Saraab by Cai Guo-Qiang

During my short visit to Doha couple of weeks ago, I have visited Mathaf (Museum of Modern Art) for Cai Guo-Qiang's exhibition... Saraab...

Cai tried to combine both Chinese and Gulf cultures for he saw some similarities even with the different contexts...

Here are some snapshots of the exhibition...

As you enter MAthaf... An installation is made by group of rocks... Rocks are carved with traces of Arabic calligraphy  founded in China... The rocks extend all the way to the outdoor...

This piece is called "endless"... They are two gulf dhows and a boat from China... Their slight movement suggests the idea of travel or staying in rest...

As you move inside the gallery another artwork reveals itself.... "Route" is made by gunpowder on paper... a medium that Cai mastered through his career... The piece describe the maritime silk road and the rout from Quanzhou to Doha..

The boats also represent a link to the historical Silk Road that originated in Quanzhou... The artwork presents different ways in which traditions and cultures are compared in different coastal regions of the world. 

With ink, the artist adapted the destination coordinates, sailing times, and celestial navigation of the 17th century Chinese map

"flying together"

Another hall with his artworks... gunpowder on paper

Gunpowder on paper... Abayas silhouettes then a masterpiece!

The juxtaposition of gunpowder with Chinese porcaline and the Arabic calligraphy (Arabic word for fragile) suggests a fragility in human relationships, whether between individuals, nations or cultures

The type of porcaline is being manufactured near the artsit's hometown which was historically traded by sea to the Arab World

Last but certainly not the least is my favourite work of the artists "Ninety nine horses" some horses are drawn using gunpowder and some are shadows casted by horses' figures from the ceiling

The number 99 resembles infinity in Chinese culture while in Arabic culture it recalls the 99 names of Allah

Other halls had several monitors and projectors to view the whole process of producing the artoworks and installing them....

Hope you enjoyed this little virtual tour ^^" Feel free to post any comments....  

Salaam,

T

I am the other

Hello everyone! 

I have participated recently in the exhibition "I am the other" which is taking a place in an abandoned resturant in the "eventful" Adliya. "Bohemia" with its destroyed walls and broken windows seemed to be the perfect place for a group of young artists to showcase their talent. 

"I am the other" is a concept that demonstrates how we include and exclude the others...How we go one building walls to keep the other away. IT is also shows that, for the others, you your self become " the other". 

Each artist translated this concept differently, here are some images for the exhibition and some of the great work it has... 

Across the entrance, is the work of Nada Alaradi where she puts you and the other in a glass window to portray the idea that one can be the other within moments

An artwork by Mohammad Falamarzy on the elevators doors... You can guess that the artists didn't leave an empty spot

On the left from Falamarzy's, Brad filled a whole room with artworks that "literally" puts east and west face to face!

On the other side, Adel Alabbasi had his installation of post-its sketches

On your way up, the ambient atmosphere from a little room drags you into Ahmad Anan's lighting fixtures

On the first floor, a work done by my friend Edd for a litrature piece written by Sabeeka Alshamlan

Another Paste-work by Edd

Another great art work by Leon.D, a part of 3-murals concept

Across from Leon's, two contradicting artworks by another friend of mine; Huvil

And in the other rooms comes my installation art/ live perforemance where I had a whole 3 walls filled with "Alsha'b Yoreed" or "People Demand" with me crossing each one to write "Ana Oreed" or "I want" instead.

Concept: 

Living in a time when words like "religion" and "human rights" are being abused; politics became the main theme subject for the young and the old...

"al-sha'b yoreed" or "people demand" has been extremely popular until it reached a point where it became an expression for the individual rights rather than group rights... The piece demonstrates this conflict between "I" and "the people" and how "alsha'b yoreed" has been abused to represent rather individual demands for the price of the others'.

Thank you for visiting ^_^

Salaam!