VEIL
Exhibition | Introduction

Venues and dates:
The New Gallery in Walsall (14/2-27/4/03),
The Bluecoat Gallery and Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool (05/7-16/8/03),
Modern Art Oxford (22/11/03-25/01/04).

Organised by:
inIVA (Institute of International Visual Arts)
in association with
The Iran Heritage Foundation.

Introduction:
Veil: The word alone conjures up images in the mind's eye. In the aftermath of 11 September, the veil has become synonymous with cultural and religious differences that have been presented to us repeatedly as unbridgeable, alien and terrifying. The fact that the veil and veiling have been a part of both Western and Eastern cultures for millennia has not diminished from their overwhelming association with Islam and an abstract, exoticised notion of the East. Veil is a major exhibition and publication that brings together the work of twenty international contemporary artists whose work explores the symbolic significance of the veil and veiling in contemporary culture with all its complexities and ambiguities. Conceived by Zineb Sedira long before the events of 11 September, the project emerges directly from the practice of two artists - Sedira and Jananne Al-Ani - who are interested in the myriad, possible readings of the veil, both visible and invisible. Researched and developed by both artists over a period of four years, Veil is curated collaboratively by Al-Ani and Sedira, with David A. Bailey and Gilane Tawadros. 

Why is it that the veil has had such a huge impact on visual culture? As the novelist Ahdaf Soueif points out there is no single word in Arabic equivalent to 'the veil'; while its physical, manifestations are as varied as the social, historical and cultural contexts in which it is to be found. In a popular sense, the veil relates to questions of dress code, social status, modesty and notions of the traditional and the religious. With today's commercial branding of adornment, the veil has come to assume new significance in the context of worldwide debates on multiculturalism. In contemporary Europe, more specifically, the veil is a persistent symbol of Europe's struggle to come to terms with cultural diversity and social inclusion.

Twenty artists and film-makers address the question of the veil in all its complexities and ambiguities, challenging any single or fixed cultural interpretation. Veil's core is made up of a wide cross-section of international contemporary artists including: Faisal Abdu’Allah, Kourush Adim, AES art group, Jananne Al-Ani, Ghada Amer, Farah Bajull, Samta Benyahia, Shadafarin Ghadirian, Ghazel, Emily Jacir, Ramesh Kalkur, Majida Khattari, Shirin Neshat, Harold Offeh, Zineb Sedira, Elin Strand and Mitra Tabrizian.

The season begins in February 2003 with the launch of the UK tour of the Veil exhibition and the publication of an accompanying anthology of writings, Veil: Veiling, Representation and Contemporary Art. In the summer four of the Veil artists - Marc Garanger, Ghazel, Samta Benyahia and Majida Khattari – are showcased in week-long shows at TheSpace@inIVA (June 2003). All Paris-based and working in a variety of media, from photography and video to performance and installation, these artists bring different interpretations and experiences of veiling to their individual artistic practices.

Enquiries:
020 7729 9616, veil@inIVA.org.