Tribe 09

Page 16

REVIEW Images - Courtesy of Ithra. Writer - Abeer Mishkhas, journalist.

Ithra: Zamakan Eleven artists contemplate space and time through geometry, poetry and desert sounds Zamakan is an unusual expression, combining the

Here we see Malluh doing what she does best,

two Arabic words for time (zaman) and space (makan).

arranging an installation to draw the viewer in and

Ithra invited 11 contemporary Saudi artists to construct

make them feel part of the work. She contemplates the

artwork portraying their perspectives on the concepts

power of oil and its effect on every aspect of Saudi life.

of space and time. Pestana sees Oil Candies as a “homage to the According to Candida Pestana, the exhibition’s

Kingdom and the changes brought by oil.” She

curator, “the artists were invited to reflect on these

discerns yet more meaning in the sheer size of the

concepts from both a physical and a philosophical

installation; some 74 oil barrels displayed across a 10

point of view, to explore distinctive spaces and

X 4 meters wall to represent “the enormous impact

dimensions in different times.”

of oil on the country,” said Pestana, adding that the crushed barrels, which resemble discarded candy

The results were individual interpretations of

wrappers, represent “the sugar rush you get from

‘Zamakan,’ drawing upon rich cultural heritage

candy,” or in this case, the “oil rush.” It has been a

as a unifying element. The exhibition showcases

burst of energy infused into the country, but what

the artists’ different art forms as sculpture, video,

happens when the rush is over?

photography and installations.

The artists talk about their space and their time. It’s their individual viewpoint, and they are addressing this particular community In this artwork, the artist uses agate stone, which is local to Saudi Arabia, to mark traces on a mould. Pestana

In The Sound of the Desert, Abdullah Al-Othman

explains that “each stone is different and each trace

Contrary to the vastness of the ‘Zamakan’ theme,

portrays himself within the context of the vast,

is different. What he is talking about is ecological

the exhibition draws from a specific space and time.

arid expanses of the country to reflect on the

communities. From a wider perspective, all stones

It is made by Saudi and Saudi based artists and

theme of the exhibition. His video performance

look the same, but when you get closer, you will be

addresses a Saudi audience. “The artists talk about

shows him in the middle of the desert, surrounded

astounded at how singular and unique each stone is.”

their space and their time. It’s their individual

by microphones, where the artist recorded a

Pestana sees in The Sailing Stone, the artist’s intent

viewpoint, and they are addressing their community.

performance while listening to the sounds around

in “exploring how individuality can be perceived in

We wanted to do an exhibition with concepts that

him at different times and from five different

different ways; it just depends on your perspective.”

are known to everyone, yet everyone has a different

angles. It is that sound change and variation that

notion about them,” said Pestana.

Al-Othman wants the viewer to perceive.

One of the works that resonates most strongly is a

The desert also inspired Ayman Zedani in his work

acquired and honed his skills of traditional woodcutting,

massive installation by Maha Malluh, entitled Oil

The Sailing Stone, which depicts a Saudi ecological

and in this exhibition, he puts his learning to good use

Candies, consisting of crushed oil barrels, each

journey through the natural phenomenon of rocks

by illustrating the power of geometrical shapes. Flow

brightly coloured and attached in rows to the wall. It’s

inscribing long tracks on the valley floor without

#2 arranges transparent PVC tubes in a pattern that

a reflection on the effects oil has had on Saudi Arabia.

human or animal intervention.

reflects the geometry of the space.

Ahmad Angawi works with geometry. While studying at the Prince’s School for Traditional Arts in London, he

16 tribe


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