
Muhannad Shono سعودي, 1977
From the Land 10, 2024
Reclaimed sand, gum arabic, resin
Variable dimensions
Copyright The Artist
In From the Land, the spirit of Al-Khidr manifests itself through a series of sculptures. Beds of sand are sprayed at intervals with resin as if they were irrigated. Once...
In From the Land, the spirit of Al-Khidr manifests itself through a series of sculptures. Beds of sand are sprayed at intervals with resin as if they were irrigated. Once hardened, “skins” are peeled from the surface, creating brittle bark-like shapes that come from the land. Their irregular forms resemble otherworldly mushrooms reaching skywards or vessels anticipating cargo. In many ways these scabs of earth suggest healing, as if a protective dermis were lifted from the land and now stands between ground and firmament, and between scar and wound. These sculptures with their jagged edges also expand time. They look like archaeological artefacts or fossils excavated from an unknown past, as much as they could be extra-terrestrial. Remarkably, they have been birthed by a burial. The artist spent months scattering layers of sand upon layer, before harvesting these shapes. Alien and wonderful, these objects are decidedly grounded, but still, they do not seem to belong.
Exhibitions
The Ground Day Breaks, ATHR Riyadh, February 18 - May 20 20241
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