This edition showcases emerging photographers from the region and beyond, themed “If I Were Another,” inspired by a poem by Mahmoud Darwish. The exhibited works reflect personal experiences, history, and collective memory. While the methodologies for creating the photographs vary, they all evoke fragmented memories that resonate with shared human experiences.
The Foundation selected four artists from an international open call to participate in the exhibition: Sara Kontar, Thasil Suhara Backer, Arum Dayu, and Mosfiqur Rahman Johan. This exhibition unites diverse voices and experiences, reflecting the spirit of experimentation in contemporary photography. It serves as a dynamic platform that showcases a broad spectrum of styles, from documentary to experimental.
Through her project, Arum Dayu (b. 1984, Central Java, Indonesia) explores modern culture and society in Java, focusing on themes of feminism and motherhood. She sheds light on the patriarchal expectations and pressures faced by single women in a context where societal norms often equate a woman's happiness with her roles as a wife and mother. Her photo series, “When Are You Going to Get Married?,” along with the accompanying discussions, fosters a deeper dialogue about marriage and bridges cultural gaps between generations.
Documentary photographer and anthropologist Mosfiqur Rahman Johan (b. 1997, Bangladesh) travels throughout Bangladesh to capture visual narratives that illuminate humanitarian issues and document the struggles of marginalised communities facing displacement. His artistic approach reflects a deep commitment to addressing challenging topics, including enforced disappearances, police violence, and environmental degradation.
His project, Memories Before Development, focuses on the impact of the Payra Power Plant project, which began in 2014 in his hometown of “Muretchupunya”. It reveals the false promises of job creation and compensation for those displaced, as people were forced to abandon their ancestral homes and cope with profound loss. The work explores the trauma of migration from multiple angles, examining the social, cultural, and environmental costs of development and forced resettlement. By depicting the transformations in the village following the power plant project, it delves into the painful memories left behind, highlighting the darker side of development and growth.
Syrian photographer and filmmaker Sara Kontar captures her personal experiences in exile through her photographic series “Towards the Light,” which explores the impact of displacement. Documenting her journey from Syria to Greece via Turkey between December 2015 and February 2016, she used her mobile phone to film her perilous trek and shared these images with her family to reassure them of her safety. By obscuring the harsh realities of her journey, these haunting images create a false yet unsettling sense of security, reflecting her hopes and expectations—from her decision to leave Syria to her time spent with her brother in Turkey, and the challenges posed by human traffickers, false friendships, and prolonged waiting. The project also features a short film, 3350 km (2023), which tells the story of a father and daughter separated by that distance over seven years.
In his series Illuminated Shores, Thasil Suhara Backer (b. 1992, Kerala) explores environmental and biopolicies issues through the combined lenses of theatre and visual art. This series documents a three-month journey across five Indian states, featuring images taken amidst the country’s turmoil during the COVID-19 pandemic. The protests and lockdowns during this time severely impacted working-class communities, leading to a disproportionate loss of life.
Thassil’s exploration of the lives of working-class people living near water bodies—rooted in his upbringing in a coastal village—transforms everyday scenes, like fishing boats, into dreamlike imagery in this series. He creates a world where the boundaries between time and space, reality and fantasy, blur, with the characters populating these ethereal waterscapes serving as symbols of hope and transcendence.
Each artist's work will be showcased independently at Bait Obaid Al Shamsi. The twelfth edition, curated by Sara Al Muhairi, the Foundation's Assistant Curator, will also feature an individual mentorship programme, enabling artists to connect with cultural practitioners or professionals of their choice.
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