The
Column
JORDAN
This mural talks about our individual responsibility in society. It has opposite interpretations depending on the beholder because the same image can be oppressive or empowering. The capital is a symbol of cultural heritage, in this image, it’s one of the Nabatean columns of Petra. The mural shows local cultural elements but it also represents issues of a global society.
The mural was censored. Before the production, we had the approval of organizers, building owners, and the municipality. On the third day of painting, calls started to come in from the governmental ends about one aspect of the mural. Frantic energy started to emerge as arguments over the placement of a “stone” (the capital) on top of the Jordanian Hatta led to huge disrespect to higher governing states. Many discussions happened about changing the Hatta at this point.
So much outrage was caused by only certain colors and paint strokes. It highlighted the fear of artistic expression and its power to even slightly loosen the grip of control that the authority has.
American
Dream
USA
Represents a real homeless from Miami painted on an abandoned asylum of the Liberty City neighborhood, one humble neighborhood of Miami. The city is well known for its tourist nightlife, the sun and beaches, Wynwood murals, and Art Basel. But there is a more realistic face of Miami that we can see through people living in the streets. Miami has the worst statistics on life quality from all over the United States.
The
Fall
SPAIN
Beholders
NORWAY
A timely look at the ongoing migrant crisis.
On one side there is the passive position of the observer, on the other side there is the position of the artist. Both act as beholders of the critical situation.
With sunken ships being paraded at Biennales as art, this is a direct shot at both the art establishment and the media coverage of these tragic events. Now we are one week before the elections of the new government in the city and we’re almost shocked by the recent post by Sylvi Listhaug a politician of Norway where was using an image with similar rhetoric of the mural (the image shown in the last picture of this post), but where people is claimed to refuse the immigrants. The text of the post says: Norway should not accept immigrants.
