Announcing the 2022 Arab Documentary Photography Program Grantees

 

Karrar Nasser, The Land of Water, the Land of Thirst (Iraq)

Alongside The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) and the Prince Claus Fund (PCF), we are pleased to announce twelve new projects to be supported as part of the ninth cycle of the Arab Documentary Photography Program (ADPP).

The Arab Documentary Photography Program offers production support for long-term creative projects within a six-month individual mentorship program with Randa Shaath, Eric Gottesman, Tanya Habjouqa, and Peter van Agtmael. Over the course of the program, the photographers come together for two intensive workshops to aid in the development of their projects. This year’s photographers are:

  • Ahmed Merzagui, Your Life is a Career |Algeria

  • Ali Al Shehabi, Men of the Pearl |Bahrain

  • Celia Bougdal, You Can See Me, But I Can’t |Algeria

  • Gabriel Ferneini, Doumari |Lebanon

  • Iman Djamil, About Us |Morocco

  • Karrar Nasser, The Land of Water, the Land of Thirst |Iraq

  • Lamees Saleh, Indefinitely |Egypt

  • Mennatalah Khaled, But You Won’t Notice |Egypt

  • Mohammed Nammoor, 11 Years under the Sun |Syria

  • Nidal Rohmi, Gaza the City of Amputees |Palestine

  • Sara Kontar, Exile on a Couch |Syria

  • Sara Younes, At a Peter Pan Movement |Egypt

Ali Al Shehabi, Men of the Pearl (Bahrain)

This year’s jury included: Kristen Lubben, Executive Director of the Magnum Foundation; Nadia Bseiso, a Jordanian photographer and former ADPP grant recipient; and Hrair Sarkissian, a Syrian artist and photographer. They issued the following statement:

This year we saw intriguing projects. The uncertain economic situation and post-Covid world brought into light several projects on identity and belonging: those who stay and those forced to leave home, from the aftermath of the Syrian conflict to personal stories from the Syrian diaspora, as well as documenting migrants from North Africa living in transit, trying to find a place to call home. Other topics delved into male identity in the Arab world and the Gulf, masculinity vs vulnerability, as well as not often discussed topics on mental health and drug addiction.

It was encouraging to see emerging photographers in our region who showed great potential and were keen to document their personal narratives with different approaches, including mixed media, analogue photography, conceptual and traditional documentary photography. The applications also showed a deep awareness of our region’s narratives, including urgent topics like water scarcity.

The program was created to support and amplify creative approaches to visual storytelling that challenge conventional narratives about the region. The twelve selected projects reflect a range of personal, social, political, and environmental issues, such as generational differences in Algeria; the ambitions and challenges of Palestinians who lost limbs during the Gaza war; and mental illness in Egypt.

Iman Djamil, About Us (Morocco)

As the new grantees begin their projects, participants of the 2021 — 2022 cycle are finalizing their visual stories. Learn more about the program and the projects by previous grantees here.

 
Sarah Perlmutter