House proud
A new exhibition in Jeddah and Riyadh examines the region through its houses
WORDS: TYLER DANE
When does a worthless wreck become a priceless piece of architectural heritage? When a photographer captures its antique charm? That’s the kind of conversation the British Council’s current exhibition, My Father’s House, seeks to start.
Subtitled ‘the architecture of cultural heritage’, this touring photographic collection hangs British photographers’ works alongside images taken by image makers from across the Arabic diaspora.
Each examines the idea of buildings and legacy in the Middle East, a region known both for its rock-hewn antiquity and dizzying rates of modernisation.
Grainy, pinhole camera shots of Jeddah’s Al Balad district (above, left) can be viewed alongside less obvious subjects, such as the abandoned apartment buildings of the United Arab Emirates (above, right), left behind as the continuing oil boom demands ever-newer and more opulent tower blocks, or the petrol station forecourts in the UAE, hinting at both the region’s more recent architectural influences and the reasons for its ever-changing cityscapes.
“My Father’s House is a fascinating illustration of eight Middle East and UK artists’ own very individual responses to the impact of buildings on cultural heritage,” explains Hannah Henderson of the British Council.
The exhibition comes to Jeddah this month, before heading on to Riyadh. See the show, then reassess the streets outside.
