58. Biennale – Padiglione degli Emirati Arabi

Nujoom Alghanem: Passage
Questa nuova installazione video site-specific a due canali trasla nel linguaggio cinematografico la sperimentazione condotta da Nujoom Alghanem con la poesia araba. L’opera si snoda lungo due narrazioni separate, una ‘reale’ e una ‘fittizia’, e indaga l’esperienza universale della dislocazione. I film sono proiettati simultaneamente sui due lati di un grande schermo posizionato in diagonale, e condividono lo stesso paesaggio sonoro. La fusione brechtiana tra realtà e finzione evidenzia i parallelismi che legano i tre personaggi principali del film e sottolinea le dualità condivise sottese alle loro vite. Mette inoltre in discussione la capacità dell’arte di generare un impatto significativo sulla vita delle persone di cui cerca di raccontare le storie.

Emirati poet, filmmaker, and artist Nujoom Alghanem (born 1962, Dubai) is considered a leading voice of her generation. She belongs to a lineage of poets who have been deconstructing the conventions of traditional Arabic poetry, by imbuing it with original syntax and structure. Through her films, she relays the stories of some of the most unexpected characters from within her own society, furthering the discourse around gender issues and cultural norms.
This book contextualises Alghanem’s site-specific video and sound installation commissioned for the National Pavilion United Arab Emirates at the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Entitled Passage, the work weaves together two genres of storytelling: the ancient art of Arabic poetry, which continues to be deeply steeped in Alghanem’s homeland, with filmmaking, a relatively recent art form within the context of the UAE. She explores the psychological, emotional and physical experience of displacement, a theme that underpins much of her practice.
This fully illustrated publication includes a selection of Alghanem’s poetry and stills from the film as well as a selection of images of the installation in Venice. It also features an essay by the curators and an in-depth interview with the artist.

Venice, Arsenale, May - November 2019