First student-curated exhibition opens at SOAS Gallery

Students from SOAS University of London have curated an exhibition showcasing contemporary art from the Arab world. The exhibition, titled "Hudood: Rethinking Boundaries" is open to the public at the SOAS Gallery from 11 July to 21 September 2024 and is the first SOAS exhibition co-curated and designed entirely by SOAS students.

Drawing from the Barjeel Art Foundation's collection in Sharjah, UAE, "Hudood" explores the theme of boundaries through contemporary art from the Southwest Asia and North Africa regions. The foundation owns one of the world's largest collections of modern and contemporary Arab art. 

This exhibition is a professional development opportunity initiated by the SOAS Middle East Institute for SOAS arts students from a variety of backgrounds. The initiative behind it was created and supervised by Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, a research associate with the SOAS Middle East Institute and the Founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation. Under Al Qassemi’s guidance and in collaboration with the SOAS School of Arts and the SOAS Middle East Institute, students developed the curatorial premise and selected the works showcased in the exhibition.

The concept of "Hudood”, the Arabic term for “boundaries”, is explored as both a physical reality and a mental construct. The exhibition examines the impact of physical borders and walls on artistic expression while considering the psychological and conceptual boundaries that shape artists' lives and works.

Drawing from the Barjeel Art Foundation's collection in Sharjah, UAE, "Hudood" explores the theme of boundaries through contemporary art from the Southwest Asia and North Africa regions

“Hudood” features a diverse array of artworks, from sculptures made with asphalt sourced from physical borders to pieces that reflect on the limitations and opportunities of accessing historical archives.

The exhibition invites the public, the SOAS student body, and art experts to engage with various discourses on boundaries, making contemporary art from the featured regions accessible to a broad audience.

Picture credits: Anuar Khalifi, Suluk’s Shore, 2022, acrylic on canvas.