Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library; Jean-Baptiste Faivre, Ambassador of France; and Tan Huism, Executive Director at QNL during the opening of the exhibition yesterday.
A unique exhibition at Qatar National Library (QNL) focuses on stories of the first practitioners of photography and includes some of the earliest and most rare images of the Middle East, captured by renowned photographers.
The exhibition ‘Between Science and Art: Early Photography in the Middle East’ was inaugurated yesterday by H E Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, Minister of State, Qatar and President of Qatar National Library in the presence of H E Jean-Baptiste Faivre, French Ambassador to Qatar and several other officials.
The exhibition is being held at the Heritage Library. Visitors can learn about the journey of the camera obscura between the 5th century BCE and 19th century CE, Arab contributions to photography, and the first daguerreotypists in the Middle East. The exhibition displays objects from both Qatar National Library and Qatar Museums’ collections.
“We are pleased to open the photography exhibition in the presence of H E the French Ambassador and representatives from Qatar Museums, who played a major role by lending some of the oldest daguerreotype photographs and cameras on display. We are thankful to Qatar Museums for helping us enrich the exhibition and we are confident that this fruitful collaboration will continue in future projects as well,” said Dr. Al Kuwari.
According to Dr. Al Kuwari, the exhibition pays tribute to the contributions of Muslim scholars like Hassan bin Al Haytham, who played a key role in the invention of the modern camera.
The exhibition describes the material dimension of photography — from the daguerreotype process to some of the first printing techniques and their commercial implications — as well as photography’s effect on the construction of “the Orient” and the intellectual debate the new invention brought to the Arab world.
Speaking about reason behind the name ‘Between Science and Art: Early Photography in the Middle East’ Giulia Martini - Historical Photography Archivist at Qatar National Library and Curator of the exhibition said that in the first manifestations, from camera obscura to the daguerreotype, photography seemed to be more of a scientific tool than a form of artistic expression, as its perceived today.
According to her, in an effort to encompass the dual nature of photography, especially in its early years, the exhibition describes the material dimension of photography – from the daguerreotype process to some of the first printing techniques and their commercial implications.
The temporary exhibition will be available for viewing in the Heritage Library area until December 30. Visitors can book their exhibition visit by registering through the Library website. The Library will continue to implement its COVID-19 safety measures to provide a safe and sanitized environment for visitors.
