On 21 September 2024, Jameel Arts Centre will host Symposium: From Land to Sea, a series of artist talks and special screenings in conjunction with the At the Edge of Land group show. Previously hosted by Hayy Jameel, the exhibition is currently on view at Jameel Arts Centre and will be open to the public until 29 September 2024.
The Symposium will bring together artists and researchers to explore topics surrounding trade and shipping infrastructure, with a focus on seafaring and cross-regional connections in the Gulf and Indian Ocean. Featured speakers are Laleh Khalili, an author, editor, and the Al Qasimi Professor of Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter in Britain; Turkish artist and filmmaker Köken Ergun; Indian artist Ranjit Kandalgaonkar; and Joar Songcuya, a Filipino artist, marine engineer, and seafarer.
The Symposium’s programme includes Laleh Khalili’s presentation at 2 PM, where she will discuss her recent books, Sinews of War and Trade (Verso, 2020) and The Corporeal Life of Seafaring (Mack Books, 2024). They explore the role of shipping and seafarers in global trade and power structures.
At 3:15 PM, the animated film China, Beijing, I Love You, 2023 (34’) by Köken Ergun will be screened, followed by a Q&A with the artist. Created in collaboration with illustrator Danu Fitra, the film focuses on the extraction of nickel and cobalt along China’s Maritime Silk Road. The narrative is centred on the minerals themselves, transforming them into the protagonists as the film examines the geopolitical, social, and environmental impacts of global expansion.
At 5:00 PM, a conversation with Ranjit Kandalgaonkar and Joar Songcuya will take place, moderated by Laleh Khalili. Both taking part in the At the Edge of Land exhibition, the artists draw from their connections to the shipping industry. Kandalgaonkar’s father was a merchant navy captain, while Songcuya was trained as a marine engineer and worked at sea for a decade before turning to art.
The final event, at 6:30 PM, is a screening of From Gulf to Gulf to Gulf, 2013 (80’), a documentary film that presents a unique portrayal of sea trade. It was created by CAMP, a Mumbai-based interdisciplinary art collective, in collaboration with sailors from India’s Kutch region. The film combines sailor-filmed footage set to Bollywood songs and religious tracks and footage filmed over a four-year collaboration between CAMP and the sailors to depict maritime labour across the Western Indian Ocean. This documentary challenges conventional documentary styles, offering an intimate look at the often invisible work behind global maritime networks.
To get more information about Symposium: From Land to Sea, please visit the official web page of the event.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting Playscape: I Dreamt of a City Everyone Calls Home, an interactive playground situated in the Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park.
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