February 2019: Low and behold, this is the 45th year: ‘Bahrain Fine Arts exhibition 2019’ who’d have thought! As journalists in Bahrain, we can ‘almost’ say what we want, but the culture is naturally less confrontational, so you are NEVER going to see a true review published locally, whether film, restaurant or a piece of art. It is just not done unless it is a bunch of roses. So there is a lot of smoke blowing without warrant or credence. This also leads to a lot of competition in the art world in Bahrain and we are not going to mention the commercial jobbies that keep on popping up claiming to be the dog’s.
On the contrary, this expo is the Authority for Culture and Antiquities show and they, teaming up with some royalty at the Ritz Carlton, have put on a damn good show indeed. Of course, not all the art is anywhere near the stuff that Christies might want to snap up and to some critics, the local art portrays some artists as totally deluded. Aren’t all artists initially? But horses for courses, this is Middle Eastern art or more to the the point; art predominantly produced by Arabs and it is maturing annually.
Yes, it is a very very good show indeed!
Rashid AlKhalifa who is fast becoming the regions most well known artist is wearing two caps here. He has pieces on display which are directly from his recent Saatchi Gallery London expo (Oct 2018), plus he is of course carrying out the duties of his position within the establishment in Bahrain.
Whatever, the video is quite a nice video with watchability appeal and goes completely around the rather large exhibition.
As a footnote for now, Rashid AlKhalifa will be holding an exhibition in Oman during the month of March 2019. As always, he is going to surprise a lot of people, no doubt defying what they ‘thought’ they were going to see.
