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
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