The McMullen Student Ambassadors are pleased to present Art in Focus, featuring an informal discussion between professors from various academic departments at Boston College. With each new episode, we aim to uncover a unique perspective on the works on display, informed by research and methodologies in areas of study across the University. Each conversation will bring the exhibition’s works “into focus” to highlight art’s expansive reach and interdisciplinary nature.
The following podcast is the second installment of a two-part interview in the Art in Focus series, where we explore different themes and artwork from the Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s exhibition. For this episode, Student Ambassador Ata Chowdhry, class of ‘21, speaks with the Barjeel Art Foundation founder and Boston College visiting instructor in the Islamic Civilization & Societies Program Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and curator Suheyla Takesh to discuss themes of gender, identity, and social activism within the exhibition.
Menhat Helmy (Helwan, Egypt, 1925–Cairo, Egypt, 2004), Space Exploration/Universe, 1973, oil on canvas, 38½ × 38½ in. Copyright/Courtesy of the Barjeel Art Foundation.
If you did not have the chance to catch our trailer for this podcast on social media, you can watch it here!