‘Hung From the Moon’ by Farah Al-Qasimi

After having lived away from home for a period of time, the artist began this series about her irrational fear of returning home and realizing everyone had disappeared. Through these photographic prints of still, quiet moments in domestic spaces, Al-Qasimi actively seeks out the personal traces that transform a hollow space into a home.

Over time, mundane items grow in numbers and reflect the distinct personalities of their owners. These objects meld with the landscape of the home to become nested inhabitants; evidence of the expressions and imprints of human existence. In this intimate series, which originally began as a university thesis project, the artist frantically searches for sense and familiarity in a sea of meaningless objects and reveals the cast of characters in the various places she has called home.

Farah Al Qasimi, Untitled (2), 2013, Inkjet Print on Epson Semimatte, 100x120 cm / Courtesy of The Pavilion Downtown Dubai and The Artist

Farah Al Qasimi, Untitled (4), 2013, 300x377 cm / Courtesy of The Pavilion Downtown Dubai and The Artist

Farah Al Qasimi, Untitled (5), 2013, Inkjet Print on Epson Semimatte, 100x122 cm / Courtesy of The Pavilion Downtown Dubai and The Artist

Farah Al Qasimi, Untitled (6), 2013, Inkjet Print on Epson Semimatte, 100x137 cm / Courtesy of The Pavilion Downtown Dubai and The Artist

Farah Al Qasimi, Untitled (7), 2013, Inkjet Print on Epson Semimatte, 100x133 cm / Courtesy of The Pavilion Downtown Dubai and The Artist

Farah Al Qasimi, Untitled (1), 2013, Inkjet Print on Epson Semimatte, 100x123 cm / Courtesy of The Pavilion Downtown Dubai and The Artist

FARAH AL-QASIMI

Farah Al-Qasimi was born in 1991 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She is a recent graduate of Yale University, where she began studying contemporary music and composition but was led astray by a painting class. Al-Qasimi regularly uses medium and large format cameras, and still considers music an indispensable part of her studio practice. Al-Qasimi has previously exhibited at Maraya Art Center, Sharjah and Sikka Art Fair, Dubai.

THE PAVILION DOWNTOWN DUBAI

The Pavilion Downtown Dubai is the city’s newest dedicated non-profit contemporary art space providing a place to view, discuss and participate in works by local and international artists. Developed by the multidivisional group Cultural Engineering, The Pavilion is a unique hub for a diverse range of art events offering a platform to promote an active arts community to the public and to support the work of a rising generation of artists in the region. The Pavilion’s programming will reinforce its role as a place for artistic discourse, research and education. The building itself reflects a unique interior that supports a dialogue between art and its audience. The Pavilion includes two art galleries, a restaurant, a cinema, a library, an espresso bar, a shisha café and lounge.