-telling, cinema, households, changing landscapes, archaeological and restoration projects and the role of women in shaping their societies.
Watch a short film introducing some of the artists featured in My Father's House
My Father's House toured the Middle East region, visiting Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, and Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia during 2009-10. Alongside the exhibition, there were also many wrap-around activities including photographic treasure hunts, workshops for emerging and professional photographers, and artists’ talks and seminars.
Above right: Camille Zakharia - Bouri (2000-2006). From the series: 'Distorted Memories (Bahrain)'
The Photography Competition
A key element of the project was an online photography competition; we asked amateur and professional photographers in the Middle East to capture what the region’s cultural heritage means to them - its past, present and future.
The competition has been a fantastic success and the winners are:
Best Overall Photo: Noora, 20, Abu Dhabi
Best in Age Group over 25: Aju Chris, 27, Qatar
Best in Age Group 13 - 24: Zainab, 17, Bahrain
Best Photo for Brief 1: Huda, 27, Saudi Arabia
Best Photo for Brief 2: Hanan Mohammed, 19, Kuwait
Best Photo for Brief 3: Hana Al-Maktoum, 21 Saudi Arabia
Visit www.britishcouncil.org/myfathershouse to see all the winning entries. The standard and variety of photos submitted truly capture the rich cultural heritage of the Arabian peninsula. Many thanks to all those who took part.
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