26 August 2015
BACA to participate in an Arab Artists Workshop in China
In the framework of activating the memorandum of understanding to support the cultural and civilizational exchange signed by the kingdom of Bahrain and the People's Republic of China during the visit of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Culture, has named artist Mariam Haji to represent Bahrain at the sixth artists meeting workshop along with Arab artists to embody the cultural cooperation among civilizations.
Mariam Haji will participate in the Arab Arts Festival, which is a large-scale international festival hosted by China’s Ministry of Culture, Chinese Foreign Ministry, and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, from 12 August -2 September. Aiming to share Arab culture in China and boost ties between China and Arab countries, the festival will shed light on each country’s respective heritage and will see more than 300 artists from 13 countries take part in the event that includes fashion shows, music, performance and art.
Last year in September 2014 Bahrain took part in this festival, which gathered many Arab culture ministers with performance galas by famous Bahraini artists, art and fashion exhibitions, and a Chinese and Arabic Cultural Forum, in addition to promoting tourism in Bahrain. In addition, Bahrain also took part in the Silk Road Festival in the city of Chian, which dates back, as Bahrain Fort does, to 5,000 years ago. Indeed, over the course of 2,500 years, the Silk Road fostered the exchange of customs, religious beliefs, and skills that led to significant advances in medicine, craftsmanship, technology, and the arts. Forged by tradesmen and travelers alike, the Silk Road is a powerful testament to the rich experiences gained from exploring new ideas and journeying through unfamiliar terrain.
Mariam Haji was born in 1985 and raised in the kingdom of Bahrain. She has been awarded with a diploma in Art and Design at Dundee College, Scotland, before completing a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts and Drawing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. After completing her degree, Mariam stayed in Melbourne and worked as a Middle East Project Manager for Metasenta projects at RMIT where she has been heavily involved in producing new work, taking part in various art shows, and is actively engaged in creating and conducting programs aimed at exposing art from Bahrain and the Middle East to the rest of the world, in addition to working with Art workers Alliance as a Project Officer for the Brisbane ARC Biennial 2009. Since the Venice Biennale, Mariam has been invited to lead several artist talks, teaching workshops and participate in group exhibitions in Berlin, Finland, Paris, Zurich, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan.
