Dana Awartani is an artist who delves deep into the forms, processes, ideas and spaces that give shape to the culture of the Middle East. Her research often leads to artworks that utilise historical art-making traditions, like stonemasonry, in ways that highlight political issues including gender, ecology and cultural destruction. She has filled Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at Venice with 29,221 compacted clay-earth bricks that reference a spectrum of design motifs drawn from demolished, damaged and threatened sites across the Arab world.
The pavilion is curated by Antonia Carver, the director of Art Jameel who leads the Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai and Hayy Jameel in Jeddah. Across their exhibition and live programming, the organisation supports artists and has been integral to fostering public engagement with art in the region. As Venice draws to a close, I spoke to Dana and Antonia about their incredibly ambitious presentation.
","author_name":"Cleo Roberts-Komireddi"}