East / West                                                  Global North / South

                                                Palestine / Israel                                                                Solid / Void

Jewish / Muslim                                                                   Islam / Christianity

                                        Time / Space                     Emplaced / Displaced

Contemporary culture, media and politics often represent global relations in a series of reductive dichotomies of opposition.

For a more useful dialogue to emerge, we must, believes Postcolonial theorist Homi Bhabha, focus instead on the space between. The space that opens up in the act of translation between two, often opposed cultures or languages, Bhabha describes, as The Third Space. It is, he says, a critical site for forging ‘new signs of identity and [re]negotiating cultural values’.

In order to help us explore and negotiate our way into this Third Space, curator Helen Angell-Preece brings together Palestinian-Scottish artist Leena Nammari, Saudi Arabian sculptor Lujain Jamal, and Palestinian cultural translator Dr Rana Abu-Mounes, to engage in an artistic, cross-cultural, translational and transnational dialogue, or Hiwar.

Beginning with an exhibition of artwork by Nammari and Jamal, this is a spatial and material exploration of the ruptures of time and place experienced by both artists. The value in experiencing multiple angles-of-vision emerges at the edges, the ruptures and repairs, the shifts between permanency and contingency within the artworks.

Dr Rana Abu-Mounes, director of Dundee-based translation company Al-Mushkah, and expert in comparative religions and cultural diversity, will respond to the exhibition and discuss with the artists how their identities inform their creative choices and practices.

The week of creative dialogue and translation will culminate on Sunday 16th December with a Cultural Diversity Workshop run by Abu-Mounes. This course will address vital areas such as the importance of cultural awareness, etiquette, communication, relationship building and traditions, as well as more complex topics such as religion, cross cultural attitudes, and language.

‘By exploring this Third Space, we may elude the politics of polarity and emerge as the others of our selves’. (Bhabha, 1994)

Gallery 1, 4th Floor WASPS, Meadowmill, West Hendersons Wynd. Dundee DD1 5BY

Exhibition Preview: Friday 7th December 2018, 6-9pm

Artists talk and cross-cultural dialogue: Sunday 9th December 2018, 2-4pm with Arabic coffee and Ma’amoul

Cultural Diversity Workshop Sunday 16th December 2018. Free, booking essential.