Photographers Hans Christian Jacobsen (right) and Bassam Al-Bader at the opening of the exhibition in Damascus. Photo: Rasmus Steen/IMS

More than 200 guests came to the opening of the photo exhibition "Reflections", which was set up in the beautiful old Palace, "Khan As'as Basha" in Damascus by IMS with support from the Danish Institute in Damascus

During September, the Syrian capitol Damascus laid host to an unusual photo exhibition. Under the title "Reflections", a Danish and a Syrian photographer presented the results of a joint project they carried out over news years 2008 in Denmark and Syria respectively.

In its review of the exhibition, the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat wrote:
- The Danish photographer showed us new places to look at in Damascus. Places we know, but we have never looked at them through his camera lens.

Within the framework of the IMS twinning project for Arab media professionals, Syrian photographer Bassam Al-Bader travelled around Denmark for a week in December 2007. Accompanied by Danish photographer Hans Christian Jacobsen, Bassam set out to capture images from Denmark with the view of an outside eye.

Two months later, the team repeated the exercise, only this time Danish photographer Hans Christian Jacobsen would provide the outside eye on Syria thoroughly guided by Bassam Al-Bader.

Perhaps we aren't that different

The ensuing exhibition included a fine selection of the best shots that, according to the photographers, best captured their findings:

"Our ways of thinking, our ability to observe our perceptions of each other is all built on reflections. This exhibition presents reflections between Damascus and Copenhagen, they said in their presentation", referring to the title of the exhibition.

More than 200 visitors came to the opening of the photo exhibition. Here they could enjoy the photos that were presented as floating images in the beautiful settings of the Khan As'ad Basha palace in the heart of Damascus, which offered the perfect atmosphere to the event with soft light stemming from old lanterns and the soothing sounds of a water fountain.

Forging understanding across borders

IMS ventured into this project as a means to strengthen the understanding between professionals in Europe and the Middle East. The exhibition served to extend the findings of the photographers to the greater public.

The project also involved the Syrian newspaper Baladna and the Danish media company, Nordjyske Medier, who hosted the two photographers during the project.

The exhibition is expected to be presented to a Danish audience during fall 2008. For further information, please contact IMS programme officer Rasmus Steen.