Lecture hosted on the sidelines of the 19th-century photography exhibition 'To The Holy Lands' at DIFC
Photography enthusiasts in Dubai had a unique opportunity to learn about the fascinating history of photography in the Gulf region at a discussion seminar organised by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority on Wednesday, 22 October.
Titled "The History of Photography and Contemporary Photography in the Gulf Region", the seminar explored the origins, the role of pioneers and development of the art of photography in the region. The seminar lecture was led by accomplished Emirati photographer and Lecturer of Photography at the University of Sharjah, Jasem Al Awadi.
The event is the second in a series of seminars being held on the sidelines of 'To The Holy Lands', an exhibition of the world's greatest historical photographs of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The series is a perfect complement to the exhibition, which displays the works of the pioneers of photography in the Arab world - Al-Sayyid Abd al-Ghaffar, Christiaan Snouck-Hurgronje and Jakob Lorent.
The seminars are being organised in partnership with Art Dubai and the support of Epson and Adobe.
"The origin of photography in the Gulf region is fascinating as it was fraught with great difficulties and required extraordinary courage and persistence from its practitioners," said Jasem Al Awadi. "The experience of photography today, in many ways, owes itself to the exceptional work done by the pioneers. Contemporary photography in the region shares much more with this history than is often acknowledged. Understanding how photography developed in the region will considerably enhance our appreciation of this art," he pointed out.
The third and last seminar in this series titled 'How to Run an Exhibition: Art Management' was held on the 28th of October. Each of the three discussion seminars were followed by screenings of documentaries on Mecca. The films screened included 'Pilgrimage to Mecca', made in 1967 by Safouh Al Naamani, and 'Inside Mecca', a National Geographic film.
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About the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority
The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority is mandated to create a rich environment for Emirati heritage, visual arts, theatre, music, literature and poetry in order to further position Dubai as a vibrant, Arabian global city for the arts. The Authority was recently launched in March 2008 under the directive of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. The Authority operates under the chairmanship of HH Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Media Contacts:
Amira Abdulla
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Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2433
E-mail: amira.abdulla@difc.ae
Shaima Al Zarouni
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Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2432
E-mail: shaima.alzarouni@difc.ae
Iman Ahmad
Regional Media Relations Manager
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 50 2058021
E-mail: iman.ahmad@difc.ae
© Press Release 2008
