Image Festival Amman depicts evolution of capital city

AMMAN — The sixth edition of the Image Festival Amman kicked off on Saturday, with 20 exhibitions exploring the theme of “identity”. 

The first exhibition “Amman” opened the display that started as part of the one-month festival, focusing on identity and cherished memories of the capital through the stories of 12 characters. 

The Amman-Hijaz Railway station was the venue for the opening ceremony of the festival, which provided a  unique setting for the event. 

“The idea of the festival is about the identity of Amman and this station is the first project that the area has witnessed,” Linda Al Khoury, the founder of Darat Al Tasweer and the organiser of the festival, said. 

She noted that Saturday’s event highlighted the importance of using culture as a tool to enhance tourism in Jordan. 

“Thanks to the festival, many people had the chance to visit this venue which is not known by many. This is the first time a cultural activity has been held in this location,” she added. 

Khoury noted that the timing of the festival’s theme is relevant in light of the large number of refugees the Kingdom is hosting. 

The festival will display 20 exhibitions with the participation of 18 photographers, from around the world, taking part in both solo exhibitions and joint exhibitions. 

Syrian refugees will also have the chance to present their works during the festival, according to Khoury.

Husam Manasreh, who was among the artists who took part in Saturday’s event, noted the aim of their work is to document how the capital evolved into a multicultural city through the stories of Ammanites they met during their work. 

"Circassians, Armenians, Syrians, Iraqis and many others contributed to the growth of the capital,” he stressed.