Prehistoria

Monira Al Qadiri

Summary

"Prehistoria" shows ten individual 2D cross-sections of a drill head, artfully painted to resemble mother-of-pearl. The aluminum sheets with a thickness of five millimeters were placed on the wall, whereby special challenges had to be overcome in the development of the suspension system.

Services

Planning, production, painting, installation

Project manager

Pascal Bargon

Client

Expo 2020 Dubai

Year

2020

Commissioned by Facebook Open Arts

Sculptural forms from the underwater world

In her wall installation "Prehistoria", Al Qadiri presents ten individual 2D cross-sections of a drill head, each almost one meter in diameter, which she stages with their special, pearlescent paint finish and placement on the wall. They are made of five-millimeter-thick aluminium sheets.

Conceptually, with this work the artist has explored the historical and aesthetic connections between oil and pearls - two seemingly disparate industries in the Gulf that share a common history. These floating sculptural forms, inspired by the underwater world, allude to the rich cultural traditions of pearl fishing and draw comparisons between the iridescent qualities of pearls and crude oil. 

Commissioned by Facebook Open Arts

A history of industries in the Gulf region

By reshaping technical drawings of oil drillers to resemble sea creatures, the artist reminds us of the fragile ecology that have shaped the Gulf region´s modern economy. She envisions a future in which the oil industry and its inner workings will appear as a cryptic old reality, an illusion of dreams past, where shining hopes and mirroring fantasies cast their shadows over entire landscapes and peoples.

The development of the hanging system and mounting were particularly challenging. The plasterboard wall was a challenge for the statics of the individual pieces weighing almost twenty kilograms. But in the end this was no problem either.

 

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Technical challenges and solutions

Special paint samples were required to match the artist´s desired color tone. This precise color selection was crucial in order to authentically implement the artistic concept.

The exact positioning of the individual sculptures on the wall was essential in order to create the desired overall appearance of the artwork. Special templates were used for this purpose, which enabled precise and uniform positioning.

Due to the sensitive painted surfaces and the delicate nature of the sculptures, special packaging was required to ensure damage-free transportation to Dubai. In order to keep to schedule, air freight was chosen over sea freight, ensuring timely arrival.

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