Nisma Rafiq

Saudi Gazette

 

‘Unlimited’ series opened last week at Art Basel. The segment was curated by New York-based curator Gianni Jetzer.



It is an outstanding and a pioneering platform that offers to exhibit projects that are beyond any limitations.



Works that were focused on the Middle East included Wael Shawky’s “Cabaret Crusades: The Secrets of Karbalaa”, “Marionetts” presented by Sfeir-Semler Gallery (Beirut), Kader Attia’s “Arab Spring” presented by Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Les Moulins) and Maha Mulluh’s Food For Thought ‘Almoallaqatt’ presented by Galerie Krinzinger (Vienna).



Arab culture is largely a literary one and Saudi artist Maha Malluh was interested in the visual culture of the region.



The famous Saudi artist used aluminum cooking pots of various sizes from around the Kingdom to showcase her work.



The sizes vary from pots that fit a leg of lamb to those that fit three camels. “The title of this work, is Food for Thought ‘Al-Muallaqat’, a reference to the great muallaqat, or ‘Hanging Odes’, canonical Arabic poems by great pre-Islamic or jahili poets from Arabia that once were hanging on the Ka’ba in Mecca” explained Malluh.



“Unfortunately, these canonical Arabic poems are studied and read as being part of a lost heritage, a past golden age which bears reflection on our modern realities as Saudis.



This is also met with astonishing records as to the percentage of the reading public in the Arab world.



Thus, what this work calls out for is a reconnection with our literary heritage, but using the visual medium to do so in order to communicate with the rest of the world.”



Malluh  believes these hanging pots are both a salute to literary heritage, and a testament to the current need for everything visual.



“These pots speak of our revived archaeological search for our visual heritage, our culture that has been in the shadows of our literary heritage for so long.



Without dismissing the significance and aesthetic beauty of the original muallaqat, this work both acknowledges the position poetry has in Arab culture and heritage, whilst simultaneously allowing for an engaging visual dialogue with the remainder of the world.”



She got tremendous feedback at Art Basel, “I am happy that my work Food for Thought “Al Muallaqat” was well received by the crowd and was sold in the first hour of the show.



Malluh was born in traditional region of Najd and has been exhibiting since 1976. Her other works were exhibited by Edge of Arabia around the world.