masallaci

Khuzam Palace, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Solo

Tent structure, wood, canvas, plastic beads, mosque, mihrab, turban, wooden boards, book stands, books)

Masallaci is an installation of a temporary mosque made to real scale (1:1) that has intricately beaded interior walls as well as beaded Islamic/mosque paraphilia. The artist chose to develop this work to be presented in Jeddah because of the relevance/connection of the Hausa (ethnic group) to the Makkah region. The scale and intricacy of the installation surpasses the scale of the beaded tapestries and the chairs and really tests the artist’s relationship with the online acquaintance that facilitated the production of the previous works through the workshop in West Africa. This time the artisans had full authority to pick the designs that were beaded as opposed to the previous pieces that were dictated by existing designs and clear instructions. By allowing this freedom the artist expands on the notion of the game Chinese Whispers; the resulting articulation is an Arab/African hybrid of Islamic arts and architecture. While the geometric motifs used allude to Islamic architecture, the shapes (such as the tear drop and the Hausa ethnic flag) and the colors are thoroughly an expansion of the style. Granting the liberty for craftsmen to make the design choices, they transcend being labor, share in the artistic authorship and become an integral part of the finished product. The name Masallaci is the Hausa word for mosque. The installation is also inscribed with both Arabic (on the Quran) and Hausa script on the interior walls. This monument becomes a grand attestation to the beauty of cultural reciprocity and exchange. The viewer is allowed to enter into the work and fully immerse in the experience.