Kader Attia, Ghost, Installation
SAATCHI MIDDLE EAST ART SHOW
Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East, Saatchi Gallery, London to 6 May 2009
Advertising mogul and art patron Saatchi is a master at generating extensive high profile media coverage for his shows giving us an uncommon opportunity to synthesise the critics’ views of individual Middle Eastern artists and the show overall. Here are the highlights:
- critics were kind: Saatchi is “back on form” in a show which is “impressive” , “extraordinarily good”
- Tala Madani received rave reviews: “I haven’t come across a young artist this original witty and talented in twenty years”
- Kader Attia’s installation Ghost was the show stopper artwork for most critics
- painting section of the show was weaker than works in other media
- sculpture and installations garnered most critical attention receiving mixed reviews
- varying views were expressed about the success of the organisers’ claim to overturn the cliched idea that the Middle East is synonymous with violence and intolerance
Ranking of artists by number of mentions (positive or neutral unless stated)
- Kader Attia – (5) – Independent, Reuters, Telegraph, Standard (thumbs down), Bloomberg
- Tala Madani – (5) – Time Out, Independent, Guardian/Observer, Telegraph, Standard
- Marwan Rechmaoui – (4) – Time Out, Independent, Guardian/Observer, Standard
- Sara Rahbar – (3) – Time Out, Independent, Reuters
- Rokni Haerizadeh – (3) – Reuters, LA Times, Standard
- Ramin Haerizadeh – (3) – Guardian/Observer, LA Times, Telegraph
- Wafa Hourani – (3) – Time Out, LA Times, Standard
- Ahmed Alsoudani – (3) – Time Out, Standard, Independent
- Halim al-Karim – (3) Reuters, Telegraph, Standard (thumbs down)
- Shirin Fakhim’s – (3) Reuters, Telegraph, Bloomberg
- Diana Al-Hadid – (2) Time Out, Telegraph
- Shadi Ghadirian – (1) Bloomberg
- Hayv Kahraman – (1) Independent
‘Unveiled: New Art From the Middle East’ at London’s Saatchi Gallery – LA Times – Henry Chu – Feb 11 2009
The usual Middle East-related topics of religion and war are not to be seen in this exhibition which is instead dominated by themes of sexuality, gender and religion says Chu. His story focuses on the struggles of the artists with censorship and the threat of officialbacklash. Despite this a thriving art scene is developing in some cities and – surprisingly – Tehran now has over 100 commercial galleries. Artists mentioned include the Haerizadeh brothers Rokni and Ramin (Men of Allah) and Palestinian Wafa Hourani’s whose Qalandia 2067 is a ‘striking’ small-scale model of a refugee camp half a century in the future.
Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East at the Saatchi Gallery – Telegraph– Richard Dorment – Feb 4 2009
Dorment pooh-poohs the ‘sunny’ assertion by Lisa Farjam in the exhibition catalogue that it is a cliche to associate the Middle East with political oppression, religious intolerance and terrorism. He ‘profoundly disagrees’ saying this show is replete with references to bombs, religious police and the denigration of women. The most ‘remarkable’ artists are Kader Attia, Halim Al-Karim (Hidden War) and Diana Al-Hadid (Tower of Infinite Problems) because their work transcends the political. However Dorment finds himself most interested in some of the other artists. Ramin Haerizadeh’s strutting pouting Men of Allahis not the strongest work he says but one of the bravest and suggests the psychosexual motivation of fundamentalism. He mentions work by Shirin Fakhim and refers to Tala Madani (Tower Reflections) ” I haven’t come across a young artist this original witty or talented in 20 years”. Despite the weakness of the painted works, overall the show is much stronger for being ‘less slick and commercial’ than its predecessor, a show of Chinese art.
Unveiled: New Art From The Middle East – Time Out– Ossian Ward – Feb 3 2009
Saatchi has no truck with the high-minded concerns of the academics and curators which is a good thing says Ossian Ward. It means he does not try to provide an explanation for his unapologetic grouping of artists who come from lands which are bewildering in their diversity.
“The sculptural works shine but the paintings disappoint” as does some of the works which border on “gross-out territory” reminiscent of YBA (Young British Artists). Artists discussed include Marwan Rechmaoui (Spectre), Diana Al-Hadid, Wafa Hourani, Ahmed Alsoudani and Tala Madani.
Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East, Saatchi Gallery, London – Independent– Charles Darwent – Feb 1 2009
An ‘impressive’ and ‘extraordinarily good’ show says Darwent in which the united and divided cultures of the West and Middle East are laid bare. Rich with historical and art references, Darwent gives thoughtful reviews of works by Sara Rahbar, Hayv Kahraman, Ahmed Alsoudani, Tala Madani, Kader Attia, and Marwan Rechamoui. Sara Rahbar’s work Flag #19 is singled out.
Noting the interplay of West and Middle East evident across the works, Darwent comments that thartists are Middle Eastern but ‘not quite’ and in fact only 11 of the 19 – and only 2 of the 7 women – artists now live in the region.
The veil is lifted on hidden talent – Guardian/Observer – Laura Cumming – Feb 1 2009
At its best says Cumming this ‘candid collection from the Islamic world is inventive and truly fearless’ though some of the work is a ‘shambolic hybrid of eastern content and western style’ which ‘plays hard to the international art fair and biennale market’. But no matter there are some independent minds: among them are Ramin Haerizadeh- whose satirical sexually-charged photo works are ‘gleefully savage’ – Marwan Rechmanoui and the ‘prodigiously gifted’ and ‘original’ Tala Madani (Holy Light, Elastic Pink). Overall says Cummings it is amazing how far into politics this art goes and points out that the publicity shot of TalaMadini has been treated to conceal her identity despite making her home in Amsterdam.
Subversive Beauty in Unveiled – Standard (This is London) – Ben Lewis – Jan 30 2009
London’s great art entrepreneur is back on form says Lewis and the works by artists from Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq are “thrillingly topical and often brilliantly executed”. There is an excitement in seeing politics through the language of contemporary art rather than the familiar TV images. Highlights are paintings by 3 artists Ahmed Alsoudani, Rokni Haerizadeh and Tala Madani. Marwan Richmaoui and Wafa Hourani are mentioned. Kader Attia is slammed for being “excessively shiny and large” and Halim Al-Karim is also given a thumbs down.
Saatchi show unveils vibrant Middle East art scene – Reuters– Mike Collett-White – Jan 29 2009
This provocative show will test the tolerance of some says Collett-White in a rare opinion at the beginning of this facts-dominated piece covering the inspiration for the show. The recent unrecognised flourishing of artistic communities in Tehran and Beirut is the rationale for the show explains Rebecca Wilson head of development for Saatchi. Apart from French-Algerian Kader Attia and his ‘striking’ piece (Ghost), other artists mentioned include Rokni Haerizadeh (Typical Iranian Wedding, Beach at the Caspian), Halim al-Karim (Hidden Prisoner 1993), Shirin Fakhim’s work about prostitutes incorporating kitchen utensils and Sara Rahbar.
Saatchi shows veiled women made of foil, Iran sex-worker dolls – Bloomberg– Martin Gayford – Jan 29 2009
Full of “brash, sometimes shocking Saatchi-type art” this is clearly a display of one man’s tastes and there is nothing wrong with that says Martin Gayford. Saatchi has a propensity for figurative art “though frankly none of it is that exciting” but it is the sculptures and installations that grab attention and Kadia Attia’s Ghost is a show-stopper. Other artists address women’s issues too and Gayford highlights Shirin Fakhim (Tehran Prositutes) and Shadi Ghadirian’s photographs (Like Everyday Series).
Related links: Saatchi website
Related categories: Middle Eastern art, Iranian art, gender in art, political art, reports from London
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- 28 Iranian women artists in 3 decade survey Masque of Shahrazad London Feb 2009
- Female Middle Eastern artists trendy thanks to Shirin Neshat – Dec 2008
- Which artists from Asia are in the Pompidou collection – Dec 2008 – a number of Iranian artists including Shadi Ghadirian
- Latest update on market for Iranian art – New York Times – Dec 2008
- Five emerging artists from the Middle East – Aug 2008
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