British Council to hold photo expo from Dec 2

The British Council Qatar, will organise ‘The Place I Call Home’ a unique travelling exhibition at Fire Station from December 2 to 21.The exhibition will travel across seven countries over six months, it was announced yesterday.The exhibition uses the medium of contemporary photography and film to explore what ‘home’ means to young people living in the Gulf and the UK at a time of rapid change and social mobility. Exploring the theme of ‘home,’ the work of the artists illustrate stories of culture and heritage, and challenge stereotypes whilst also exploring identities, commonalities and difference. There will also be engaging activities, inviting visitors to become active participators.There will be a private view with the curator and a selection of visiting artists on December 2 from 6pm to 8pm. Curator David Drake also invites budding and professional photographers to capture images of downtown Doha on December 4 from 10am to 1pm.A panel talk on December 5 from 6pm to 7.30pm will bring together resident artists and visiting international photographers to talk about what home means to them through their work.The exhibition in Doha features work that reflects unique experiences in Qatar by Qatari photographers Mashael al-Hejazi and Sara al-Obaidly, Brit Abi Green, and Colombian Sebastian Betancur-Montoya, as well as the work that reflect the sense of home from photography in the UK and other Gulf countries by other selected artists. Drake, said, “The speed of change in the Gulf has created new perspectives that are sometimes highly local and specific, but also transcend borders. The Place I Call Home explores this process of change and its impact on people. Through the exhibition, workshops and talks, I want to capture and make sense of these societal shifts in order to build understanding around the strong and rich cultural history that informs the identity of the contemporary world”.“We are delighted to bring The Place I Call Home to Qatar. This exhibition demonstrates the impact generated through shared and cross-cultural creativity. We are delighted to be able to provide a platform for contemporary artists to showcase their work. It allows all visitors to explore the connections and understanding between the people of the UK and the Gulf through the power of photography,” added Sam Ayton, director, British Council Qatar.‘The Place I Call Home’ is part of the Qatar-British Festival programme, that celebrates the longstanding relationship between the UK and Qatar through the expression of public art, photography, music and film.