Throughout history and in modern society, art embraces a significant role as a pawn symbolizing the culture of an age. Through use of creative elements, cultural art is able to elucidate the intrinsic identity of a society. Textile– Territory– Text, an exhibition at Jersey City’s Mana Contemporary, embodies a variety of Middle Eastern cultural phenomena including identity, belonging, lamentation and exile. Irene Gordon, curator of Textile– Territory– Text, presents textile artistry encompassing video, animation, painting, photography and sculpture to depict societal issues in Israel, ranging from identity and language to boundaries of body and space.
The textile art exhibition is presented by Mana Contemporary’s Middle East Center for the Arts (MECA) and Umm El-Fahem Gallery. The Middle East Center for the Arts is a collaboration of artists, activists and scholars utilizing exhibitions, workshops, lectures and film screenings as a means of cultural expression and offering an epicenter for the exchange of Middle Eastern cultures. The Umm El-Fahem Art Gallery aims to present exhibitions of contemporary and high-quality art in the city of Umm El-Fahem, Israel. Additionally, the gallery serves as a social and multi-cultural artistic space, encouraging cultural conversations between Arab, Jewish and other international artists.
The private viewing of this exhibition at Mana Contemporary is a one-night only event on January 12, 2017 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Notable artists present include legendary instrumentalist, Bassam Saba, percussionist and music therapist, April Centrone, and writer and Islamic Studies researcher at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Paola Garcia. Other artists featured include Etti Abergel, Andi Arnovitz, Asad Azi, Hila Lulu Lin, Farah Kufr Birim, Fatma Shanan Dery, Mervat Essa, Leor Grady, Buthina Milhem, Yoav Raban, Farid Abu Shakra, Tal Shoshan, Nevet Yitzhak and Amira Ziyan.
For more information regarding the event or to RSVP for free admission, please visit Mana Contemporary’s Middle East Center for the Arts.
Rachel Montel is a writer, scholar and outdoor enthusiast.
