Crystal Fluidity

The 1st Salalah Art Symposium Crystal Fluidity loosely follows the approach of the 1st UAE Art Biennale held in Al Ain, UAE in 2016. The intention is to bring together international artists to exchange ideas and create a space for dialogue. The sharing of artistic inspiration between East and West is an important message of the symposium.

The title of the exhibition, Crystal Fluidity, refers to the historical and environmental contexts of the city of Salalah in Oman. The cultural development of the region is closely linked to its historical role as the source of the world's finest frankincense, the much sought-after spice produced from the resin of local Boswellia trees. Local legend attributes the origin of the resin to the story of the ill-fated love affair between a jinn girl and a human boy. Such a union is a violation of jinn rules, and so the girl was turned into a tree as punishment; since then, she has continually shed crystal tears that bear the taste of sorrow. Burning frankincense produces a smoke with a distinctive aroma which, in a spiritual sense, connects man with heaven. People in Oman say of the Boswellia tree: 'From my branches flows a liquid that makes millions of hearts beat when they hear its name'.

The symposium creates a platform for retelling these myths and many other stories. The diversity of artistic expression in the medium of painting reflects the different cultural backgrounds of each artist, reflecting the intangible heritage and the visual vortex of a globalized world.