Ayyam Gallery presents its annual summer collective exhibition titled ‘Lens & Light: Moments in Focus’ from 10 July until 31 August 2024. The exhibition showcases works by artists Ammar al-Beik, Sama Alshaibi, Huda Baydoun, Majid Koorang Beheshti, Ammar Abd Rabbo, Faisal Samra, Rula Halawani, Nassouh Zaghlouleh, and Tammam Azzam.
Photography, derived from the Greek term for ‘drawing with light,’ initially served utilitarian purposes such as documentation and scientific inquiry in the 19th century. As its technical capabilities grew, so did its artistic potential, profoundly influencing art history and cultural expression. Photography can immortalise moments capturing the essence of the human experience and transforming each click into a suspended moment in time that reflects the photographer’s vision and interpretation.
Through composition, lighting, and subject matter, photography became a visual dialogue, allowing the camera to transcend the boundaries of reality. These moments, though fleeting, leave a lasting impact on the collective consciousness. Photographs capture instances of joy and fulfilment, embedding memories into lives. Conversely, they also document adversity, anguish, and turmoil, highlighting shared vulnerabilities and disparities in power: revealing the authenticity of human experience.
Rula Halawani’s ‘For My Father’ series reflects the Israeli occupation of Palestine through fading recollections. Al-Beik’s works reveal the complexities of human relationships, while Sama Alshaibi explores the connections between cultures under the threat of displacement and the recognition of human interdependence.
Middle Eastern photographers like Faisal Samra have gained international acclaim for pushing the boundaries of photography with conceptual and experimental approaches, exploring themes of memory, identity, and belonging. Huda Beydoun’s monochromatic landscapes with Mickey Mouse silhouettes address social allegories and themes of anonymity and immigration, adding literal layers of interpretation.
Photography’s diversity and significance in capturing pivotal life moments make the intangible tangible and the transient eternal, showcasing the profound essence of life’s most critical instants through the lens.
Location: Ayyam Gallery, Alserkal
Dates: 10 July – 31 August 2024
