Shubbak: A Window on Contemporary Arab Culture

Shubbak (the Arabic word for ‘window’) will feature a wide-ranging programme of visual arts, film, music, theatre, dance, literature, architecture, lectures and discussion, many of them free, hosted by leading London cultural organisations.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “London is a global city in which Arab culture has played a significant part over the centuries –the word ‘Trafalgar’ even originates from the Arabic language. This festival is a unique chance for Londoners to glimpse the breadth and excellence of contemporary Arab culture and its influence on London’s cultural scene today. At a time of remarkable political and social change, Shubbak marks an exciting moment between artists in the capital and across the Arab world. I have no doubt that it will stimulate, delight and surprise audiences.”

Presenting organisations include: Arab British Centre, Arab New Trends, Arts Canteen, Barbican Centre, The British Museum, Brunel Institute of Contemporary Middle-Eastern Music, Cadogan Hall, Café Oto, Dash Arts, Delfina Foundation, English Chamber Orchestra, Foyles Bookshop, Freeword, Gate Cinema, ICA, The Idler, iniva, Land in Focus, Leighton House Museum, LIFT, London Review of Books, London Walks, MICA Gallery, The Mosaic Rooms, Museum of London, Musicstage Promotions, Nous, Poet in the City, The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, Resonance FM, Rich Mix, Royal Institute of British Architects, Sadler’s Wells, Saqi Books, Scoop at MORE London, Selma Feriani Gallery, Serpentine Gallery, Six Pillars, SOAS, Sotheby’s, Southbank Centre, Tate Modern, V&A, Young Vic, Westfield Shopping Centre, Zenith Foundation.

Work by contemporary Arab artists, writers, film-makers, musicians, choreographers and architects based in London and from countries around the world will be presented including from Algeria, Bahrain, Canada, Egypt, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, USA.

Highlights of the programme include:

Visual Arts

• 4-8 July: Majed Shala: Breathing the Air, Arab British Centre

• 4 July – 18 September: From Facebook to Nassbook: A showcase of contemporary Egyptian art, culture and thought, MICA Gallery

• 4-24 July: Abraaj Capital Art Prize Winner 2010 Hala Elkoussy: Myths and Legends Room: The Mural, City Hall

Photo: City Hall, Abraaj Capital Art Prize Winner 2010 Hala Elkoussy, The Myths and Legends Room. © Hala Elkoussy

• 4 July-24 August: Shopopolis: creative interventions by Emirati and British artists, Westfield London

• 5 – 14 July: Degree Show, The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts

• 7 July: Global launch of Footnote to a Project* the 2011 Abraaj Capital Art Prize book project, followed by a panel discussion focusing on opportunities for artists in the Arab World, Mosaic Rooms

• 8 – 10 July: Interference. A three-day exploration of art, agency and agitation in the Arab world and beyond. Presented by the ICA in partnership with Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha

• 9 – 21 July: Al Bab: A Gateway to Contemporary Art, Sotheby’s

• 12 – 30 July: Public Domain: Public and Civic Spaces in the Arab World. Curated by Nous, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

Photo: Nous / RIBA, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, Public Domain: Public and Civic Spaces in the Arab, World: Discussion. © Iwaan Baan

• 12 July – 11 September: The Bidoun Library in Residence. Serpentine Gallery, part of the Edgware Road Project

Photo: Serpentine Gallery. From the Bidoun Library. © Bidoun

• 13, 14, 22 July: Free Gallery talks by Ladan Akbarnia, Curator of Islamic Collection, Venetia Porter, Curator of Islamic and Contemporary Middle East Department:Alexandra Porter on Pre-Islamic Yemen, The British Museum

• Until 23 July: Wael Shawky: Larvae Channel exhibition, Delfina Foundation

• Until 23 July: The Knowledge: Stop 3 – Alexandria (Egypt), Delfina Foundation

• To 22 July: Rania Matar: A Girl and her Room, Mosaic Rooms

Photo: Mosaic Rooms, Bisan 16, Bethlehem West Bank, 2009, From the series A Girl and Her Room by Rania Matar, © Rania Matar

Photo: Mosaic Rooms, Shifa’a, 14, Jerusalem, 2009, From the series A Girl and Her Room by Rania Matar. © Rania Matar

• To 23 July: KHATT, An exhibition by Moroccan calligrapher, Noureddine Daifallah, Selma Feriani Gallery

• 21 July onwards: The Jameel Prize 2011, The Jameel Galleries, V&A.

Photo: V&A, Le Salon, 2009, by Hassan Hajjaj. © V&A Images

Architecture

• 12 July – 30 September Exhibition: Public Domain: Public and Civic Spaces in the Arab World RIBA
• 12 July Public Domain: Public and Civic Spaces in the Arab World: Discussion moderated by Edwin Heathcote, Architecture & Design Critic, Financial Times presented by Nous at RIBA
• 19 July: Forward Thinking: Discussions on the Future of Architecture in the Arab World. Presented by Nous at RIBA
• 23 July: The Artist’s Place in Kensington, Leighton House Tour. London Walks

Full details of the Festival will be available on a new website:
http://www.london.gov.uk/shubbak