2022, Glass
Onus
During the Gulf War in Kuwait, the carcasses of birds, fish, livestock, and many other animals regularly lined the coastline and deserts of the nation—the result of massive toxic clouds fed by the hundreds of torched oil wells as seen in the nearby video work Behind the Sun. It was and still is one of the worst man-made environmental disasters of all time. However, when images of these oil-drenched animals were disseminated abroad, many people believed them to be fake.
While studying at university in Japan, Al Qadiri learned of such misconceptions when she was confronted with iconic photographs of oil covered birds shot during the war that were presented as mere exercises of propaganda during a class. Although a witness to the destruction herself, here her lived experience was questioned, and under the influence of others, was even distorted.
Through these works, Al Qadiri attempts to breathe life back into her memories by recreating these birds as glass objects, to make both tangible the destruction she witnessed, while demonstrating the fragility of our memories when images move across time, space and cultures. The work carries the artist’s burden and duty to prove the loss suffered.
Commissioned by Blaffer Art Museum and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts at the University of Houston
2022, Glass
Onus
During the Gulf War in Kuwait, the carcasses of birds, fish, livestock, and many other animals regularly lined the coastline and deserts of the nation—the result of massive toxic clouds fed by the hundreds of torched oil wells as seen in the nearby video work Behind the Sun. It was and still is one of the worst man-made environmental disasters of all time. However, when images of these oil-drenched animals were disseminated abroad, many people believed them to be fake.
While studying at university in Japan, Al Qadiri learned of such misconceptions when she was confronted with iconic photographs of oil covered birds shot during the war that were presented as mere exercises of propaganda during a class. Although a witness to the destruction herself, here her lived experience was questioned, and under the influence of others, was even distorted.
Through these works, Al Qadiri attempts to breathe life back into her memories by recreating these birds as glass objects, to make both tangible the destruction she witnessed, while demonstrating the fragility of our memories when images move across time, space and cultures. The work carries the artist’s burden and duty to prove the loss suffered.
Commissioned by Blaffer Art Museum and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts at the University of Houston