Contemporary Arab art exhibition opens in Toronto

There aren't many opportunities to view contemporary Arab art in Toronto but now, the nearly one-year-old Aga Khan Museum is featuring Home Ground: Contemporary Art from the Barjeel Art Foundation. The touring show, which opened on Saturday, showcases work by 12 Arab artists from around the world.

According to a report in the Toronto Star, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi founded the Barjeel Art Foundation. Along with collecting and showcasing artwork, Qassemi, who's from the United Arab Emirates, gained global recognition after live-tweeting the events unfolding during the Arab Spring.

"I started using this presence of mine to sort of share and post about Middle Eastern art, a sort of counternarrative to what was always being shared about destruction and negative news," he told the Star.

As the Star explains, Home Ground explores notions of home and identity struggle. The show includes work that looks at the impact of war, immigration and the roles of women in society.

Home Ground runs from July 25 to January 3 at the Aga Khan Museum. Adult tickets to the museum cost $20.

by Amy Grief via blogTO