A Memory of Places

Fann A Porter - 15 March - 15 April 2021

A MEMORY OF PLACES

Mohamed Abdel-Moneim, Mohamed Abou Elwafa, Mohamed Banawy, Mostafa Sleem, Mhanny Yaoud, Ahmed Magdy

15 March – 15 April 2021
Opening reception: Monday, 15 March from 7 - 9 pm
Fann A Porter, The Workshop Dubai 

Fann A Porter Dubai is pleased to present A Memory of Places, an exhibition in collaboration with Cairo-based Azad Art Gallery. The exhibition will present selected pieces from a group of Egyptian artists including Mohamed Abdel-Moneim, Mohamed Abou Elwafa, Mohamed Banawy, Mostafa Sleem, Mhanny Yaoud, and Ahmed Magdy from 15 March – 15 April 2021 at the gallery located at The Workshop Dubai, with an opening reception on Monday, 15 March, at 7 pm.

Ahmed Magdy, Runaway from Motherland, Bronze, 60 x 40 x 18 cm
 
About the Exhibition
 
Places and memories occupy a great deal of any individual’s visual memories. Some places are synonymous with warmth and intimacy, while others are simply distressing. Some places are full of joy, their details fresh in our minds. And others, while cloudy, remain in the folds of our memory. Be these places real or imaginary, they remain a home for our memories and a destination for our dreams, or perhaps, the source of our fears and illusions.
 
On an artistic level, different places arouse different visual representations. Some of the artists seek to explicitly recreate these places, and others hope to understand their true nature and decipher their mysteries. Whatever the artistic inclinations, there is no doubt these spaces are caught in the memory, inspiring yet overwhelming, ambiguous yet forthright all at once.
 
Each painting, regardless of the chosen patterns or visual manifestations, draws a unique relationship between the person and the space, its features and the underlying passions present. Most of the artists in this exhibition have been shaped by their experiences in Egypt in the past two decades, a generation overwhelmed by shocking events, a generation in search of identity. And it is that search for identity that serves as a theme amongst the artists as they explore the ambiguous, but shared relationship between place and memory.
 
About Fann A Porter

Fann A Porter is a contemporary art gallery that represents a diverse selection of emerging international and regional artists, with locations in Dubai, UAE and Amman, Jordan. The gallery aims to nurture the burgeoning and dynamic contemporary art scene through quality exhibitions, non-profit events, auctions, and an active community program.
 
The gallery’s exhibition program includes ten curated exhibitions a year and features artists working across diverse media. Fann A Porter has established a series of dialogues and collaborations with curators, writers, museums, governmental entities, and institutions to affirm its commitment to support the long-term development of young contemporary artists from the Middle East.
 
In 2015, the gallery organized a charity auction 'Artists for the Kids of Syria' under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture, and in collaboration with the UAE Red Crescent. The charity auction helped raise over AED 500,000 to help the children in the refugee camps in Jordan. In 2019, the gallery launched Art for All Collective (AFA) to provide a platform to make quality art accessible through bespoke payment plans, a first-of-its-kind initiative for the Middle East. 
 
By hosting regular public programming including exhibitions, talks, non-profit initiatives, and by participating in fairs, Fann A Porter has established itself in forefront of the region’s exciting art landscape.
 
Founded in 2009 by collector Ghada Kunash, the gallery was initially known as Vindemia, art, opened adjacent to and under the umbrella of Vindemia, an antiques and collectibles gallery at Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai. In 2010, the gallery partnered with Kempinski Hotel Mall of The Emirates, for a dedicated space for the art. In 2014, under the same trade license of Vindemia Novelties LLC, the art gallery was rebranded to Fann A Porter.
 
In 2016, Ghada Kunash opened The Workshop Dubai, combining her two ventures – Vindemia and Fann A Porter, a unique community space consisting of a café and design space, providing visitors with a unique artistic and cultural experience.  The Workshop Dubai, with its naturally bathed garden, is located in the heart of Jumeirah.
 
In 2020, with the vision to expand and provide a local platform, Ghada Kunash opened a second Fann A Porter outpost, in Amman, located at Manara Arts & Culture, a creative hub and social space in the heart of Jabal Al Lweibdeh.
 
For more information and for interviews with the artist, please contact the gallery on 043412595 or email [email protected]

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