JEDDAH — Jeddah based Athr gallery is hosting a video art exhibition that accentuates the art of documented moving pictures and comprises video and audio data. The exhibition which kicked off on May 14 will continue until July 13. Born into the late 1960's, video art became the new means to communicate outside the box and move a step away from corporate broadcasting. Many galleries around the world use video installations to depict art through a recorded video set that can be aided by audio performances. Artists participating at the event include Ahmed Mater, Adel Abidin, Ziad Antar, Hans Op De Beeck, Ayman Yossri Daydban, Hazem Harb, Motaz Nasr, Sami Al Turki and David Zink Yi. Athr Gallery seeks to highlight the role played by video and graphics in the contemporary art scene. It also gives a chance to local and international artists to participate and produce works based on the element of video art rather focusing on a generic theme. Athr Gallery stated that video (works) is an introduction to video art in the region, showcasing artworks by the likes of Ahmed Mater and his camera view of Jamrat (the stone throwing ritual in Hajj); Ziad Antar's short art/documentary on the 2006's war in Lebanon with a mixture of sounds and visuals; Adel Abidin's commentary on war and pop culture; Hans Op De Beeck's architectural video masterpiece “Staging Silence 2;” David Zink Yi's street dance performance; and Sami Alturki's protest on overwhelming advertising billboards in the region. This exhibition is being held in collaboration with Hauser & Wirth Gallery, Galleria Continua and Selma Feriani Gallery.
