Tasmeem Art & Design Fair

An intersection of art, architecture, and interior design.

Tasmeem Fair, The Saudi Art Council’s latest initiative, was an artistic tribute to architecture and interior design. The exhibition, which ran from Nov. 18-28, featured a number of architects and interior design professionals who constructed evocative art pieces and installments. The theme of Tasmeem was to reflect on the multi-dimensional spaces that we inhabit, and to celebrate the intersection of surface forms and the internal layers of life.

Amar Omar Alamdar

The line-up of artists included Malak Masallati, Payman Moshfeghi, and Ahmad Angawi. Angawi showcased Shai (meaning object), a series of multipurpose furniture designs composed using three basic kinds of plywood units that were arranged to form platforms, seats, and shelves. This one’s for lovers of Islamic art and geometric patterns.

The Pavilion by Amar Omar Alamdar was the Tasmeem exhibit we kept going back to. The breathtaking passage through the Pavilion is an experience carefully curated by Alamdar. “The Pavilion is a metaphor for the beauty of architecture that is disappearing and our heritage that is fading away. My exhibit is based on stages that entice you to feel and contemplate,” he explains.

Experiencing the philosophical depth of the Pavilion begins when you set your eyes on the tantalizing fabrics that form its walls. Alamdar elaborates, “The concept starts with the delicate fabrics and the powerful image (of architectural structure) that they represent. Their transparency creates an illusion where things appear to be but are not there.”

Alamdar’s Pavilion encourages visitors to reach into its depths, to reflect upon every pattern or motif and every detail that was chosen by the artist. “Entering the Pavilion is a nostalgia-driven experience, it’s a look back at our heritage and history. I’m a cancer survivor, and I created the Pavilion from a place of appreciation, for life and nature.”

From developing the concept to creating every detail that goes into the making of the Pavilion, Alamdar has established himself as an artist and interior designer to look out for.

AMAR ALAMDAR
Instagram: amardesign

TASMEEM FAIR
Web: tasmeemfair.com
Instagram: saudiartcouncil