Sometimes I find the most engaging and thought provoking exhibitions are the ones of which I had no expectation, and possibly would not have attended apart from chance. Thus being in New York in a certain period, and wanting to see a range of galleries lead us to the New Museum. The exhibition on show was ‘Here and Elsewhere’, an exhibition of work by 45 artists who share a background in the Arab world. The works ranged in scale from painted match boxes to 2 m x 2 m digital projections, from small scale sculptures to a massive sculpture of an abandoned, destroyed apartment block (easily 4 metres long). The works conveyed the deep seated emotions of the artists, reflecting the pain, frustration and pathos of the plight of displaced people and people suffering oppressive leadership. A deeply moving and unsettling exhibition.
