ATHR Gallery at Art Basel
Muhannad Shono, Art Basel. (Supplied)
Saudi art gallery ATHR presented two new projects by Saudi artists at Art Basel Unlimited this year.
Zahrah Alghamdi’s “Streams Move Oceans” (pictured TKTK) is a 15-meter suspended knotted-textile installation. “Alghamdi anchors her spatial play in the form of a wall: a physical manifestation of the intangible lines that shape our psychological landscapes,” the gallery explained in a press statement. “Viewers are subsumed within the texture of the piece, where they confront the magnitude of constructed divisions; they are forced to walk alongside the ‘wall,’ mimicking the act of patrolling or traversing a border.”
Zahrah Al Ghamdi. (Art Basel)
The off-white coloring of the piece, and its material, the statement continued, “lend a softness to the work, whereas the weight of the knots and the labor-intensive repetition provide a grounding, monumental presence … While the piece evokes the permanence of a … solid barricade, its reliance on fragile cloth underscores the vulnerability of the structures we build between one another.”
The other piece presented by ATHR was Muhannad Shono’s 17-meter-wide installation “Towers of Infinite Horizons,” formed by segments of reclaimed foundry sand — a material designed to be temporary — over a metal lattice structure lain on its side. “By reconfiguring the ritual of ascent into a lateral, bodily traversal, Shono interrogates the vertical logic of towers, historically machines of authority and doctrine, presenting instead a fallen monolith; an attentive, listening structure,” the gallery notes state. “For new narratives to emerge, monoliths must fall. In collapse, space opens. When towers fall, they relinquish singular authority and unfold into infinite horizons.”
Tamer Hosny
‘Mesh Hatkarrar’
The Egyptian pop superstar’s latest album was released late last month exclusively on Anghami. With more than 10 million streams in its first three days, the record quickly reached No. 1 on the streaming platform in 16 MENA markets, and reached the top of Anghami’s Total MENA chart. The launch concert took place in Jeddah, as part of the artist’s current tour. “As an artist, nothing compares to the joy of hearing people sing along to the songs from my album from the very day it was released,” Hosny said in a press release. “It’s truly something special.”
Marshmallow Laser Feast
Marshmallow Laser Feast, 'Evolver.' (Supplied)
‘All That Is Unseen’
Northwestern University in Qatar has announced that an exhibition by the acclaimed London-based art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast will open at its Media Majlis Museum on Oct. 5. It is the first time MLS will have exhibited in the region. The exhibition has already been shown in Australia and New Zealand, and according to a press release has “earned recognition for its capacity to connect audiences with the natural world through the power of screen culture and immersive art.” The show, the release adds, “combines scientific research with immersive storytelling to reveal worlds that exist beyond the limits of human perception.” Works on show include “Evolver” (pictured).
Alyoung & Randar
Alyoung (left), Randar (right). (Supplied)
‘R2’
The veteran Jeddah-based rap duo dropped their latest EP, “R2” last week, marking 18 years of music-making. Don’t call it a comeback, though. “The name … points to a second round and a new level reached,” according to a press release. The four-track EP, released via MDLBEAST Records and YR Records, is, the release states, “rooted in old-school craft with a forward-facing edge” and is about “staying power, self-awareness, and remaining true to the path regardless of the noise around it.” Aside from the title track, the EP also includes “Lessa Lessa,” “Asabi3 Shama,” and “Al Halazona.”
