15 October 2017
Bahrain Culture Authority Participates in the Festival of Asian Art, Food, and Cultures in Washington D.C
Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities, in cooperation with the American Embassy in Bahrain, has taken part in the “Festival of Asian Art, Food, and Cultures”, held on 14& 15 October 2017. The event coincided with the re-opening of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, which are prominent Smithsonian's museums of Asian art.
The first day of the festival kicked off the evening of Saturday, October 14, lighting up the night with a sea of lanterns, light displays, and video-art projections. Food and art stalls, hosted in partnership with Asian-American community organizations from the Washington, DC, area, also provided a multisensory experience of Asian art, food, and culture. Bahrain’s stand showcased the rich culinary culture of the Kingdom that borrows heavily from the migrants from all over the world who travelled and eventually made this beautiful island-country their home. Over the years, Bahraini cuisine adapted and evolved and formed its own unique identity among all other Arab cuisines. Visitors also lauded the unique BACA’s experience to marry food with art, as reflected by the “Food is Culture” endeavor. Indeed, it was a creative experimental project that aims to bridge together the mediums of art and food and the unique collaboration which took place between 11 artists during two months, in the presence of many artists, chefs, and culture lovers in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Bahraini Chef Bassam Al-Alawi and artist Zoheir Al-Saeed, also entertained the visitors by their creative art and food masterpieces. A workshop on “ Dyeing Textiles Cloth Using Natural Bahraini Cuisine Ingredients” was also organized during this festival, attracting many participants who discovered dyeing techniques used the past. An art installation composition design was also made, prepared and assisted by artist Zoheir al Saeed and enjoyed by most of the festival worldwide visitors.
H.E Shaikha Hala Bint Mohammad Al-Khalifa, presented during the second day of the festival, an amazing creative simulation workshop showing how different Bahrain embroidery and carving crafts are produced, welcoming visitors to watch the handicrafts being made by H.E artist Shaikha Hala. indeed, since the olden days, Bahraini women are renowned for their interest and expertise in embroidery. They have mastered different types of stitching such as daga, dala and teej. Stitching serves as an important source of income for many local women. This workshop focused on the art of embroidery, merging the contemporary with traditional designs and motifs.
