InfoAnda - Saudi artists test limits of expression in rare show |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Dubliners decry U2's noisy all-night stage removal | 29 July 2009
Iran to try 20 vote 'rioters' as opposition vows defiance | 30 July 2009
"Provocative" Iran invites more sanctions | 4 March 2010

Michael Jackson's music had impact around the globe | Entertainment | | 4 July 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Saudi artists test limits of expression in rare show |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Davos 2012 Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Summits Business Video The Freeland File Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Reuters Investigates Decoder Politics Politics Home Election 2012 Issues 2012 Candidates 2012 Tales from the Trail Political Punchlines Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Tech Tonic Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Nader Mousavizadeh Lucy P. Marcus David Cay Johnston Bethany McLean Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Mohamed El-Erian Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Geraldine Fabrikant Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Breakingviews Video Money Money Home Tax Break Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik James Saft Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Money Clip Life Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Reuters TV Reuters News Article Comments (0) Slideshow Academy Award nominations And the nominees are... All the Oscar nominees in the major categories. Slideshow Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read U.S. commandos free two pirate hostages in Somalia 10:16am EST Subculture of Americans prepares for civilization's collapse 21 Jan 2012 Iran's Ahmadinejad ups rates to stem money crisis 8:29am EST Gingrich wants to hear his debate fans roar 24 Jan 2012 Delta diverts polar flights due to solar storm 5:56am EST Discussed 332 Subculture of Americans prepares for civilization’s collapse 205 Abortion safer than giving birth: study 160 Romney reports tax bill of $6.2 million for 2010-11 Watched Angelina Jolie fascinated by "bizarre" Republican presidential race Sun, Jan 22 2012 Aesop's fable brought to life by clever crows Tue, Jan 24 2012 Obama targets economic inequality Tue, Jan 24 2012 Saudi artists test limits of expression in rare show Tweet Share this Email Print Factbox Factbox: Middle East oil, gas shipping risks, alternative routes Mon, Jan 9 2012 Related News Met Museum spotlights American Indian art Tue, Jan 17 2012 China's Wen presses Saudi Arabia for oil access Sat, Jan 14 2012 Lingerie shops open another door for Saudi women at work Wed, Jan 11 2012 U.S. Saudi fighter jet sale to help offset Iran Thu, Dec 29 2011 Analysis & Opinion Yemen needs an insurgent democracy The elephants in the Davos ski lodge Related Topics Entertainment » Fashion » Arts » Saudi Arabia » 1 of 4. An artwork ''Caution: revolution (take 2)'' by Saudi Arabian artist Hamza Serafi is displayed during Saudi Arabia’s first public show of contemporary art entitled ''We need to talk'' at al Furusia Marina in Jeddah, January 23, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Susan Baaghil By Asma Alsharif JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia | Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:03am EST JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Standing on a large floor map in a Jeddah art gallery, Hamza Serafi places a yellow sign inscribed "Caution: revolution (take 2)" over Egypt and then turns to Saudi Arabia. "Evolution not revolution" reads the sign he plans to place over the conservative Islamic kingdom, where an exhibition organizers call Saudi Arabia's first public show of contemporary art has opened this month, entitled "We need to talk." In addressing last year's political turmoil through his work, the Saudi artist is testing the boundaries of self expression in a kingdom where direct criticism of the authorities is not tolerated, cinema and theatre are banned and art and media are censored. "It is always a choice to either be blunt and vulgar and say something that will upset people and then your work will be censored. or you do artwork that has a very valuable message, sustainable and gentle," Serafi said. Saudi Arabia, a country ruled over by the al-Saud royal family in alliance with powerful conservative clerics, has no elected parliament or political parties and applies a rigid variation of Sharia law. Although King Abdullah has slowly pushed for society to grow more open by encouraging dialogue and urging media to report on previously taboo social ills, a government-linked committee still had to vet all the artwork on show. "It has not been as difficult as one would expect (to get art past the censors) because the medium of contemporary art can always be interpreted in various ways, some controversial, some not, depending on how the viewer looks at it," said Aya Alireza, the show's assistant curator. "I try to disabuse (the authorities) of the notion that the works are meant to criticize the government or are inciting people toward revolt or rebellion, which is not what the artists are trying to achieve in any case." REGIONAL TURMOIL Saudi Arabia escaped virtually untouched when mass uprisings toppled Arab leaders last year, as a Facebook call for a "day of rage" went unheeded amid lavish government spending and shows of support for the royal family by religious and tribal leaders. However, the Saudi authorities are sensitive to any suggestion that their people might emulate the uprisings, making it difficult for artists to address a subject that held the whole Arab world rapt. "It is not the right time to put red lines. Now everyone is crossing red lines... Even if they do restrict them, artists will find their way around it," Saudi artist Ahmed Mater said. Other taboos include anything seen as blasphemous, criticism of the conservative nature of Saudi society, and sex or nudity. Saudi artists say they have to find imaginative ways to maneuver around the censors to ensure the continuation of a local art scene that is still at an early stage of development. One, in a piece called "Food for Thought," displays baking trays lined with hundreds of cassette tapes of religious lectures recorded and distributed in the 1980s, when Saudi Arabia experienced a wave of religious extremism. As the viewer backs away, the words haram (forbidden) and batil (wrong) become legible in the arrangement of the cassettes. "We want to avoid being overly controversial and stepping over a lot of toes because that will be counter-productive to us," Alireza said. "The reason I find Saudi art particularly good and inspiring is because the restrictions the artists face is what actually lights the fuel under their creativity, forcing them to think more deeply and to be more subtle in their work," she added. RIGHT TIME Edge of Arabia, the group behind the exhibition, has showcased Saudi artists' work around the world since 2008, with displays in London, Dubai, Venice, Istanbul and Berlin, but this is its first public show inside the kingdom. "I think a lot has changed in Saudi Arabia in the last four years and now is the right time for our exhibition. You should not force things. 2012 is the right time in Saudi," said Stephen Stapleton, founder of Edge of Arabia. The exhibition, which opened last week, includes more than 50 works by 22 Saudi artists giving their views on the country. Artist Ahmad Angawi brings the Saudi public into his work by installing microphones throughout various locations in Jeddah for his project, "Street Pulse." Participants record messages into microphones and hear those left by others through headphones attached to his installation, hundreds of microphones bound together in the shape of an atom. "It shows the various voices we have, all confined into one sphere. The idea behind it is, if we don't speak up, if we remain silent, if we keep putting our feelings aside, one day. we will explode," Angawi said. "I firmly believe we do not need some sort of revolution. but that still does not mean that we should be static. We need to develop gradually in a way that suits the place," he said. Angawi said he accepted that he might not be able to play some of the comments people recorded, and that finding the right balance between freedom of expression and the demands of a conservative society would be difficult. "We are at the early stages. This is a launch, a beginning... Baby steps are always the ones that will last," Alireza said. "The giant leaps are the ones that cause backlashes that may force you to take a step back," she added. (Editing by Angus McDowall and Sonya Hepinstall) (This story was corrected in paragraph 17 to change typo to "she") Entertainment Fashion Arts Saudi Arabia Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints Entertainment News From the Wrap Amazon Ponders New Challenge to Netflix in Streaming Market (Report) 10:59am EST CEO Jeff Bezos may spin off its Amazon Instant Video as a separate service Jon Stewart on Mitt Romney Taxes: That $10K Bet Makes More Sense Now (Video) 10:50am EST Stewart says Romney's company lobbied to keep his taxes low Star Jones Returning to 'The View' in February 10:27am EST Reunion comes during National Heart Month James Farentino, Actor in 'Police Story,' 'Dynasty,' Dies at 73 (Report) 9:52am EST Career suffered after allegations of stalking Tina Sinatra We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Advertise With Us Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Wednesday, 25 January 2012
U.N. envoys slam Russia for selling weapons to Syria |
Anger, chaos but no revolt after Libya violence |
Netanyahu cites Holocaust lesson in dealing with Iran |
Turkey warns Iraqi PM over sectarian conflict |
Analysis: New EU data laws command the tide but not the cost |
Entrepreneurs bring Internet coding skills to everyday users |
Time Warner leads funding for second social TV company |
ST-Ericsson CEO sees very difficult 2012 |
Oscar's big snub: Uggie the dog, a true Artist |
Downtown and all around New York with Petula Clark |
Jagger says UK's Cameron can't get what he wants |
Sony, Paramount and Weinstein Co. get Oscar boost |
U.S. raid frees two pirate hostages in Somalia |
Islamist militants quit captured Yemeni town |
One year on, Egypt will demonstrate and celebrate |
Blast destroys police station in north Nigeria |
Anger, chaos but no revolt after Libya violence |
Analysis: Myanmar shows little sign of economic miracle |
Apple returns to form, blows Street targets away |
Ericsson Q4 profit halves, sees challenges |
Facebook to stop honoring trades in shares for 3 days: source |
SAP sets sights on fresh profit record |
Google to unify privacy policy across products |
New Yahoo CEO says company needs to do better |
Chipmaker AMD expects lower revenue in weak PC market |
Megaupload founder faces lengthy extradition battle |
Nvidia cuts revenue forecast, shares drop |
Hollywood embraces hopeful tales with Oscar nominations |
Demi Moore seeks help for exhaustion, health issues |
Garth Brooks awarded $1 million in suit against hospital |
Country music great Haggard recovering from pneumonia |
Style author Charla Krupp dies of cancer at age 58 |
Garth Brooks awarded $1 million in suit against hospital |
France's Jean Dujardin plays down Hollywood success |
Documentary makers spur calls to action at Sundance |
Gulf monitors leave Syria, League seeks U.N. support |
Iran's Ahmadinejad ups rates to stem money crisis |
Even without Hormuz blockade, Iran has options |
Transcripts show Italy captain says was told to approach shore |
A year after uprising, Egyptians celebrate and protest |
Torture and lawlessness as Libya victory high ends |
Workers unearth suspected mass grave in southeast Turkey |
Afghan army's night raiders ready to take control |
Pakistan PM drops criticism of the military |
Come for coffee, don't forget the cocaine, Dotcom joked |
Breach of new EU online data rules to carry high fines |
Core suppliers savor bigger Apple pie |
A Minute With: Mary Tyler Moore on a life of achievement |
Abu Dhabi further delays Louvre, Guggenheim projects |
Irishman makes billion-euro home of shredded notes |
Saudi artists test limits of expression in rare show |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01