Booth Artists: Babak Golkar, Sahand Hesamiyan, Tarek Al Ghoussien
Beyond Section: Slavs and Tatars
The Third Line is participating in the 8th edition of Abu Dhabi Art, presenting a selection of works by Babak Golkar, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Sahand Hesamiyan and Tarek Al Ghoussein that explore various elements of the design tradition found within Middle Eastern architecture. A site-specific installation by Slavs and Tatars will also be displayed as part of the fair’s Beyond section.
In his series Impositions, Babak applies layers of acrylic paint onto the surface of handmade Persian carpets, turning the ornamented patterns into a monochrome painting. However, no matter how thick the paint is applied, the patterns and colors continuously emerge. Through this process of layering and erasure, a significant and valuable cultural artifact - often ignored as a piece of domestic decoration in a larger architectural context - loses its value by defacement. Yet, it gains value through another cultural process: that of turning into a monochrome painting.
Monir’s work approaches traditional reverse glass painting, mirror mosaics and principles of Islamic Geometry with a modern sensibility. Through her sculptures she presents both a detailed craft and contemporary abstraction that employs an interaction of surface texture, colour, light and reflection, exploring forms that take inspiration from Islamic architecture.
Sahand's works seem timeless; drawn from classical Islamic architecture but novel in their minimal rendition, they present concepts of spirituality in a modern context. In continuation of his practice, the artist analyses the relationship between Iranian architecture and its metaphysical symbolism by stripping away intricate ornamental details to understand the structure within.
Images from Tarek’s Al Sawaber series document forgotten spaces specific to a historical moment in urban development. This current project documents the vestiges of lives lived in Al Sawaber, a government-housing complex in Kuwait slated for demolition. The vignettes provide intimate views into once private worlds, and the portrayals of the interiors and objects tell stories without longing for what once was or lamenting what could have been.
BEYOND SECTION – Slavs and Tatars
Abu Dhabi Art’s public programming includes the Beyond sector which presents large-scale sculptural works and installations within and beyond fair grounds. This year, it includes Slavs and Tatars’ favorite dervish and retroactive mascot Molla Nasreddin the antimodern. The Sufi super-hero faces the past but trots into the future on his donkey, like any wise man would and should. By requiring children and adults alike to hold his belly instead of his back, Molla Nasreddin the antimodern offers lessons on time, progress, and history at no extra cost for those looking for a simple ride.
