ARTIST

Monira Al Qadiri

Monira Al Qadiri's solo booth at Asia Now includes a selection of sculptures from three recent bodies of works and her latest film CRUDE EYE. They all deal with the topic of petrol, its immense influence on contemporary life, and its devastating political and

environmental impact. At the center of the presentation are the three works from the series ORBITAL (2022), which were first exhibited at the 59th Venice Biennale. ORBITAL are rotating 3D-printed sculptures coated with iridescent automotive paint, representing drill heads and em- bodying the unnerving potency of oil drilling. Spinning in the air, these shining drill heads create an experience of wonder; they become a terrifying symbol of environmental devastation.

 The message about oil's devastating power is culminated in a work from Al Qadiri's ONUS series. During the Gulf War in Kuwait (1990-91), the carcasses of birds, fish, live- stock, and many other species regularly lined the coastline and deserts of the nation- the result of massive toxic clouds fed by hundreds of torched oil wells. Through this work, the artist has attempted to breathe life back into her memories by recreating these birds as glass objects, making tangible the disaster she witnessed while simultaneously demonstrating the fragility of our memories when images move across time, space, and cultures. The installation ONUS has already been exhibited in Al Qadiri's solo exhibitions at Blaffer Art Museum, Houston (2022) and Kunsthaus Bregenz (2023).