Exhibition / 6 Feb – 8 Mar 2020

The Place I Call Home - Edinburgh

The Place I Call Home reaches Summerhall in Edinburgh this February as part of a touring schedule that spans ten venues in seven countries. The exhibition, curated by David Drake, Director of Ffotogallery Wales, features work by 15 photographers and artists from the Arab world and UK exploring the theme of ‘home’ through stories of culture and heritage which challenge stereotypes and shed light on differences and commonalities. The exhibition has a particular focus on the lives, experiences and opportunities for young people in a dynamic and fast changing world where people are more mobile and globally connected than ever before.

Scottish photographer Gillian Robertson gained her Higher Diploma in Photography at Edinburgh Napier University, before establishing a thriving photography business. Four years ago, she moved to Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates with her husband and daughter. Robertson’s project for The Place I Call Home is titled ‘Melting Boundaries’ and explores interculturalism and relationships formed between British and Emirati cultures within the locality which she has made her home.

British-Indonesian artist Ben Soedira was brought up in Dubai, and at eighteen moved to Scotland to study photography at the Glasgow School of Art. He continues to live in Glasgow now. Soedira’s project ‘Foreign Sands’ revolves around the ideas of belonging and foreignness, questioning what makes us feel at home when we are uprooted from a place that is familiar. He captures details of the urban landscape to examine how people navigate the modern city of Dubai and have influenced its development.

The exhibition also features film, photography and artist bookworks by Zahed Sultan (Kuwait/UK), Hassan Meer (Oman), Eman Ali (Oman/UK), Sara Al Obaidly (UK/Qatar), Mashael Al Hejazi (Qatar), Moath Alofi (Saudi Arabia), Mohammed Al-Kouh (Kuwait), Hussain Almosawi & Mariam Alarab (Bahrain), Ammar Al-Attar (United Arab Emirates), Abi Green (Qatar/UK), Sebastian Betancur-Montoya (Qatar/Colombia), Josh Adam Jones (UK/Oman) and Richard Allenby-Pratt (UK/UAE).