UAE society captured in ‘Identity and My Community’ photo event

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Manarat Al Saadiyat and Sole, one of the region’s leading cultural and lifestyle platforms, have announced the winners of the regional analog photography competition Identity and My Community, which was held in parallel with the Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop exhibition (Dec 15, 2020 – June 30). The event invited local amateur photographers to shoot images with a disposable 35mm black and white film camera to document their take on what ‘identity’ and ‘my community’ meant to them. Renowned documentary photographers Janette Beckman and Jorge Peniche joined Contact High exhibition curator Vikki Tobak, in selecting ten winning images.

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The images reflect several of the thematic threads seen in Contact High: style, self-confident poses, with the street and neighbourhood as backdrops where communities connect and thrive. “These wonderful photographs are really special; they show us how people in the UAE are connecting, maintaining a sense of togetherness and joy even during the pandemic,” said Beckman.  “Being photographed is a vulnerable experience for a subject … for that very reason, trust-driven relationships make all the difference between a decent photo and a striking photo,” Peniche said.

The winners are Raheed Allaf – Dubai; Fatma Ali – Ajman; Fatima Almaazmi – Ajman; Zeashan Ashraf – Dubai; Mark Issa - Abu Dhabi; Ron John – Sharjah; Akmaral Matkaliyeva - Abu Dhabi; Salem Alsuwaidi - Abu Dhabi and Aiham Al Subaihi - Abu Dhabi. British-born photographer Beckman began her career at the dawn of punk rock, working for music magazines The Face and Melody Maker. She shot bands ranging from The Clash to Boy George as well as three Police album covers.

 Vikki Tobak.

In 1983, she moved to New York to document the underground hip hop scene, photographing pioneers Run DMC, Slick Rick, Salt-N-Pepa, Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J and others. Since 2006, Peniche has focused on hip hop. His signature style – combining black-and-white photo reportage with classic portraiture – has edified several of his significant subjects. Beckman and Peniche speak to Gulf Today.

What qualities did you look for in the photographs when choosing the winners?

Beckman: I wanted to see photographers showing us what daily life is like in the UAE and to get a glimpse into the community that due to Covid we are unable to see in person.

Peniche: The leading quality I looked for was authenticity. After that were the technical elements like composition, exposure, etc.

Why was the b/w format preferred? How does it feel different from that of colour?

Beckman: I am a huge fan of b/w film format, especially for this type of project. It somehow simplifies the images and makes them powerful.

Peniche: Black and white film photography puts the spotlight on the subject by stripping away the colour aesthetic that can sometimes compete with a really compelling subject in frame. In black and white, it’s the subject, front and centre, for the viewer to appreciate and sometime examine.

The focus — there is a pun here? — seems to be on traditional looks. Why?

Beckman: I had the pleasure of being in Dubai for an exhibition at Sole DXB earlier. For me, being able to have a window into a community that I am unfamiliar with, is amazing.

Peniche: The UAE is rich in deeply rooted traditions. It only made sense that they be reflected several times over by our different contest participants. Tradition is always around them in some form or fashion.

Do you think the concept of togetherness and family are stereotypes?

Beckman: Not at all. During the pandemic, we have all been struggling with issues, being unable to see each other or hug each other. We perhaps took family and togetherness for granted before the pandemic. Now we see how important they are.

Peniche: Yes, but not in any negative context by any means. On the contrary, this stereotype informs me of the prioritised hierarchy of the UAE values. Being Mexican, I can definitely identify with these qualities that are so important to the people. Family is happiness.

Tobak is a culture journalist, author, independent curator and producer born in Soviet-era Kazakhstan, who was raised in United States. She reports on and creates content regarding politics, arts, social justice and music photography.She speaks to Gulf Today

The UAE perhaps is a touristy subject for photographers. Why did you think photographers would present the country documentary-style?

In a place like UAE where so many cultures and identities converge, the idea of asking local photographers to think about ‘community and identity’ was an important concept.

Especially given that the photographers in the exhibition were thinking about the same things when documenting the early days of hip-hop: What is authentic here? What is being said? And how is it being expressed through community?

Can Western curators be entirely free from their cultural baggage when looking at non-Western artwork?

It depends on the individual curator’s self-awareness and understanding.

We live in a global world with the benefit of looking back at history and understanding how Western curators and scholars have often fallen short in their treatment of non-Western artwork and archives — and understand the need to do better.

And that’s an important responsibility — to do right by the culture. That should always be the guiding principal for any curator.

How does the event promote local photography ecology?

We wanted to share that photography is always about allowing the truth to come out – often a photograph will speak a thousand words and reveal the humanity in all of us.