Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, USA
Curated by:
Carol Huh
Curator of Contemporary Art, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institute
Organized By:
Edge of Arabia
Press:
Foreign Policy - One Saudi’s Protest, Through The Viewfinder
The Washington Diplomat - ‘Symbolic Cities’ Captures Changing Landscapes of Riyadh, Mecca
The Georgetowner - ‘Symbolic Cities: The Work of Ahmed Mater’ at the Sackler
Middle East Institute - Ahmed Mater: Shining Light on Saudi through Art
Arab News - Ahmed Mater’s first US solo exhibition opens at Smithsonian
Against the backdrop of the US Presidential election, Mater presented his first U.S. solo exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. The exhibition explored economic, cultural and urban change in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
‘Symbolic Cities: The Work of Ahmed Mater’ presents a collection of photographs, videos and installations riven by tension as traditional foundations confront and elide with contemporary life. Inside the frame, Mater captures the trauma of rapid development, seeks lost landscapes once familiarly navigated and maps the strange topography of vast empty deserts set obliquely against overcrowdeded, thronging cities. Unapologetic and honest, these representations of life in the Kingdom are exposed for American viewers.
In this exhibition, he invited the American public to approach with open minds. ‘Symbolic Cities’ demands a deeper respect and a more nuanced engagement through immersive, experiential works which generously encourage us to move away from a divisive sense of ‘them’ towards a richer and truer understanding of ‘us’.
"Mater brings the rigour of his training as a physician – as well as unparalleled access – to gather frank observations of his own time and place. The resulting imagery is straightforward and striking, while his newest research-based project presents another fascinating shift in his use of the photographic medium."
