Artworks that will be featured at the exhibition.
The artists were ‘fantastic’ to work with, according to Misha Michael, Assistant Curator KAC.
The exhibition at the cash-strapped KAC to offer many new things, writes Umer Nangiana
Living up to its tradition of promoting young and emerging as well as established artists besides various genres of art work, Katara Art Centre (KAC) is all set to an exciting pair of artists next month in one of its galleries.
Amid financial constraints, the KAC will showcase “Liquid Portraits”, the work of the artist duo Christto and Andrew envisaging multiple complex cultural and social concepts. The exhibition will have many new things in it.
Consisting of photographs and sculptures, Liquid Portraits would reflect upon the complexity of Qatar’s economic progress, historical interpretation of heritage, social identities and the concept of nationality in today’s global context.
It is going to be only the second solo exhibition of the duo’s artwork in Qatar. And, the exhibition is going to be the first completely curated exhibition of KAC’s talented Assistant Curator Misha Michael.
Trained in art and having assisted on multiple other projects at the art centre, Misha was thrilled and excited about the project. The artists were fantastic to work with, said the curator.
“The process has been fantastic, almost like a symbiotic and synergetic one,” Misha told Community. “The most important thing for me is to make sure that what is put together reflects their perfective in addition to how I interpret the work,” she added.
Curating is much more than just putting things together. It is in itself an art involving the complete understanding of artists and their work. Misha said she held several meetings with the artists and viewed their works.
“We have had many conversations about their art and influences and I did a studio visit to see other things they are working on to get a better idea of where they come from and how they work,” said the young curator.
“And because of their engagement I feel I also got more insight to the work. This was helpful for me because it’s my first show,” she added.
One of the artworks featured in Liquid Portraits is “Permanent Temporalities” which was also exhibited in a group exhibition at the HBKU Student Center in collaboration with the University College of London (UCL), Qatar.
Permanent Temporalities is a mixed media sculpture using mainly concrete in its construction. It offers its audience a dialogue with Qatar’s past, present and its aspired future. The photographs from the Liquid Portraits series form a constructed portrait mirroring various facets found both in Qatari and GCC cultures.
“I thought about things that I might have missed out on otherwise,” said Misha. “If Chirstto and Andrew were not involved in the process, my experience of their exhibition and relationship to their work would also be a little bit different,” she added.
Christto and Andrew’s artistic practice evolves as a symbiotic process strengthened by a cross-pollination of their differing backgrounds, one being Puerto Rican and the other South African.
Recently the artistic duo was selected as 2014 Foam Talent for Foam Magazine and will be part of exhibition in Paris and Amsterdam. They have previously exhibited in Spain, USA, Sri Lanka and Qatar. Christto and Andrew are currently represented by East Wing Gallery in Dubai, UAE and Gallery Espai Tactel in Valencia, Spain.
Liquid Portraits will open on October 19 at 6pm at KAC, building 5 in Katara Cultural Village and will last till November 23, 2014. The visiting hours from Sunday to Thursday are 10am-9pm and Friday 2pm-9pm.