Communities develop places, traditions and rituals that enable as well as strengthen the connection and cohesion between its members. In the process, each individual bears responsibility not only for themselves, but also for the collective. This becomes particularly relevant during times of crisis. The Arabic word ta.dh.am (تَضَام) stands poetically for holding onto one another, coming together - the embrace. The group exhibition addresses the importance of this concept within societies giving an intimate insight into the everyday life and special moments of togetherness of people in Yemen.
Artistic interpretations of ta.dh.am are exhibited by five Yemeni photographers who individually feature one body of work following an open call by the Goethe-Institutes Amman and Bonn. They were selected by a jury of photographers from Jordan and Yemen.
Abeer Aref (*1995) invites the viewer into the house of her grandparents and offers a very personal insight into her family life. Her photographs reveal the importance of family, caring for each other and connecting.
Similarly intrigued by the notion of community, Somaya Samawi (*1996) documents moments of a henna celebration where women drink tea together and dedicate themselves to their solidarity. Using abstraction as a method, she shows us the beauty of communal daily rituals.
Mohammed Abdulkhaleq (*1991) introduces the viewer to the philosophy of Yemeni architecture, as his own interpretation of the theme. If a stone could speak, which stories would it tell? The photographer explores this question and thus refers to the rich history of Yemeni heritage.
Sadiq Al-Harasi (*1996) shows scenes at the side of the road in rural areas in which people cross paths randomly. The artist’s observational eye shows fleeting moments of people and the land.What do his contemplations of such moments tell us about the people portrayed?
Al-Baraa Al-Sameai (*1996) captures life in the city of Taizz in southwestern Yemen. He focuses on moments of collective harvest.
The photographers observe different scenes with a curious eye and use their artistic expression to portray their own emotions towards their surrounding environment and communities. Through their experiences, the exhibition celebrates diverse aspects of life in Yemen despite the current rift within the fragile context of the country inflected by the war.
EN: The photo series were published in the current print edition of the German magazine zenith as well as on the magazine’s website.
Jury
Hussam Hasan
Hussam Hasan is an Amman-based visual consultant, artist and photographer. His work primarily explores art in the public space, borders and movements. He has initiated works in various contexts from Amman, Basel, Sion, and Beirut to name just a few, his practice plays with, and often blurs the line between art and photography.
In 2017, he was awarded the Hans Wyss Foundation scholarship to study in Switzerland where he received his master’s degree in Art in the Public Sphere from École de design et haute école d’art du Valais (édhéa).He has worked extensively with various local and international organizations of culture and media. Recently, Hussam has been leading a photography training program with UNICEF, and Turquoise Mountain. He has served on numerous jury panels and has been a mentor for art students and emerging artists.
nadia Bseiso
Nadia Bseiso is a Jordanian documentary photographer based in Amman. Her focus tends to be on long term projects, based on personal research in the fields of geopolitics, history, anthropology and environmental degradation. She completed a degree in photography from Florence, Italy in 2011, and returned for a residency in Fondazione Fotografia in Modena, in 2015.
In 2017, she was selected as the Time - LightBox Female Photographers to Follow. Her work has been featured most prominently with international and regional news outlets and most recently within the humanitarian sector.
thana Faroq
Thana Faroq is a Yemeni photographer and educator based in the Netherlands. She works with photography, texts, sound, and the physicality of the image itself, as a way to respond to the changes that have been shaping and defining her life, and sense of belonging both in Yemen and the Netherlands. She also increasingly seeks her own story in the frame. Thana was a recipient of the 2018 inaugural Open Society Foundation Fellowship Grant and Exhibition and the 2019 Arab Documentary Fund. Most recently, she published her first book, “I Don't Recognize Me in the Shadows.” She received an MA in Photography and Society at The Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, the Netherlands where she currently teaches photography.
