aqal sequence
space specific installation
DIFC Dubai UAE 2008
Bahrain Kuwait Oman 2008/9
I asked 400 Emirati men of varying ages and social backgrounds questions regarding the wearing of their aqal. Their honest answers reveal all in their minimal simplicity their identity, tradition and cultural pride. The agal is used specifically within this work for its cultural iconic significance. Its unification allows the viewer the freedom to go beyond the surface object. The text become a contemporary memory vulnerable but valid capable of stimulating memories and thoughts that define the essential 21century Emarati man.