The National Museum, represented by the learning Centre, in collaboration with the French Embassy in the Sultanate of Oman, hosted on Tuesday a conference titled “Oman in Photography: A Scenographic Experience Through the Lens of Omani and French Photographers”.
The conference was attended by Veronique Aulagnon, Ambassador of the French Republic to the Sultanate of Oman. It was also attended by photography enthusiasts, members of photography societies, students, teachers, professional and amateur photographers, as well as reputed and emerging visual artists.
Dr Abdulmunim bin Mansour al Hasani, Founder of the Photo Society of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), highlighted the stages that photography underwent in Oman from 1970 until today.
Al Hasani reviewed the early features of photography in Oman during the 60s and 70s and the emergence of some individual Omani photographers.
He also touched on the institutional beginning of photography in 1988 by establishing a mini-group for photography in the Cultural Club. Through this group, photo exhibitions were held and despite their scarceness those gatherings exhibited a fascination with a silent nature, people’s lives and Omani architecture.
Dr Abdulmunim al Hasani pointed out that in an organised manner the photography group at SQU was established during 1990, followed by the Omani Society for Fine Arts in 1993 and the Photography Society in 2012.
Al Hasani highlighted the emergence of student institutions and the Stal Gallery team, in addition to some independent photographers who studied the art of photography and presented their experiences in their own unique way, away from institutional frameworks.
On her turn, Dr Genevieve Galliano, Chief Curator at the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon, touched on the history, activities and departments of the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon, and explained the reasons of the Museum’s invitation to Ferrante Ferranti and the artistic purpose of this collaboration.
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