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Creativity for Survival: Visit to the refugee camps of northern Iraq with artist Francis Alÿs

Ruya Foundation invited the artist Francis Alÿs to Iraq. After hosting a workshop with artists and art students in Baghdad, Tamara Chalabi, chairman of Ruya went with Alÿs on a research trip to the Yezidi shrine of Lalish and two refugee camps, in the Dohuk Province, in the Kurdistan Autonomous Region of Iraq. The purpose…

News, Portfolio

Artist Hussein Shabeeb on identity and crossing borders.

Who are you before they ask: “who are you”? How did you survive the events of the world to get here? Stand in your corridor and give me your passport Show me your eyes, smile Thank you – Fares Haram for iPass, 2015. In the dark projection room of an arts centre in Baghdad, a slideshow…

News

Latif Al Ani named 2015 Prince Claus Laureate

Ruya Foundation is delighted that photographer Latif Al Ani has been named a 2015 Prince Claus Laureate. Latif Al Ani (b. 1932) is currently exhibiting in Invisible Beauty, the National Pavilion of Iraq at the 56th Venice Biennale, which was commissioned by the Ruya Foundation. Invisible Beauty constitutes the first major international exhibition of Al Ani’s work since…

News

Ruya announces Iraq Pavilion artists and Ai Weiwei collaboration at Art Dubai

RUYA hosted a talk on art in Iraq at Art Dubai last week, to announce the artists selected for the National Pavilion of Iraq at the 56th Venice Biennale and as well as shed light on the state of the arts in Iraq today. Curator Philippe Van Cauteren introduced the theme of this year’s Pavilion,…