11-02-2021
The A.M. Qattan Foundation and Riwaq-Centre for Architectural Conservation opened an exhibition yesterday entitled “50:20” at the Foundation’s building in Ramallah, with the participation of 20 artists from 19 villages targeted by Riwaq’s rehabilitation project “50 Villages.”
Only the artists and their families attended the opening ceremony due to the applicable social distancing measures. However, the exhibition will be open to the public until mid-May.
The exhibition raises questions on the definition of arts and artists, and highlights what is veiled behind the formal, known visual arts scene in Palestine by providing space for the work of young Palestinian artists. The participating artists are: Abeer Nafe’ (Ni’lin), Anoud Darwish (Bani Naim), Anas Dweik (Beit Hanina), Anwar Shaghabneh (Jeeb), Asmhan Salameh (Anata), Ayman Sayej (Bir Zeit), Dunia Ladadweh (Mazra’ Qabalyyah), Ghada Taha (Surda), Hadeel Najjar (Bourin), Hiba Samhan (Ras Karkar), Lubna Darabee’ (Doura), May Ayman (Soureef), Munther Qaryouti (Bir Zeit), Mustafa Khateeb (Beitounia), Nabil Ma’adi (Taybeh), Niveen Abu Al Walaya (Kufr Aqab), Rana Masalmeh (Talfit), Siyada Sa’adeh (Zhahiriyyeh), Walaa’ Milhem (Kufr Ra’ai) and Zahraa’ Mansour (Deit Ibze’e). Artist Alaa’ Albaba executed the mural at the entrance of the exhibition. The mural represents part of the sketches produced by the Riwaq team during the oral history tours of the villages in rural Jerusalem during the years 2018-20.
Through its exhibitions in diverse cultural institutions and emerging commercial galleries, the Foundation has surveyed the emerging artworks of younger generations of Palestinian visual artists, beginning with the Palestinian Artists League in the 1970s and 80s to the present day. This exhibition is also part of the continuous efforts of the Foundation to question: Who is an artist? What makes art? Who determines the acquired aesthetics of art? How are artists made?
This exhibition, along with the “Facility” exhibition in 2019 and the performative exhibition “The Daydream Silhouettes by Amir Hajjar” in 2017 in collaboration with Gallery One and LARP Palestine, highlights what is veiled behind the formal scene of Palestinian visual arts. The works of some of these unrecognised artists are identified within the folklore and handicraft fields and were therefore excluded from formal institutional art activities, whether cultural, academic, public or private.
Riwaq launched its “50 Villages” Program in 2007, focusing on rehabilitating historic buildings in 50 Palestinian villages that comprise almost 50% of the historic architectural heritage in rural areas of the West Bank and Gaza. It has become Riwaq’s vision to focus on these 50 villages for the foreseeable future, working on projects that target the improvement of services, infrastructure, and living conditions in the public and private spaces, including the landscape.
The project has evolved over the years and now revolves around the exploration of multifaceted interrelations between different places and people within clusters of villages rather than individual localities.
The A.M. Qattan Foundation Exhibits its Art Collection
“Qattan’s Art Collection 1” exhibition will be open daily to the public starting Thursday 11 February 2021, at the Foundation in al-Tireh, Ramallah, till mid-May 2021. The exhibition will be opened from Monday through Thursday, 10:00-18:00.
The exhibition features part of the Foundation’s private art collection. The collection consists of several artworks created by new and contemporary local and international artists. Most of the artworks were collected through art exhibitions with the aim of supporting local and young artists, while others were donated to the Foundation, including a large number of artworks donated by the late Abdel Mohsin Al-Qattan.
The exhibition gives audiences access to the artworks to promote the artists on the one hand and to introduce the artists to the local community on the other.
The exhibition includes the artworks of: Burhan Karkutli, Bashar Al Hroub, Benji Boyajian, Tahiyya Haleem, Tayseer Barakat, Johny Andoni, Hassan Hourani, Ra’fat Asa’ad, Ruqayya Al Loulou, Samia Halabi, Samir Salameh, Suheil Salem, Shadi Zaqzouq, Sha’aban Zaki, Diya’a Azzawi, Fouad Ighbariyyeh, Layan Shawbkeh, Mohammad Al Hawajri, Mohammad Khalil, Mohammad Dabbous, Mohammad Musallam and Wafa Hourani.
Kindly observe social distancing and wear your mask throughout your visit to the exhibition.