It is the kind of role-reversal designed to hammer home an uncomfortable reality. Donald Trump, Bashar Al Assad, Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama are portrayed as refugees, standing in bread lines, clad in torn clothes, with dirt-smudged faces and sad eyes, appealing to the viewer for sympathy.
The artwork, by Brussels-based Syrian painter Abdalla Omari, is part of the latest exhibition in one of Ayyam Gallery’s two spaces in Alserkal Avenue.
Titled The Vulnerability Series, the artist's aim is "to take away [the world leaders'] power, not to serve me and my pain but to give [them] back their humanity, and the audience an insight into what the power of vulnerability can achieve".
The statement is vague. Omari suggests that in depicting these figures of authority as “vulnerable” refugees, he is showing them as real people with human emotions and, therefore, we should feel empathy for them. But surely it is not the world leaders we should be empathising with, is it?
At the same time, Omari says he is shifting the power balance away from the leaders towards the displaced people they represent. It is true that the reasons behind this conflict lie in complex power struggles, but trying to subvert this and place politicians as refugees is to oversimplify the horrendous reality that millions of people all over the world are enduring. And to suggest that any of them have any power, in vulnerability or otherwise, is misguided.
To give the artist the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he is attempting to explore the power of vulnerability in an image. We know that certain photographs have had great effect during this painfully protracted Syrian conflict and the ensuing refugee crisis.
Aylan Kurdi, the 3-year-old boy whose body washed up on a beach after he drowned, is probably the most memorable – but while this and other heart-wrenching images have stayed in our collective memory, they have done little to change what is going on.
How then can an artwork make this all-important change? I would argue that to have any kind of effect, a piece of art must not state the obvious. Art made today must be correspond to the society in which we live and must pay reference to the fact that we are all flooded with information from many sources all of the time. The role of the artist is to be nuanced and subtle.
Clearly trying to cause public debate, Omari will no doubt be successful in that, because this is not the kind of show that a viewer can pass over without comment but unfortunately, the artwork does not shed light on what it is like for these people, forced to leave their homeland with whatever they can carry and fall victim to traffickers, crooks and a whole corrupt system.
Neither does it do anything to alleviate the problem. Just a few months ago (in December 2016), the same gallery space was filled with an exhibition of work by Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar, which in many ways tackled the same issues but in a much more effective way. He constructed a wall to dissect the gallery space and placed a free-standing ladder far enough away from the wall for it to be useless. This was a direct criticism of Trump (then President Elect) and his policies most notably, his anti-immigration stance and his proposal to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Another of Ayyam’s artists, Tammam Azzam found worldwide acclaim when he spoke out against the Syrian crisis by superimposing paintings from Western world onto bombed-out buildings.
Where Azzam and Jarrar use allegory and symbolism to make their point, Omari uses literal and therefore cruder representation, which is sadly a disservice to himself. Allowing the audience more credit to draw their own interpretations and to connect the dots rather than spelling it out for them also gives a piece of art longevity. In the long term, ambiguity fuels relevance no matter the era the artwork is viewed.
If it is too obvious it doesn’t leave room for metaphor and worse, it won’t carry any meaning at all.
The Power of Vulnerability runs until July 6 at Ayyam Gallery in Dubai.
aseaman@thenational.ae
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GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
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SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
Racecard
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Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Kanye%20West
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The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
