FotoFest announces the selection of forty-eight leading contemporary Arab artists for its principal exhibitions in the 2014 Biennial. These presentations of contemporary photo and media-related art from the Middle East and North Africa will be the largest program of its kind in the United States in more than a decade.

By News Editor 15 Jan 2014

15th FotoFest 2014 Biennial

View from Inside
Contemporary Arab Video, Photography and Mixed Media Art

March 15 – April 27, 2014
Houston, Texas U.S.A.

Lead curator: Karin Adrian von Roques

View from Inside features artists living and working in 13 countries – Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen. Some of the artists will be exhibiting their work in the United States for the first time. Seventeen of the artists are women. Many of the artists will travel to Houston to participate in lectures, tours, and other programs during the Biennial.

The Arab artists in the FotoFest 2014 Biennial address issues ranging from the regionally specific to the global. The themes are multi-layered, addressing fundamental issues from an inside perspective; from Arab artists who live and work in the region.

Many of the artists deal with the region’s diverse and shifting identities. Change features prominently in their works. The dramatic and tumultuous changes of the past century caused vast upheaval in the social, political, economic and geographic structures of the region. As access to modern communication technologies has exposed more of the region to constant and instantaneous contact with Western and other cultures through satellite television, the internet, digital photography and social media, the pace of change has increased.

Background

Founded in 1983, FotoFest International is a non‐profit photographic arts and education organization based in Houston, Texas. It promotes international awareness of museum‐quality photo‐based art from around the world. While FotoFest offers programs year‐round, the largest event is the International Biennial of Photography and Photo‐related Art ‐ the first and longest running photographic arts festival in the United States.

The Biennial was first held in 1986. For each Biennial, FotoFest creates and curates 5‐7 original exhibitions around a particular theme or geographic region with related programs and publications.