Co-curation with Muneera Al Awadhi
Participating artists: Jaffar Al Haddad, Muhammed Al Emadi, Maryam Zainal, Maryam Jamal, Ali Karimi and Hamed Bukhamseen
“Souq Al Qaisereya” was once the thriving commercial and social hub of Muharraq. It is an integral component of the “Pearling path” a UNESCO world heritage site. As the oldest part of the traditional market, it used to be the bustling center and a melting pot for all the different demographics that Bahrain hosts. It grew as a sentimental and nostalgic for every Muharraq resident from the older generation. With the industrial advancement in Bahrain , the dependency on traditional trades was compromised, thus eventually leading Bahrainis to disperse into other areas.
Muharraq Art District is a project that addresses issues of abandonment and disengagement in Souq Al Qaisereya. Architects and Artists Muneera al Awadhi and Noor Alwan proposed promoting the area as an art district, aiming to revive the activity and create a bridge between the younger generation that grew up away from Al Qaisereya and the older generation that reside there. The project consisted of a route along “Souq al Qaisereya” that highlighted abandoned spaces that were activated by a series of curated art content and installations. All the art content was inspired by the Muharraq community and told the stories of the residents there.
The launch of the Muharraq Art District was led by a group of young dancers who merged the arts of contemporary dance and traditional Bahraini music.
The dancers led the crowd along the route of activated spaces with installations and finally ended in a contemporary dance performance by Federica Bottini who merged dance with painting at the “Protest at the Baraha” installation.
Photo by Ishaq Madan
A protest at the “Baraha”
Collaboration between Muneera Al Awadhi and Noor Alwan
A protest is a moving exhibit that aims to shed light on spatial issues such as abandoned lands and neglected greenery in Bahrain. It was first exhibited in Block 338 in Adliya, it moved to "Al Baraha" which is an abandoned open lot in the heart of Souq Al Qaisereya. "Al Baraha" was once home to a building in the heart of souq al Qaisereya, now, it is a neglected open space with the rubble and remains of its' burnt past. This installation protested the trees, walls, and lives left behind and aimed to revive the abandoned space into what potentially could be a cultural, social, and public space.
The space, “Baraha” was activated with activities including movie nights for the kids of the neighborhood, cultural talks and performances.
Bring me Back my Trees
Collaboration between Muneera Al Awadhi and Noor Alwan
Bring me back my trees is an installation that aims to introduce opportunities for social integration within public spaces. This installation abstracts the logic of courtyard housing which used to be an integral part of the Bahraini culture and Architecture. It is a representation of the social and communal opportunities that courtyard housing provides, and reinterprets them in a public space setting. Bring me back my Trees is a modular system in which each module represents an independent public space seating that are abstract formats of rooms. When the modules are joined together, they form another format of a social space through public seating.
Collaboration with Abdulla Buhijji
Participating artists: Yousif Qambar, Jaffar Al Haddad, Abdulla Buhijji, Maryam Al Noaimi, Maryam Jamall
Stories have been passed on over generations of Manama, the pearl of The Gulf, and about its people whom William Belgrave described as the “People of the World”. The duality of the city and its people is a unique equation unlike any other on the East Coast of the Arabian Gulf which still managed to survive through the drastic urbanization of the city and changes in its society. “Pertinacity” is an exhibition curated by (T.of.I) that is part of a larger project “Tashkeel” that joins several Bahraini artists and explores Manama’s stories, people and their daily lives. (T.of.I)’s efforts spread around the old districts of Manama from architectural photo walks, to workshops, questioning issues that threaten the fabric of Manama, taking a closer more honest look at Manama; and hoping to provide a clearer vision of its possible future by looking through its past.
“Pertinacity” took place in “Bin Radhi” house, a family home that was built in the 1930’s and is one of the few that survived to this day. This house is an emblem of the beautiful memories formed there and it narrates the difficulties and the dramatic changes it witnessed. For decades, this house gathered the community and hosted people from different backgrounds and interests to exchange ideas and stories, and share their plights and joy. The residents of “Bin Radhi” speak of a once upon a time when the house overlooked the sea and the view could be enjoyed from the roof. Today, the house is as far from the sea as it is close to its memories. The participating artists manifested the stories told by these walls through art pieces that celebrate the tenacity of the house. Besides ideating and curating the exhibition, (T.of.I) was responsible for two participating pieces in the Pertinacity Exhibition, Blessed Tree, and Congestion.
Pop-up Art Exhibition at Bahrain International Airport
Co-curation with Abdulla Buhijji
Participating artists - Jaffar Al Haddad, Maryam Jamal, Ishaq Madan, Sahar Sadeq, Dana Jumaan, Abdulla Buhijji, Noor Alwan
Music is a universal language that communicates across cultural, geographic, and linguistic boundaries. Mawall is an exhibition that is centered around the harmonious relationship between music, art and the Bahraini heritage. Music is deeply rooted within Bahrain’s heritage, it transcends entertainment and tells stories of empowerment, celebration, hardships and folk tales that Bahrainis grew up listening to.
The art pieces are each inspired by a Bahraini song from the heritage and unveil a different facet of Bahrain’s culture by retelling a nostalgic narrative that generations grew up into. The exhibition aims to immerse visitors into areas of the culture by experiencing the woven stories that the art and music tell together. Each artwork translates a Bahraini song into a visual narrative creating a different means of introducing visitors to stories that are not necessarily seen or heard while touring the country, and resonate with the residents of Bahrain by reintroducing them to the stories and songs from the past through telling pieces. Every artwork corresponds to a written piece about the song it expresses, and a QR code that directs people to the musical piece.
Muharraq, 2020
