THE ARMORY SHOW | Day I: Snow, Art and A Spotlight on @AthrArtGallery by @JasmineBager

All Images Courtesy of Jasmine Bager

The Armory Show officially opened to the public yesterday, as a steady stream of enthusiastic art lovers marched into the space with snow-covered boots and genuine enthusiasm. With 143 galleries on Pier 94 (15 of them dedicated to MENAM) and 54 galleries on Pier 92, both distinctive spaces were buzzing, despite the swampy conditions on the streets.

Like parts of a large puzzle, each unique painting, drawing and installation, from very different styles and continents, stood side-by-side. Every piece was strong on its own, yet somehow fit into the group.

“I am thrilled to see a number of notable galleries returning to the fair, as well as a strong presence of young, geographically diverse galleries who have chosen to show with us for the first time,” Noah Horowitz, executive director of The Armory Show said.

Athr Gallery Presenting the works of Ahmed Mater, Ayman Daydban, and Mahdi Al Jeraibi

One such returning gallery is Saudi’s very own Athr Gallery, Jeddah. This is their second consecutive year.

We spoke to the co-founder of Athr, who is also the vice chairman of the Saudi Art Council, Mohammed A. Hafiz. He greeted us at their booth #542, in Pier 94.

Hafiz explained the significance of text and imagery in communicating across languages—English and Arabic—in the carefully curated selections on display this year. The various pieces each hint at the flexibility of text; how language can easily morph, depending on the context. Language, he said, is not limited to the spoken word; it is also based on visual references, even subtitles in a film.

The chosen artists, Ayman Yossri Daydban, Mahdi Al Jeraibi, Bakr Shaykhoon and Ahmed Mater demonstrate that in different ways.

Arab Dolls by Carlo Massoud (Carwan Gallery)

“Ahmed Mater’s Cowboy Code II is based on text. The Cowboy Code is a code of life in the Midwest (United States) and the Arabic text is Islamic [translates to The Commandments of the Prophet (PBUH) During Times of War]. Both sides show a positive message,” Hafiz said.

The larger piece of the bunch, Mater’s, is made of plastic gun caps, stapled in organized chunks onto the gallery walls to spell out the words. The Arabic text is on one side and the English, on the other. The languages are juxtaposed to remind bilingual readers that both cultures and messages are perhaps more alike than different.

On the opposite wall, 45 empty tissue boxes with colorful Arabic pop references hang, by Ayman Yossri Daydban, Maharem III, 2015.

In the center of the space is Mehdi Al Jereibi’s, Jadal 10, 2014; nine floating authentic desks, taken from government schools in Makkah, complete with scribbled graffiti from real students. A piece behind the desks shows an image of the Statue of Liberty, "taken from a random movie," with translated subtitles. “The Arabic text below the image translates to: ‘Liberty is not easy,’” Hafiz tells us. 

For more information on Athr, visit their booth or check out their website here: http://www.athrart.com/exhibition/103/#!2515

Stay tuned for our exclusive report on Art Jameel and Edge of Arabia’s Culture Runners tomorrow! Expect more photos and updates, too.