The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts Announces Its Artistic Agenda for October
Amman5 min read
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The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts has announced its artistic agenda for October, which includes a series of exhibitions and artistic events that vary between visual arts, design, architecture, and Arabic calligraphy, and address issues of memory, identity, the environment, and the relationship between humans and place in conjunction with the events of "Amman Design Week 2026".
This was announced during a press conference held by the Director General of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Dr. Khaled Khrais, at "Wajdan/ Art Space" in the museum in the presence of the architect Maisaa Al-Bataineh, Director of the "Meysam Architects" Foundation, which is cooperating with the museum in organizing an exhibition on architecture and memory in Jabal Al-Luweibdeh.
Khrais said that the events of October intersect with the theme of this year's "Amman Design Week" which is held under the slogan "Accumulations" through qualitative exhibitions that address issues related to the identity of the place, its memory, and the preservation of the urban and social characteristics that shaped it over time.
He added that the museum participates in the events of the week by opening its spaces and halls to artistic works in the field of design, starting from its mission to interact with and support specialized creative activities held in Amman.
The museum will open on October 5th a documentary exhibition entitled "When Places Awaken with Creativity" that reviews the journey of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts since its establishment in 1980, and what the institution later witnessed in terms of expansion and development with a focus on the buildings of the museum complex and its internal and external spaces and their relationship with the architectural identity of Jabal Al-Luweibdeh. The exhibition, which opens at six in the evening in the first museum building, will continue until December 31st.
In the same context, on the same day, the exhibition "What Next... What Remains/ Architecture Between Memory and Awareness" organized by the "Meysam Architects" Foundation, in cooperation with the National Museum, will be opened as part of the "Amman Design Week 2026" events.
Architect Maisaa Al-Bataineh said that the exhibition links the concept of "accumulation" and the identity of the place, explaining that the choice of Jabal Al-Luweibdeh came because it is one of the neighborhoods that embodies an aspect of Amman's identity and its urban and social spirit.
She pointed out that the project seeks to draw attention to the urban changes witnessed by the neighborhood, confirming that the goal is not to stand against development and change, but to call for responsible development that preserves the specificity of the place, its urban vocabulary, and its memory.
The exhibition is based on a personal experience linked to a demolished house and lost stones, moving from this memory to reading Jabal Al-Luweibdeh through its current reality, using photographs, architectural drawings, models, film, and sound, to highlight the relationship between buildings, streets, stairs, gardens, and trees, and what they collectively form as an urban fabric and memory of the place.
The exhibition "What Next... What Remains/ Architecture Between Memory and Awareness" will continue until October 26th in the second museum building.
The museum will also open on October 5th an art exhibition entitled "Together" by the artists Rajwa Ali and Karma Bint Abbas, which brings together two generations and two artistic practices in a joint work inspired by the palm tree from an Islamic and spiritual perspective.
The exhibition addresses the palm tree as a symbol of roots, steadfastness, giving, memory, and the connection between the land and beyond, while the participating works reflect concepts of heritage, memory transfer, knowledge, craftsmanship, and belonging from one generation to another. The exhibition will continue until November 10th in the second museum building.
On October 4th, the activities of the "Art and Environment... Reshaping Reality" forum will begin at "Wajdan/ Art Space" with the participation of 16 emerging artists and artists from Jordan, who were selected through a general invitation launched by the museum at the level of the Kingdom.
The forum provides participating artists with a space for production and experimentation within the museum to develop works inspired by the environment and surroundings, and to repurpose daily materials and elements with contemporary artistic styles, in addition to providing a space for dialogue and exchange of experiences. The forum will conclude with a group exhibition of the participating artists' outputs, opening at five in the evening on October 13th in the first museum building, and will continue until the 26th of the same month.
As part of the museum's openness to Arab and international artistic experiences, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Jordan, it will host an Arabic calligraphy exhibition entitled "Merj Al-Bahrain" by the South African calligrapher Mohamed Hubi, and the exhibition will open on October 14th in the "Wasl Gallery" at the National Museum - Building 2, and will continue until the 24th of the same month.
The museum's agenda for October reflects a diversity of artistic programs, with a clear focus on the relationship between art, identity, memory, place, and the environment, in addition to strengthening partnerships with local and international cultural and artistic institutions.
