British Council photo expo opens at Fire Station

THE British Council opened a unique travelling exhibition, ‘The Place I Call Home’, at Fire Station on Monday, which uses the medium of contemporary photography and film to explore what ‘home’ means to young people living in the Gulf and the UK at a time of rapid change and social mobility.

The exhibition, which will continue at Fire Station until December21, will travel across seven countries over the span of six months.

Exploring the theme of ‘home,’ the works of the artists illustrate stories of culture and heritage and challenge stereotypes while exploring identities, commonalities and difference. Alongside the photographic exhibition, there are engaging activities, inviting visitors to become active participants.

Curator David Drake invites budding and professional photographers to take part in ‘Street Photo-Walk’to capture images of downtown Doha on December 4 from 10am to 1pm.

Interested people can also register for ‘Panel Talk’, which will bring together resident artists and visiting international photographers to talk about what home means to them through the lens of their work on December 5 from 6pm to 7.30pm.

Meanwhile, ‘Private View’ was held on Monday evening allowing guests to join the curator and a selection of visiting artists to have a look at the works on display.

The exhibition in Doha features works that reflect unique experiences of Qatari photographers Mashael al Hejazi and Sara al Obaidly, Brit Abi Green and Colombian national Sebastian Betancur-Montoyain Qatar, as well as works that reflect the sense of home from photography shot in the UK and other Gulf countries by other selected artists.

The curator for the project and exhibition David Drake, who is also director of Ffotogallery (the national photography agency of Wales), has commissioned dynamic and emerging photographers and artists to produce work related to their experiences of living in the Gulf and the UK.

Drake said: “The speed of change in the Gulf has created new perspectives that are sometimes highly local and specific, but also transcend borders. The Place I Call Home explores this process of change and its impact on people. It prompts questions and conversations on ‘home’ as a concept and not just as a physical place. Through the exhibition, workshops and talks, I want to capture and make sense of these societal shifts in order to build understanding around the strong and rich cultural history that informs the identity of the contemporary world.”

“We are delighted to bring The Place I Call Home to Qatar. This exhibition demonstrates the impact generated through shared and cross-cultural creativity. We are delighted to be able to provide a platform for contemporary artists to showcase their works. The Place I Call Home allows visitors to explore the connections and understanding between the people of UK and the Gulf through the power of photography. We welcome everyone in Qatar to visit the exhibition and participate,” added Sam Ayton, Director, British Council Qatar.

The Place I Call Home is part of the Qatar British Festival programme, a festival that celebrates the longstanding relationship between the UK and Qatar through the expression of public art, photography, music and film.

The partners for the event include among others Qatar Museums, UCL Qatar, Qatar Airways and ILoveQatar.net.