Inside Kevork Mourad’s Memory Gates at College of Holy Cross
You arrive in a new place and step through a grand archway. You recognize this place, perhaps from what you have seen in pictures or even dreams. You have never been here before, and yet it feels like you never left. It is not a destination, but a stop on a greater poetic journey. It is everywhere and it is nowhere all at once. Welcome to Memory Gates, an immersive, multi-layered installation created by Syrian artist Kevork Mourad for the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Mourad specializes in large-scale, three-dimensional works that combine printmaking, architectural intrigue, and elements of the artist’s own cultural history. Upon moving to the United States in 1998, Mourad identified a gap in the art world: while galleries and museums touted diversity, the representation of these cultures was only surface level. The artist sought out to create works that showed the multifaceted nature of his own culture, including the importance of stories, ancestors, and family.
Memory Gates surrounds visitors with hand-cut fabric designs of doors and archways, adorned with carvings and calligraphy. Each archway leads to another, creating a bustling city square within the gallery space. Stepping through each threshold is peeling away layer after layer, or better yet, revealing secret after secret. Mourad blends elements of Roman, Islamic, and Babylonian architecture to create a re-imagining of places around the world. Instead of feeling disoriented, visitors are comforted by the notion that they are able to project their experiences and histories onto the walls of this dreamlike place. More than anything else, the exhibition is an equal playing field, allowing visitors to focus on their similarities instead of their differences. It is a phenomenon that Mourad describes as a kind of déjà vu: “You feel like you’ve seen this place in images or like you’ve been there before. You’re feeling this way, and the person next to you is also feeling this way. And somehow you’re connected with other viewers through this experience. I’m interested in this kind of flavor that leaves you with a familiar feeling.”
The need for connection, whether it be to a piece of art or to each other, is something that Mourad understands. Visitors connect with a piece of art primarily through the five senses, and it is a gift that many art lovers were denied in 2020. With Memory Gates, Mourad hopes that visitors will once again let their senses guide their understanding. “You will be sharing the space with the work,” Mourad explains, “even the air surrounding the work. It’s thinking, ‘Oh, are we allowed to breathe the same air?’ But when you move forward, your body will act like a sail, giving you comfort that the air is still there. You are allowed to breathe with the artwork.”
Mourad’s drawing and printmaking techniques are unique and almost entirely improvisational. “When I take the paint, I don’t create any sketches or studies,” he explains, “I only focus on the feeling and the vague idea of how I am creating this project. I rely on the moment and my feelings, and that dictates how I place those lines and gestures.” Kevork compares his process as being similar to calligraphy, where each stroke is created without hesitation and also sets a precedent for the next. The idea that each mark carries a distinct purpose and is integral to the final product is Mindfulness 101. To Mourad there are no such things as mistakes, and each gesture adds to the character of a piece. This mindset is a practice that has taken Mourad years to master, and allowed him to “reprogram” how he views his work. The results are pieces that are uninhibited by the ego. “Once the lines are so powerfully created and clear, it means I am going in that direction,” Mourad states “The river is flowing in one direction and I am going to swim with it.” This fluidity of both form and content is especially prevalent in Memory Gates, where Mourad melds his native languages of Arabic and Armenian to create carvings and calligraphy above each archway. The artist must reverse the image in his mind when placing his designs on the fabric, as everything he prints will be a mirror image. If that were not daunting enough, Arabic is written from right to left, and Armenian from left to right. It is a “mind-bending” experience, according to the artist, and one that takes patience and concentration. However, it produces a poetic and fluid exchange between different languages and cultures.
Collaboration is a part of everything that Mourad creates. He comes to College of the Holy Cross’s campus through its Arts Transcending Borders program, which invites distinguished artists from across the globe to engage with students, faculty, and the Worcester community through workshops, exhibitions, and master classes. The artist and the College have a longstanding relationship from previously presenting his onstage collaboration Home Within, with clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh. Mourad is also the sole visual artist for the Silk Road Ensemble, Grammy Award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s musical group that holds a multi-year residency at College of the Holy Cross.
Interested students signed up to assist Mourad with the installation, gaining firsthand experience from an art world professional. Yonca Karakilic, director of the Arts Transcending Borders program, gave a statement in a press release about the opportunity, “Kevork’s multi-faceted artistry and generosity of spirit have given us many opportunities to connect with public school students and immigrant communities in Worcester during previous campus residencies, and we’re very excited to build on this work together with our partners at the Cantor Art Gallery.” For the first few days of his residency, Mourad worked alone, drawing and creating the large prints. The enlisted students then spread out along the 40-foot sheets of fabric and cut marked lines to create the hangable product. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and the College’s own safety guidelines, fewer students than usual were able to help. However, both Mourad and the College were adamant on providing virtual programming so that the campus community and beyond could stay connected. Lovingly dubbed the “Kevork Cam” by Cantor Gallery director Dr. Meredith Fluke, guests can watch Mourad create Memory Gates in real time via Zoom during three open sessions prior to the exhibition’s premiere on March 4. In addition, Mourad will also give an artist’s talk during a virtual opening reception.
Memory Gates is not just an experience, it is a feeling. It is the visual equivalent of exhaling after stepping through the threshold of your own home. Much of what the art world experienced during 2020 was displacement, not knowing when we would have an opportunity to throw open our doors once more. Galleries and museums are considered a type of home for many, and the new year brings hope that we can return to these sacred spaces. Mourad himself said it best, “It’s comforting that you’re entering a place where the place almost tells you that it’s safe to come in. It could be a
temporary home, or it could be like walking in a dream, but it will give you a sense of, ‘Okay, we are starting to live our lives in a normal way again.’”
Kevork Mourad: Memory Gates
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery at College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA;
holycross.edu/iris-and-b-gerald-cantor-art-gallery
March 4–April 11, 2021