The current art project ‘Mahrem – Footnotes on Veiling’ at Berlin Tanas Gallery explores the concepts such as hidden and revealed, visible and invisible, public and private around the on-going contemporary discussions on the veil, the show tries to unfold several differing viewpoints related to Islamic covering and its public perceptions through the works of ten artists:
| “The Islamic veiling today crystallizes a myriad of new tensions between religion and secularism; piety and politics; feminism and Islamism. But foremost, it points to the centrality of the questions of women’s body and sexuality in organizing public life. It is a reminder of a personal, embodied practice; but is also a symbol communicated to others in public realm. | Video: “Mahrem – Anmerkungen zum Verschleiern” (via art-in / German only) |
| The meaning that women subjectively assign to Islamic covering and its public perceptions might not be the same and can differ. It is these interstices and (mis)communication between personal and the public calls for social scientific comprehension and visual representation.”
“MAHREM – Footnotes on Veiling” was conceived as the visual component for the first edition of “Non-Western Modernities”, an annual series of workshops and panel discussions, conceptualized and developed by Nilüfer Göle, one of the most prominent sociologists of Turkey. The project was organized at santralistanbul in October 2007, and the exhibition opened concurrently with a two days workshop program where social scientists and academicians including Eric Macé, Meddeb Abdelwahab, Almut Sh. Bruckstein, Abdulrahim Al Shaikh, Kenan Çayir, Hidayet S efkatli were invited to discuss and make presentations on various issues related to Islamic practices of veiling. |
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