Shifting Sands

A sustainable future for all societies relies on a deep-rooted and respectful human relationship with the natural world. In the Arab World the challenge of maintaining this equilibrium has been compounded by political instability, over-intensive agriculture and construction, deforestation, diversion of water courses and latterly the global climate emergency.

Shifting Sands presented together five interlinked projects by award-winning young photographers from North Africa and the Middle East, each with a strong creative vision poetically addressing, for different reasons and purposes, similar issues in their respective territories and environments.

Many layers of history and memory, personal and collective, are inscribed in the natural and man-altered landscapes we inhabit. Rapid population growth and urbanisation have resulted in dramatic changes to these landscapes and natural habitats. These changes displace longstanding communities and have major social, geopolitical and environmental impacts.

Each of the five projects in the exhibition contains a call to action – how we can use the land in a sustainable manner, ensure that biodiversity and clean water supply are preserved, cherish traditional ways of life whilst moving forward and embracing modernity, and in doing so maintain our sacred bond with Mother Nature.

Weaving together photography, poetry, embroidery, calligraphy, sound, found objects and archival material, analogue and digital processes, the work featured at Casa Árabe is visually rich and compelling, whilst containing powerful ecological messages.