Magnetism, Photogravure I–IV, 4/4

2012

Set of 4 photogravure etchings in Solander Box
62 × 81 × 4 cm

The crisp black and white of this miniature diagrams the tensions of faith and religion. Iron filings radiate around a black cube, an emanation of attraction that evokes a congregation of pilgrims thronging the Ka’aba. The unseen pull of Islam’s holiest site is made manifest in this moment of absolute equilibrium. The elusive draw is faith-driven, suggestive of the deeply spiritual force felt by the millions who pray in its direction five times a day, as well as those who circle during tawaf.

When my grandfathers spoke to me as a child about their experience of Hajj they told me of the physical attraction they felt towards the Kaaba, that they felt drawn to it by an almost magnetic pull.
Ahmed Mater
2010

Essay by Tim Mackintosh-Smith

Revered Arabist Tim Mackintosh-Smith reflects on the extraordinary dynamics at play in Magnetism.

Read Essay
Hatem

Provenance

Biennale d'Architecture d'Orléans: Years of Solitude

Frac Centre-Val de Loire, Orléans, France

Longing for Mecca

Tropen Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Drum roll, please

King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia

Ahmed Mater: Mecca Journeys

Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA

Mitochondria: Powerhouses

Galleria Continua, San Gimignano, Italy

Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam

British Museum, London, UK

25 Years of Arab Creativity

Institute du Monde Arab, Paris

53rd Venice Biennale: Edge of Arabia

Palazzo Polignac, Venice, Italy

Hajj: The Journey Through Art

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

Continua Sphères Ensemble

Galleria Continua – Le Centquatre, Paris, France
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