Double Exposure Conversations: afikra x GPP

Double Exposure focuses on photography and photographers in and of the Arab world. The series is a collaboration with afikra, a global media and educational platform that promotes intellectualism and the diversity and richness of Arab culture and history through events online and around the world, 

Each session, moderated by either Mohamed Somji, director of Gulf Photo Plus, or Mikey Muhanna, executive director of afikra, hosts two photographers who run a discussion together. The name “Double Exposure” comes from the structure of the series wherein the two photographers are paired to talk to each other about their work, to discuss and interrogate their motivations, stories behind their photos, and their catalogue.

Find the latest episodes linked below. 

Tanya Traboulsi & Tamara Abdul Hadi

In this Double Exposure conversation, we talked to Tanya Traboulsi and Tamara Abdul Hadi about their work, motivations, stories behind their photos, and catalogues. Tanya’s work explores highly personal themes of belonging, identity and memory, as well as the sociological stigmas relating to female identity. Abdul Hadi's work explores the complexity and idiosyncrasy of minority communities that are often subjected to stereotyping and underrepresentation interchangeably. Her work also touches on ideas of masculinity, self-representation and questions misrepresentation of culture.Together, they discuss capturing both decay and beauty, where personal storytelling meets photojournalism, and the development of their visual styles. 

Tanya Habjouqa & Tasneem AlSultan

In this Double Exposure conversation, we sat down with Tanya Habjouqa and Tasneem Alsultan about their work, motivations, stories behind their photos, and catalogues. Tanya's principal interests include gender, representations of otherness, dispossession and human rights, with a particular concern for ever-shifting sociopolitical dynamics in the Middle East. Tasneem's artistic practice largely focuses on documenting social issues and rights-based topics in Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf region through a gender lens, challenging stereotypical perceptions of the Middle East. Together, they discuss challenges in their political contexts, whimsical approaches to portraiture and place, and documenting social changes. 

Hazen Harb & Sama Alshaibi

In this Double Exposure conversation, we talked to Hazem Harb and Sama Alshaibi about their work, to discuss and interrogate their motivations, stories behind their photos, and their catalogues. Hazem’s work explores the notion of the land, whereas Sama’s work is concerned with issues of war and exile. Both artists discuss their longterm projects and the responsibilities of working within the context of Palestine through photography and other artistic practices.  

Nadia Bseiso & Farah Foudeh

In this Double Exposure conversation, we talked to Nadia Bseiso and Farah Foudeh about their work, motivations, stories behind their photos, and catalogues. Nadia concentrates on long term projects, based on personal research in geopolitics, history, anthropology and environmental degradation. Farah's artistic practice explores themes of identity and representation while studying the role of imagery and travel in shaping both. In this episode, they discuss covering environmental degradation in their native Jordan, photogaphing and interacting with landscapes and bedouin communities in Jordan, as well as their approaches to documentary storytelling,