Ahmed Mater: Symbolic Cities

19 Mar 2016 - 18 Sept 2016

Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, USA

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CAROL HUH SMITHSONIAN CULTURUNNERS
AHMED MATER CAROL HUH SMITHSONIAN OPENING
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AHMED MATER GOLDEN HOUR SMITHSONIAN

Curated by:

Carol Huh

Curator of Contemporary Art, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institute

Organized By:

Edge of Arabia

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."


Carol HuhCurator, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institute
2016

Featured Exhibition Artworks:

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