NAZAR EXHIBITION IN HOUSTON

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A large part of Nazar, the Noorderlicht exhibition on Arab photography, will be seen in Houston, Texas, beginning in April, 2005. Over 250 photographs will be presented, the work of 18 Arab and 16 European photographers. This is the first time that a large survey of photography from the Arab world has been organized in the United States.

Nazar, the theme of the Noorderlicht event of 2004, shows the Arab world in a manner that is unusual in the West. It is not the flash points of conflict that are central, but daily life in countries such as Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Algeria and Lebanon. Nazar tells the small stories behind the big headlines, and reveals the Arab - and often critical - vision of their own culture. That Nazar is being shown in the home state of President Bush contributes to the unique character of the event.

The American edition of Nazar is organized by FotoFest, the sponsor of the photography festival of the same name, which is one of the oldest in the US and largest in the world. FotoFest will present Nazar in two parts. From April 8 through June 11, in their own gallery they are showing Arab Eyes, composed of the work of Arab photographers. From April 23 to June 25 this will be joined by Western Eyes, with photos of the Arab world made by European photographers. The location for the latter is the Houston ArtCar Museum. The exhibition also includes an electronic presentation of historic Arab photographs, A Look Back.

In Houston Nazar will be accompanied by forums, guided tours for students and lectures by participating photographers. It was previously announced that the famous American photo book publisher Aperture was going to distribute the catalogue for Nazar internationally. This second edition will be presented as the catalog for the Houston show. There are currently ongoing discussions regarding a tour of the United States for Nazar.

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PRESS RELEASE FOTOFEST

NAZAR
Photographs from the Arab World

Arab Eyes
and
A Look Back
April 8 - June 11, 2005
FotoFest at Vine Street Studios
Houston, Texas

Western Eyes
April 23 - June 25, 2005
FotoFest and The Station
at The ArtCar Museum
Houston, Texas

NAZAR is an exhibit of 18 Arab photographers and 17 photographers from Europe, the U.S., Australia, Iran, and Israel about Arab cultures in the Middle East and northern Africa. The show will present 250 photographic works, most of which have never been seen before in the United States.

Among its many meanings, the Arabic word NAZAR means 'seeing' or 'insight'. The exhibit is a journey through many countries and many ways of seeing.

The show is being brought by FotoFest from the Noorderlicht Photofestival in The Netherlands. It will go first to Texas and then will be shown in New York.

The exhibit is a complex and fascinating look at contemporary Arab cultures in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, United Emirates, Yemen, and Algeria.

Bringing the show to the United States is a collaboration between two internationally well-known photography organizations - FotoFest International in Houston, Texas and the Aperture Foundation in New York City.

A Look Back, an electronic presentation of historical work from Arab countries and the famous Fondation Arabe pour l'Image archive in Beirut accompanies the contemporary works.

In its entirety, NAZAR is unlike anything shown in the U.S. about the Arab world to date. The show was originated and organized by Noorderlicht curator Wim Melis.

Houston will have the inaugural presentation. In Houston, FotoFest is collaborating with the contemporary art space, The Station. The NAZAR exhibit will open with Arab Eyes and A Look Back at FotoFest's downtown gallery on April 8, 2005. Opening April 23, overlapping with the Arab works, FotoFest and The Station will present Western Eyes by non-Arab photographers at The ArtCar Museum.

The exhibition is accompanied by a 268-page book. There will be forums, student tours, and artist talks connected with the exhibit.

Arab Eyes
Contemporary Arab Photographers

Tarek Al-Ghoussein (Palestine/Kuwait)
Anas Al Shaikh (Bahrain)
Nadia Benchallal (Algeria/France)
Hicham Benohoud (Morocco)
Nabil Boutros (Egypt/France)
Hichem Driss (Tunisia)
Lalla Essaydi (Morocco/US)
Khaled Tarek Fazaa (Yemen)
Rawi Hage (Lebanon/Canada)
Rula Halawani (Palestine)
Farida Hamak (Algeria/France)
Noel Jabbour (Palestine)
Ahmed Jadallah (Palestine)
Youssef Nabil (Egypt)
Randa Shaath (US/Egypt)
Greta Torossian (Lebanon)
Issa Touma (Syria)
Joana + Khalil (Lebanon)

Western Eyes
Contemporary Western Photographers

Abbas (Iran/France)
Paul Blackmore (Australia)
Denis Dailleux (France)
Wouter Deruytter (Belgium)
Michael von Graffenried (Switzerland)
Gaston Zvi Ickowicz (Argentina/Israel)
Barry Iverson (US/Egypt)
Monique Jacot (Switzerland)
Laura Junka (Finland)
Ed Kashi (US)
Jeroen Kramer (The Netherlands)
Benjamin Lowy (US)
Max Pam (Australia)
Reza (Iran/France)
Ahikam Seri (Israel)
Lars Tunbjork (Sweden)
Ilkka Uimonen (Finland)

A Look Back
Historic Arab Images

Fondation Arabe pour l'Image (Lebanon)
Lehnert & Landrock (Austria/Switzerland)
Marc Garanger (France)
Van Leo (Egypt)