Exhibitions showcasing art from around the globe
While art crosses all the world’s borders, from the national to the cultural, and often de es neat labels, certain bodies of work carry strong connotations of place. Emma Harper shares seven exhibitions across the bloc that spotlight countries and culture
Embroidered Gardens: Ottoman Textiles from the Borg Collection Pergamonmuseum
Berlin, Germany Until 16 April 2023
The Ottomans had a rich textile tradition, as any visitor to Istanbul will tell you. Handwoven silk ka ans t for a sultan radiate luxury at Topkapı Palace, and every tour guide at Dolmabahçe Palace is sure to point out the 124 square metre Hereke carpet. But the intricate Ottoman embroideries currently on exhibit at Berlin’s Pergamonmuseum are lesser known, most likely because they were treasures of the domestic sphere. Forming part of a young woman’s dowry, these nely wrought fabrics were o en embroidered with silk threads and sometimes even silver or gold thread. Their motifs did not have to hew to courtly style, resulting in more eclectic and intimate forms.
Sabiha Çimen – Hafiz Kunsthal Rotterdam
Rotterdam, Netherlands Until 7 May 2023
The Turkish photographer Sabiha Çimen (1986) has turned heads with her portraits of girls studying at Quran schools in Turkey. At last year’s Paris Photo Fair she received the First Photobook Award for her debut book, titled Hafiz (“one who remembers”) a er the term used by Muslims for a person who memorises the Quran by heart. A former Quran school student, Çimen records the daily lives and hidden emotions of these girls as they make iends, push boundaries and try to shape their identities – the universal acts of adolescence.
Moussem Cities Tehran Bozar
Brussels, Belgium 2-4 February 2023
As protests smoulder in Iran despite a brutal crackdown, the challenges facing artists in the country – particularly their lack of artistic eedom and mobility – have never been as apparent. Despite this immense pressure, Tehran is a dynamic centre for contemporary art. Moussem Nomadic Arts Centre, an organisation with roots in Antwerp’s Moroccan community, is partnering with
Bozar (as well as Kaaitheater, KVS, Cinema Aventure and Comment peut-on être persan?) to showcase the art coming out of the Iranian capital with Moussem Cities Tehran, a three-day extravaganza of lms, concerts and installations. For the latter, visual artist Golrokh Na si reects on the idea of the cultural metropolis on dierent continents with her hand-embroidered curtains, in-situ murals, textiles and more.