The contemporary artist Eric Parnes has worked with Katara’s Curator in developing the current exhibition, discussing the theme of Orientalism and more precisely “Neo-Orientalism” as interpreted by the artist. The works selected illustrate, as Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz writes in the catalogue published for this exhibition, “the effects of globalization on a rapidly evolving Middle East… this kind of art ultimately highlights a cross-cultural conversation that has been going on for centuries”.
The pieces presented in this special exhibition reference the well-known American sitcom first aired in 1965, “I Dream of Jeannie”.
The show featured Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master. As the theme being examined in the current exhibition, the artist uses this popular culture series to explore Arab and Middle Eastern identity representations in the West, and in the Middle East, in contemporary culture; and thus, perceptions of the Arabs and of the Middle East by the West. By doing so, it also discusses identity constructs that the Arabic and Middle Eastern peoples adopt for themselves based on Western perceptions of their culture and identity.
Eric Parnes will be artist-in-residence at KAS (Katara Art Studios) for four weeks, and several dedicated workshops with Qatar-based artists and the general public will be held. For further details contact education@katara.net.
The exhibition is open till November 24, 10am - 10pm at Building 19, Gallery 2.
The Peninsula
