ReOrient yourself Identifying the Middle East at the I.D.E.A. Space, in its own terms

COLORADO SPRINGS INDEPENDENT
By Miguel Bustamante
COURTESY I.D.E.A. SPACE - 'Interestingly ambiguous': Detail, Essaydi's 'Harem #18.'
COLORADO---Let's be honest, the Middle East has gotten a bad rap. With an expanding amount of media attention drawn to violent acts by violent groups, it's no wonder the identity of this region of 20-some nations remains as elusive, distorted and inaccessible to the western world as ever. This week, however, Colorado College's new I.D.E.A. Space exhibit opens the proverbial iron curtain with ReOrientations: Defining and Defying 19th Century French Images of the Arab World. [link]