Perle Magazine - Spring 2018 Perle Magazine - Spring 2018 | Page 84

As part of highlighting the elements that
comprise the Islamic culture, calligraphy is
one of the main parts as it is the written one
and is most commonly associated with the
Qur’an, the holy scriptures, and has been
used widely throughout Islamic art. Busaad,
who is a master of traditional and modern
calligraphy, and Elisabeth who is well
versed in Islamic culture and uses Arabic
calligraphy as part of her art pieces, came
together to produce a stunning exhibit,
beautifully capturing the beauty and power
of the Arabic language and its significance
within the Islamic culture.
Among the myriad of traditional
events that BACA was responsible for
working on, the Epic of Gilgamesh was
held at the Bahrain National Theatre to
commemorate the Arab Tourism Day as it
is one of the most celebrated work from
Ancient Mesopotamia that flourished for
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more than a millennium in Babylonia and
Assyria and was transmitted throughout
the Middle East. The festival also greatly
highlighted Palestine and its people, their
achievements, and their struggles and
honored the country that is considered
the permanent capital of Islamic culture,
through the exhibit of renowned
Palestinian cartoonist Naji Al Ali recognized
for creating the widely recognized
refugee-figure, Handala, which has become
a potent symbol in midst of the Palestinian
struggle. The exhibit was curated with
the help of his son, a resident of Bahrain
over the past 14 years, who offered his
late father’s drawings to be showcased in
Bahrain for the first time. The Jerusalem
Arabic Music Ensemble also delighted the
crowds with their patriotic and Arab songs
making the significance and splendor
of the Arab culture. And the third event
that marked the celebration of Palestine,
was the powerful, one-woman theatrical
performance of the play 36 Abbas Street,
Haifa (a city in Palestine).
Each of the events designed by BACA
were organized carefully to ensure their
significance was understood by the
audience such as the opening the exhibit
Scenamadre, which was curated by the
Academia Albertina Di Bella Arte in Italy
and was showcased in Bahrain on the 27th
of March, which is also International Day
of Theatre. The 10-day exhibit showcased
theatre set designs from times till present
day, and highlights scenography, theatre,
cinematography, and set design.
Throughout the festival, the music of
Bahrain was also heavily featured as there
were music concerts and various stage
plays that took place in the Mohamed Bin
Faris Music Hall in Muharraq, and weekly