Technology and Art by Khawla Darwish

Technology; could be defined as the application of scientific knowledge for practical purpose, or machinery and equipment developed for such scientific knowledge to serve a specific purpose or a specific field.

I see that the advancement of the computers is nothing but a positive push for the arts, although I would describe myself as a more traditional artist and as a “DIY” do it yourself person, because when I first started creating art professionally I only used the traditional mediums of creating by hand, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, collage and mixed media. As I am growing in my artistic career I slowly shifted to creating public and interactive installations because I feel that they serve the purpose of my art better, so in the most recent art pieces that I created I used machinery and technology to support the cause of my art and it was beautiful as well as successful and very welcomed by my audience.

I believe that adding technology to art only enabled more to happen, because after all it is the same thing! In the end it is what the artist wants to deliver, and what he/she wants their viewers to experience when viewing the artwork. Additionally, I strongly suppose that the most difficult and challenging part in creating an art piece is coming up with the concept of the work, then the execution -whether it was using a traditional medium or using technology- becomes easy and known.

The real questions that I ask myself as an artist when I am trying to come up with a new piece is:

1. What experience can I deliver to my viewers with this art piece?

2. How could this experience challenge and provoke my audience?

3. How could this experience change my audience’s thoughts and way of thinking (about a specific issue)?

4. How can my art piece change the relationship of my viewers towards something else? Towards the world?

All the questions above have nothing to do with technology or even the execution of the work, as they all happen mentally and prior to creating the art piece.

I believe that new technology gives artists more tools, more options and variety of different ways to stimulate the human senses, not only the eyes as before but all the other senses like touching, feeling, seeing, tasting and even smelling. Technology also brought artists a bigger range of innovations and ways to express themselves and their thoughts and ideas in so many ways. Another really important point with technology and art as I see it, is that it enabled us to be global! Because of the Internet everything has been easier; connecting and communicating with other artists, collectors and even audience from the end of the globe! I personally got to exhibit in couple of exhibitions through knowing about my work and viewing it over the Internet and I really think that is an amazing and wonderful thing to happen.

While walking around in the Arsenale to check out the other pavilions and artworks that are showcased there, I was very interested by the Chile pavilion, where the artist Alfredo Jaar created his work “Venezia” which is basically re-creating the Biennale in Giardini with their 28 pavilions at a scale of 1:60. The perfect replica is made out of gray resin and it rises from the water for few seconds before it sinks again in the dark water and disappears completely. The structure is built inside a pool made out of metal that is 5 meter by 5 meter and is filled with water, approximately every 3 minutes the structure begins to emerge from the water and go up to the surface of the pool then disappear again. This pavilion really caught my attention and I believe that the technology that is used in it only advanced the work and helped it serve its purpose in a better way.

I trust that it is safe to say that technology is not changing art in a negative way; instead it is advancing it beautifully. At the end whether the artwork is technologically advanced or classic, that is the artist’s choice.

Lost in Water | by Khawla Darwish

Experiencing a new journey in my life is walking on the waters of the beautiful city of Venice, when I first arrived I was taken by the magnificence and the era of this city, yet I was also scared of being lost between its narrow alley ways and waters. Just like our artist Mohammed Kazem’s experience being lost for half an hour in openness of the sea, therefore creating the brilliant work of “walking on water” to be featured at the 55th edition of the Venice Biennale, representing the Art scene of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion.

I can safely say that a common fear between humans is the fear of being lost, be it in space, directions, time or even thoughts. But being lost is only a journey of the human soul when we experience a new incident that opens the door to imagination, inspiration and creativity.

In my opinion the relevance between the city of Venice and the artwork of Mohammed Kazem is the fear of being lost at the beginning. As the solo artwork “walking on water” is a one of a kind encounter, which as titled promises the viewer an unforgettable experience that touches all the human senses not only the vision, but also hearing, feeling and touching, for the viewer is surrounded by a three hundred and sixty degree of open water. The effect of this particular art piece is intense and it pulls the viewer into another world of imagination, beauty and fear of not knowing what or where to go next, just like my first experience of this beautiful city Venice.

A Day at Work| Alyazia Al Qubaisi

Alyazia Al Qubaisi, one of our 18 selected interns to work and live in Venice during the Venice biennale, documents a day at work in the Walking on Water exhibition.
The Venice Internship program is a unique opportunity for an elite group of developing arts practitioners to participate in the 55th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia, 2013. After engaging in a rigorous screening process, successful applicants will receive comprehensive training before being deployed to manage the national exhibition in Venice. Full access to the Biennale, museum tours and admission to some of the world’s finest artistic institutions are just some of the things that await UAE Pavilion interns in Venice.
The National Pavilion of the UAE runs this specialized opportunity to train UAE nationals to take part in the Venice Biennale with the aim of the program being to create a legacy of highly skilled art practitioners in the UAE equipped to take the national contemporary art and cultural scene boldly into the future.
For more information on the program, visit: uaepavilion.org
Follow the interns on Twitter: @veniceinterns
Instagram: @uaepavilion
Blog: uaepavilion.wordpress.com/

One Vs. | by Alyazia Al Qubaisi

When we walk into a museum or an art gallery we enjoy seeing the many works  that surround us. Walking around, examining each piece and wondering what is the story behind it. As for La Biennale di Venezia pavilions you would think that the more the merrier but on the contrary, one piece is sometimes enough, or even one artist is all that the viewers needs to experience.

When I walked into Walking on Water, it made me want to stay there for hours, because of the way it made me feel. Everything in the world did not matter, all I wanted to do is sit there and let my mind travel in its own thoughts. Another example of the solo artist pavilion is the Argentinian pavilion ; you walk into it and have this full experience that makes you involved in the work itself.

There were other pavilions, where they featured three or more artists, and I did not feel the connection at all. For me it was confusing, for instance, once I am done with one artist and move on to the other I keep in mind that the next work will be related or have the same theme.  But with the limited time you have as a visitor, you feel a sense of disconnection between the works, and the immersive experience you thought you would have is interrupted by the several different artworks that don’t relate to each other. The South African pavilion features many strong works, however, having 15 artists represented all in one exhibition doesn’t leave you with a single thought or feeling, but rather in a rush to see them all, and then try to connect the dots.

At the end of the day, we never know which art work will move us. Many pavilions chose to feature more than one artist and the works were good but personally I felt puzzled and confused. As for the pavilions featuring one artist, I felt a stronger connection. 

One Artist: Several Meanings | Ilaria Balestra

The work of Mohammad Kazem makes me think of  Romantic paintings of Friedrich or Bocklin. Looking at the projection I can feel the mysterious and famous “spleen”, an unmotivated sense of unease manifested in seasickness that most of us feel inside.

The water has a dark blue colour and everything appears wild, immense, powerful in its roughness. Anxiety and consolation feelings overlap as a result of the terrifying beauty of “Walking on water” nature.

The artist experience itself suggests ambiguity: a men falls down in the sea and remains there floating for a while, the greatness of the nature surrounds and even overwhelms him through a climax in which the sense of being lost is the apex. The way we hold tight the fence inside the dome shows how strongly we perceive this flow of feelings, which the artist pours on us.

Several pavilions host more than one artist and, of course, different artworks: each one shows a glimpse of the artist’s universe, a sort of dazzling journey. While, in a glance, we grasp few sensations and suggestions of the artist master plan.

A solo artist exhibition offers a way to establish a solid and constant relation between the audience and artist . Sometimes visitors need to be lead and questioned throughout the exhibition experience so, somehow, a focus on one artist let them be easily involved in the creative process of awareness, helping them to understand the deepest meaning of the work or even understanding their own emotions.

Following this path, visitors are totally kept by the intensity of the interaction with the artwork: a lullaby and nightmare for souls.