Kamal Boullata: Jerusalem in Exile
Jerusalem in Exile was the first exhibition of contemporary Arab art in ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ´´. It showcased the intricate folding books and print works by Palestinian artist Kamal Boullata between 24 January – 13 March 2020.
The exhibition was planned before the artist’s unexpected death in July 2019, and was therefore co-curated by the artist’s widow Lily Farhoud and the College postdoctoral research associate Dr Claudia Tobin. It took on additional resonance in the wake of Boullata’s death, as the first attempt to review his extraordinary life and unique artistic achievement.
The show represented a broader collaboration with additional support from the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (FAMES) and the Department of History of Art, with instrumental contributions from Dr Elizabeth Fowden (ÌÀÍ·ÌõÔ´´ postdoctoral research associate), Professor Khaled Fahmy (FAMES), Dr Deniz Türker (FAMES and History of Art) and Alicia Lethbridge (Jesus final year History of Art undergraduate and president of the Fitzwilliam Society).
Jerusalem in Exile opened with an international symposium that gathered together the world’s leading scholars and writers on Islamic art, garnering significant international press attention. The latter part of the exhibition’s run was inevitably curtailed by the onset of COVID-19, leading to the cancellation of a number of associated events in late February and March, including a showing of the Stranger at Home film on Boullata and a reading by the artist’s long-time collaborator, the Syrian poet Adonis. Nonetheless Jerusalem in Exile represented a most ambitious and successful show.
