Noorderlicht Photofestival 2004: Nazar

The Friesian edition of Noorderlicht has traditionally been devoted to photography from a non-Western region. After events showcasing African and Latin American photography (Africa Inside, 2000, and Mundos Creados, 2002), in 2004 Noorderlicht focuses on photography from the Arab world.

In the West, the Arab world has become synonymous with confrontation and violence. Terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and between modernists and Muslim fundamentalists: these are the issues that dominate the front pages of our daily newspapers.

But is that really representative of a region that extends from Morocco in the west to Oman in the east, from Syria in the north to Sudan in the south? And how does the way those within this region see themselves, relate to the way the region is seen from outside? In other words: how do Arab photographers look at their society and themselves?

What is hidden behind the headlines and the breaking news? This question is at the heart of Nazar, a photographic triptych that is to be seen at the Fries Museum, Museum Het Princessehof and De Manege.

In more than 900 contemporary and historic photographs, Nazar – Arabic for seeing, insight, reflection – challenges the image of a world we thought we knew.

And in parallel, with the contributions of more than 25 Arab photographers, virtually none of whom have ever been exposed in the Netherlands, Nazar provides a unique image of the quality and diversity of contemporary Arab photography.

Never before has this photography been illuminated in such a comprehensive way in the West.