The British Council is proud to present The Place I Call Home, a unique travelling exhibition which uses the medium of contemporary photography and film to explore what ‘home’ means to young people living in the Gulf and the UK at a time of rapid change and social mobility.

The exhibition will travel across seven countries over the span of six months and will open in Doha at Fire Station on 2 December 2019 to be on display till 21 December 2019.

Exploring the theme of ‘home,’ the work of the artists illustrate stories of culture and heritage, and challenge stereotypes whilst also exploring identities, commonalities and difference. Alongside the photographic exhibition there will be engaging activities, inviting visitors to become active participator:

• Private View: Join the curator and a selection of visiting artist’s for a private view on the evening of 2 December, Fire Station. 1800 – 2000.
• Street Photo-Walk: curator David Drake invites budding and professional photographers to capture images of downtown Doha (4 December, 10.00-13.00).
  You can register here.
• Panel Talk: bringing together resident artists and visiting international photographers to talk about what home means to them through the lens of their work (5 December, 18.00-19.30). You can register here

The exhibition in Doha features work that reflects unique experiences in Qatar by Qatari photographers Mashael Al Hejazi and Sara Al Obaidly, Brit Abi Green, and Colombian Sebastian Betancur-Montoya, as well as the work that reflect the sense of home from photography shot in the UK and other Gulf countries by the other selected artists.

The curator for the project and exhibition is David Drake, Director of Ffotogallery (the national photography agency of Wales) Drake has commissioned dynamic and emerging photographers and artists to produce work related to their experiences of living in the Gulf and UK.

David Drake, Curator of The Place I Call Home, said: “The speed of change in the Gulf has created new perspectives that are sometimes highly local and specific, but also transcend borders. The Place I Call Home explores this process of change and its impact on people. It prompts questions and conversations on ‘home’ as a concept and not just a physical place. Through the exhibition, workshops and talks, I want to capture and make sense of these societal shifts in order to build understanding around the strong and rich cultural history that informs the identity of the contemporary world”.

“We are delighted to bring The Place I Call Home to Qatar. This exhibition demonstrates the impact generated through shared and cross-cultural creativity. We are delighted to be able to provide a platform for contemporary artists to showcase their work. The Place I Call Home allows all visitors to explore the connections and understanding between the people of UK and the Gulf through the power of photography. We welcome everyone in Qatar to visit the exhibition and participate,” added Sam Ayton, Director, British Council Qatar.

The Place I Call Home is part of the Qatar British Festival programme, a festival that celebrates the longstanding relationship between the UK and Qatar through the expression of public art, photography, music and film.

Details of the project and exhibition schedule can be found at www.theplaceicallhome.org

We’d like to thank our partners for this project:

Legacy Partner: Qatar Museums

Supported by: UCL Qatar

Official Airline: Qatar Airways

Delivery Partners: Qatar Museums Culture Pass and Ffotogallery Wales

Social Media Partner: ILoveQatar.net

Media Partner: Gulf Times

Acknowledgment of thanks to: J Portman, Brand Consultancy.

Source: Press release

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Binu Cherian

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