In May, Art Jameel and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London announced the shortlisted projects for the 7th edition of the Jameel Prize. This international triennial competition, a collaboration between the two institutions, celebrates contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic traditions. Following an open call in 2023, they received 300 submissions. A jury comprising Iranian artist, activist, and writer Morehshin Allahyari, Saudi artist Ajlan Gharem, curator and art historian Sadia Shirazi, and new media and film scholar Laura U. Marks selected seven projects focusing on moving images and digital media.
The artists shortlisted for the £25,000 ($32,000) prize are Sadik Kwaish Alfraji, Jawa El Khash, Alia Farid, Zahra Malkani, Khandakar Ohida, Marrim Akashi Sani, and the collective Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, and Hesam Rahmanian. The winner will be announced on 27 November 2024, and the finalists’ works will be exhibited in the Jameel Prize: Moving Images show at the V&A from 30 November 2024 to 16 March 2025. The exhibition will then tour internationally.
The selected artworks explore various aspects of Islamic culture, society, and ideas, addressing themes such as domestic life, spirituality, ecology, and politics. Netherlands-based Iraqi artist Sadik Kwaish Alfraji presents two animated films dedicated to his parents: A Thread of Light Between My Mother’s Fingers and Heaven and A Short Story in the Eyes of Hope. Syrian artist Jawa El Khash, based in Canada, showcases her 3D simulation The Upper Side of The Sky, which revives endangered or destroyed archaeology and ecology in her homeland.
Kuwaiti-Puerto Rican artist Alia Farid‘s projects, the film Chibayish and the sculpture In Lieu of What Was, investigate resource-related tensions along the Arabian Gulf, highlighting the impacted conditions of everyday people and cultures. Her work is built on extensive research and interaction with communities in southern Iraq. Meanwhile, Pakistani artist Zahra Malkani displays A Ubiquitous Wetness, an artwork derived from her research into the intersection of sound and sonic practices with mystical devotional traditions.
Indian artist Khandakar Ohida’s film Dream Your Museum is a portrait of her uncle, Khandakar Selim, who has amassed a remarkable collection of objects over 50 years. The film challenges the concept of museums in India as bastions of nationalism with little room for alternative narratives. Iraqi-Iranian artist Marrim Akashi Sani residing in Detroit, USA exhibits Muharram, a series of photographs exploring the complexities of cultural assimilation, particularly in religious practices.
The art trio from Dubai, Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, and Hesam Rahmanian, showcase their animation titled If I had two paths, I would choose a third. It examines the social and political impacts of iconoclasm: the destruction of icons, images, or monuments.
To get more information about the Jameel Prize, please visit the event’s official web page.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting Night Stone, a solo exhibition by Candice Lin, and -continuum by Iranian artist Armin Najib.
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