Ended Jan 8
Imperfect Chronology: Mapping the Contemporary II
Aug 23, 2016 – Jan 8, 2017
Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Etel Adnan, Marwa Arsanios, Ali Cherri, Manal Al Dowayan, Sadik Al Fraji, GCC Collective, Susan Hefuna, Iman Issa, Jumana Manna, Sophia Al-Maria, Zineb Sedira
The display Imperfect Chronology: Mapping the Contemporary II focuses on the theme of mapping geographies, examining the notion of statehood and exploring how artists engage with the rapidly expanding cities of the Arab region.
Drawn from the Barjeel Art Foundation collection of modern and contemporary Arab art, this is the final display in a year-long series at the Whitechapel Gallery.
In Proposal for a Crystal Building (2003), Iman Issa (b. 1979) imagines a shimmering and fragile glass monument for Tahrir Square in Cairo, while Jumana Manna (b. 1987) appropriates a limestone porch from disputed territories in East Jerusalem, re-contextualising it in the gallery.
A large abstract tapestry by Etel Adnan (b. 1925) and a series of photographs by Zineb Sedira (b. 1963) reveal the intricate networks and trade routes that make up the global oil and sugar industries.
