THE UPCOMING EXHIBITION AT AB GALLERY LUCERNE ‘Evidence’ by Iraqi Artist Wamidh Al‐Ameri

Image above: The Iraqi Artist Wamidh Al‐Ameri / Courtesy of AB Gallery Lucerne

In the upcoming exhibition EVIDENCE, the Iraqi Artist will reflect on the stereotypes surrounding Islam from the western as well as the Arabic‐Islamic point of view.

The exhibition will focus particularly on the series "To Go Astray", which consists of three parts. People unfamiliar with Arabic would experience the central motif found throughout mainly as a labyrinth through which a path with a red pen has been drawn. However, the art work found in the golden frame, in the red book and in the simple framed single-sheets, is actually an excerpt from the Qur'an (Sura Al‐Baqarah) written with the computer script Al-Kufi. On one hand, Wamidh Al‐Ameri wants the viewer to find, in a playful way, his own path through the Qur'an, but at the same time to take away the fear from the western viewer, and allow him or her to break down the stereotypes regarding "Muslims" and "Islam" and to get in touch with this meaningful text. The path is drawn, it is important to note, for both Muslims and non-Muslims, which gives the series "To Go Astray" a general and universal character.

Wamidh Al Ameri / To Go Astray, Installation, format variable, 2012 / Courtesy of AB Gallery Lucerne

Wamidh Al Ameri / To Go Astray, Installation, format variable, 2012 / Courtesy of AB Gallery Lucerne

Wamidh Al Ameri / To Go Astray, Installation, format variable, 2012 / Courtesy of AB Gallery Lucerne

Many artist's installations are related to the Iraqi history or politics, thus he understands his work as witness's statement or evidence. Al-Ameri is always using a very pictorial and "evident" language to translate a complex massage, which finally became his artistic guiding principle.

Wamidh Al-Ameri (*1977) was born in Baghdad/ Iraq. He lives in Winterthur and Zurich/Switzerland. He graduated from the University of fine Arts in Baghdad, the University of Arts in Bern and the University of Fine Arts in Zurich. In 2009, he received a studio scholarship of the canton of Zurich for the Cité internationale des arts Paris, in 2006, he received the city award of Winterthur. His work has been shown in Switzerland, France and Slovakia. He's a member of the Iraqi artist group URNAMO.

Wamidh Al-Ameri / Installation view Kunsthalle Winterthur / Courtesy of AB Gallery Lucerne

Wamidh Al-Ameri / Installation view Kunsthalle Winterthur / Courtesy of AB Gallery Lucerne

Wamidh Al-Ameri / Installation view Kunsthalle Winterthur / Courtesy of AB Gallery Lucerne

The exhibition will run from 1st September to 6th October 2012 at AB Gallery Lucerne.