Join the Middle East Institute for a short film screening and discussion with curator Noor Aldabbagh, followed by hors d'oeuvres and drinks. A pre-event reception will be held starting at 6:45pm. The main event will take place from 7:00pm to 8:15pm, with a post-event reception from 8:15pm to 9:00pm.

What does the word flow mean to you? This is the question that curator Noor Aldabbagh posed to contemporary artists across Saudi Arabia last year. Their visual answers touched on everything from the flow of refugees across international borders to the flow of concrete in the ever-expanding sprawl of the modern city. The result was a groundbreaking serieis of collaborative events across Jeddah that brought together interpretive pieces from over thirty emerging Saudi artists. Now, audiences in San Francisco can get a behind the scenes view of the unprecedented new energy in the contemporary Saudi art scene.

Noor Aldabbagh will share and discuss a short film about art and public space in her native Saudi Arabia through the stories of three featured artists. This event will be moderated by Lawrence Rinder, Director of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.

ABOUT NOOR ALDABBAGH
Noor Aldabbagh is a Saudi curator dedicated to building cross-cultural understanding through the arts and to integrating the arts into all aspects of society. She is the founder of Banafsajeel, an award-winning platform that promotes collaborative art and design projects that highlight artistic talent in the Gulf region. Previously she managed the Intercultural Projects Department at Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, where she supported cross-cultural programming around the globe, including the opening of the Islamic Art Hall at the Louvre. Along with her work in the arts, Aldabbagh has directed a documentary about her native Saudi Arabia and actively promotes social entrepreneurship in her community. She holds a B.A. in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard and an M.A. in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Arts in London.