Coming to The Mixed Museum, September 2022
The Mixed Museum's collaboration with Salma Ahmed Caller, artist and founder of the Imaginarium Postcard Project, will see our exciting digital micro-exhibition exploring mixed Arab British histories launch in September.
A visual essay, Out of the East into the West examines images of the early 20th century that made mixed relationships between white women with Arab men look exotic, dangerous and erotic, and compares these with how women of the Middle East and North Africa were portrayed on postcards and images.
It also shows the realities of being mixed Arab through the lens of Salma’s own mixed English Egyptian family story and archival newspaper stories of mixed marriages between white working class British women and Arab men in the early 20th century/late 19th century.
The harsh realities of dealing with racial stereotyping and prejudice as mixed couples and the realities of a mundane normal existence building a life just like everyone else will be set up against this backdrop of fantasy and exoticism of Arab/North African men and women.
Looking to unpick the historical stereotypes of such Arab British mixing, Salma’s own story and the work being created by Imaginarium artists Afsoon, Alia Derouiche Cherif, Hamida Zourgui, Hala Ghellali and CritTeam (Eugenia López Reus & Miguel Jaime) around colonial postcards of the late 1800s and early 1900s regarding heritage and dress of the MENA region will throw light on the depths and complex meanings of these ways of being, and give viewers a more in-depth understanding of MENA women’s cultural heritage beyond the exotic and simplistic stereotypes.
Prior to our digital exhibition launch, our co-curator Salma Ahmad Caller and artists Afsoon and Hamida Zourgui hosted an evening of discussions and sharing at the Arab British Centre, talking about heritage, identity and belonging.
Things That Matter: Bring & Tell
15th September 2022 6.30pm - 8.30pm at The Arab British Centre
Of Mixed Arab British heritage? In London the evening of 15th September 2022? Join Imaginarium artist curator Salma Ahmad Caller, and artists Afsoon and Hamida Zourgui at the Arab British Centre to share your MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) heritage and stories.
Our Heritage Matters…
Bring along your old photographs, family photographs, heritage items, dress, jewellery, and share with us your stories and memories.
Help us piece together stories and histories behind being Arab/North African and British. What does that mean to you?
We will also be looking at ways to unpick and decolonise images and stereotypes on colonial postcards of women from the Middle East and North Africa and thinking about news ways to reclaim and understand our own cultural heritage.
Join us for a friendly evening of discussions and sharing, talking about heritage, identity and belonging. Free and open to all. To book, visit the Arab British Centre's website:
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