Rothko Chapel, Houston, USA
CURATED BY:
Stephen Stapleton
HOSTED BY:
Rothko Chapel
ORGANIZED BY:
Edge of Arabia
On the occasion of the United Nation’s International Day of Peace, and to mark the launch of Edge of Arabia's CULTURUNNERS US Tour, Ahmed Mater screened Mecca Journeys at the Rothko Chapel. The specially commissioned film was projected on the Chapel façade and accompanied by a live performance of Syrian oudist Essam Rafea.
In the spirit of the Chapel’s humanist mission to inspire people to action through art and to provide a forum for global concerns, the event brought together artists, scholars and community groups to mark the beginning of Edge of Arabia’s multi-year artists journey between the Middle East and the United States.
The event was framed by Dr. Ussama Makdisi, Professor of History and holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies at Rice University, whose speach addressed the history of and intentions behind the act of cultural travelling from the 19th century through to the new millennium.
Listen to the full record of the event here and watch a film of Mater's screening below.