Warmup
Watch the provided video and read the included quote. On a piece of scratch paper, using a Perfect 3 Sentence Answer, describe what you think the artists mean when they describe "the black". Turn in the assignment to the blue box when complete.
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“The collaborative sister duo of Shadia and Raja Alem base their work on their spiritual bonding to focus on “translation and interpretation between different genres and notions of culture in an era of globalisation.” Shadia, the visual artist, creates individual works in painting and photography, such as Kabat Allah Al-ulya’ (Supreme Ka’ba of God) (2012), as well as collaborative installations with Raja, the award-winning writer. In Negative No More (2004), the artists’ shrouded images are projected onto a golden curtain, made of negatives woven together from family photographs taken throughout their lives. Deeply autobiographical, the installation stands as a description of a woman and artist in Arab society, casting off negative assumptions and projections. In 2011, they represented Saudi Arabia in its first official pavilion at the Venice Biennale, with The Black Arch – an exploration of the physical and psychological presence and significance of ‘black’, a pivotal aspect in the artists’ lives. From the black silhouettes of Saudi women, the black covering of the Ka’aba and the black stone – a key feature of the installation which is said to have enhanced knowledge – black is everywhere in Mecca. The installation delves into the illumination and ignorance evoked by the color black, as well as speaks about a journey, a transition, and the connection between Mecca and Venice, and the two cities’ similarities and inspirational powers. The dialogue between East and West is also reflected in the projection of images on the floor and the mix of sounds including pigeons, seagulls and voices of pilgrims and gondolieri.” -C.A. Xuan Mai Ardia, Culture Trip
“The collaborative sister duo of Shadia and Raja Alem base their work on their spiritual bonding to focus on “translation and interpretation between different genres and notions of culture in an era of globalisation.” Shadia, the visual artist, creates individual works in painting and photography, such as Kabat Allah Al-ulya’ (Supreme Ka’ba of God) (2012), as well as collaborative installations with Raja, the award-winning writer. In Negative No More (2004), the artists’ shrouded images are projected onto a golden curtain, made of negatives woven together from family photographs taken throughout their lives. Deeply autobiographical, the installation stands as a description of a woman and artist in Arab society, casting off negative assumptions and projections. In 2011, they represented Saudi Arabia in its first official pavilion at the Venice Biennale, with The Black Arch – an exploration of the physical and psychological presence and significance of ‘black’, a pivotal aspect in the artists’ lives. From the black silhouettes of Saudi women, the black covering of the Ka’aba and the black stone – a key feature of the installation which is said to have enhanced knowledge – black is everywhere in Mecca. The installation delves into the illumination and ignorance evoked by the color black, as well as speaks about a journey, a transition, and the connection between Mecca and Venice, and the two cities’ similarities and inspirational powers. The dialogue between East and West is also reflected in the projection of images on the floor and the mix of sounds including pigeons, seagulls and voices of pilgrims and gondolieri.” -C.A. Xuan Mai Ardia, Culture Trip
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