Unveiled: New Art??
Ghost by Kader Attia
Unveiled: New Art From The Middle East
Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, London, SW3 4SQ
I visited this exhibition with fellow Global Media students Rounwah, Osama and Fazilet. I went with a completely open mind, intrigued as to what art from the Middle East actually looked like. I whole heartedly accept that it is not possible all the art that originates from the Middle East come under one label. Geographically, the Middle East is a diverse terrain and the same analogy can be applied to the art produced by Middle Eastern artists. So it would be redundant of me to use terms such as “Arabic”, “Islamic” or even “Middle East” to a certain extent.
Nevertheless, I entered the exhibition filled with trepidation. While touring the exhibition, I felt a mixture of emotions. Some art pieces I was able just to appreciate for the use of colours and shapes as they were visually stunning (very simplistic I know, but I am a self confessed newbie when it comes to the art world!) and the emotions invoked by the pieces. These pieces were done by artists Sara Rahber, Laleh Khorramian and Halim Al-Karim. However, there were some art installations which invoked a combination of surprise, anger, confusion and disbelief. One such installation was Kader Attia’s “Ghost” in which a group of Muslim women in prayer are depicted as having their bodies as vacant shells, empty hoods devoid of personhood or spirit. When I first saw this installation I was genuinely confused. I could not understand why the artist would want to depict women as empty when they are praying to God. I understand that the artist may wish to convey a message but I felt that this installation was distasteful, which ultimately led me to feel anger towards the art piece. However, after I had left the exhibition, I came to the realisation that the artist may not have meant to convey any message pertaining to the religious use of that position. The artist may have simply used this shape in order to convey a completely different message. Nevertheless, I would have to say that my first thought was that it was indeed trying to convey a message about Islam as Islam is what I immediately associate this position with.
To talk about the rest of the exhibition, I felt that the majority of the pieces did truly imbue “contemporary” as none of the pieces retain any classical designs or styles. As I have mentioned, some pieces were not to my liking, but then again this is “art”!
I have to mention the gallery itself, it seemed to be the perfect setting for these pieces to be “unveiled”!
I would recommend people to visit this exhibition and to go with open minds. If you are a complete novice to art from the Middle East, like myself, you will find the exhibition extremely interesting and thought-provoking. I cannot speak on behalf of the people who have a more in depth knowledge of Middle Eastern art, but I still urge you as well to visit!
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I found that exhib. very problematic actually! Some of the piece smiled at the western public expecting the women in Middle East secluded and marginalised. It feels an ‘orientalist’ yet approach to the ‘other’ from Saatchi gal.
hOW many other women will get such a space if there are not showing the ‘liberation’ – ‘occupation’ done by ‘us’.
Thanks to the Saatchi gall. to remind us how caring we are to liberated these women from their ‘veil’.