Art Across Borders

While art is far from a novelty in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the rest of the world is only now getting acquainted with its thriving scene.

- Kames Narayanan

ART IS OFTEN said to be found in even the most unexpected of places. Yet, learning that Bahrain — an island country in the Persian Gulf that ranks as the third-smallest nation in Asia after Maldives and Singapore — boasts a thriving art scene does warrant surprise.

The kingdom, that counts a population of less than 2 million, is acknowledged as the first in the Perisan Gulf to diversify its economy beyond the rich oil industry. Since the late 20th century, Bahrain has channelled its efforts towards the banking and tourism sectors, most recently dipping its arm into the art sector. In fact, the city’s public-government organisation, Tamkeen, tasked with zooming in on the economic potential of Bahrain’s private sectors, sees its largest contributions to the art realm in its support of the three-year old international contemporary art fair, Art Bahrain Across Borders (ArtBAB).