Photo platform’s lens on regional talent
Works by five local and regionalbased photographers will be on show as part of the second Saudi edition of GPP Slidefest, a platform that aims to develop the Kingdom’s growing interest in photography as an art form.
Art Jameel, the heritage, education and arts organization, on Wednesday said that the event, to be held in partnership with Dubaibased Gulf Photo Plus, will allow emerging photographers in the region to collaborate, experiment and develop new techniques. Projects by Saudi photographers Iman Al-Dabbagh and Abdulsalam Alamri, Kuwaiti photographers Huda Abdulmughni and Mohammed Al-Kouh, and GPP Co-Director and Dubaibased Tanzanian photographer Mohammed Somji will be on show at the event, which begins on Friday, Sept. 27.
GPP Slidefest was launched in 2017 as part of Photography Jameel’s annual program, which focuses on year-round learning and community development with workshops, portfolio reviews and talks.
In addition to GPP Slidefest, Art Jameel and Gulf Photo Plus have partnered to present a portfolio review session on Saturday, Sept. 28, which will allow photographers and artists to meet with industry professionals for one-on-one sessions to share their work and receive feedback, advice and exchange ideas.
Photographers Al-Dabbagh and Al-Kouh will provide feedback in both English and Arabic, while Lola Boatwright, managing director of Gulf Photo Plus, and Mohammed Somji, director of Seeing Things and co-director of Gulf Photo Plus, will provide feedback in English. The portfolio review sessions will run from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. with individual sessions lasting 15 minutes.
Interested photographers can meet with as many industry professionals as they like, and reviews will be scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Antonia Carver, director of Art Jameel, said the organization’s focus on photography began through its photography award, which “has organically transformed into a grassroots program of workshops, talks and events for photographers across Saudi Arabia.” Somji said: “Slidefest brings together a myriad of compelling photography projects that help to start conversations, enlighten us about social issues in our region and inspire other photographers to work on stories that matter to them. “Together with Art Jameel, we held our first international Slidefest in Jeddah one year ago, and have since taken the event to Cairo and Manama, making it a region-wide event. We are honored to return to Jeddah with our friends and partners Art Jameel.”
GPP Slidefest is free to the public and will begin on Sept. 27 in Beydoun Space at 8:30 p.m.