Contemporary Art Auction|February 2010|Kuwait

the question i was asked most was, 'ghadah, where's YOUR work?' it's right here. in the window.

So last night was the big viewing I was looking very forward to. I didn’t want this to be a rant, but. It’s going to be a rant. It started with physical tears upon seeing my beloved painting behind a tinted-blue display window, and mental ones before falling asleep at night.I have to say, it wasn’t SO bad. I was finally gently convinced by some friends and loved ones that surely it was put in the window because it was special. And that it was better than being clustered with other works. That sort of thinking tided me over for a few hours but soon lost its affect as midnight drew nearer.

one of my favorite pieces there: reza derakshani, iran, untitled (from the coffee reading series), 2009, mixed media on round canvas. 150cm diameter

This morning my mind went into a little frenzy as I rethought things through. Rethought about how every single artist was/is special. Everyone who contributed something had a special relationship with his/her work. And every work should have had its proper place in the gallery. If there weren’t enough space, the organizers shouldn’t have asked for so many works. It’s as simple as that.

it was nice that the gallery was open early. it was a beautiful day and my painting had a great view of the lawn. i just wish it saw more people!

Speaking of fairness, I can imagine that the organizers thought they might have been doing my window buddies (Shirin Ghandtchi and  Ali Taleb) and me a favor by displaying our works in what seems to be a prominent location. But to me, the two paintings and sculpture just felt isolated. And they were certainly getting less traffic.

nabil nahas, lebanon, small red sea, 2007, acrylic on canvas. 56cm x 46cm. another favorite. i love the violent red.

I have to say that many of the artists were done an injustice: works which were displayed too close to the ground, or looked like part of the gallery decor, or hung in recesses around corners. It’s just not fair to them. I would have preferred not to have been asked than to have a painting there which nobody saw. I had to direct people to the outside of the gallery to view my work. It’s such a shame because I painted it for this specific event. So the whole thing seemed a little bit pointless to me in terms of exhibition. All the passion and thought I put into it. All in the air.

works by (clockwise from left): lamya gargash, ahmed alsoudani, jamal abdul rahim, roya farassat, mohammad rawas

But at the end of the day it’s really not about me or the other artists; it’s about the cause, K’s Path. And certainly not about anyone’s bruised ego (there, there). It’s a collective contemporary art exhibition which has some wonderful works. And I really must congratulate the organizers for pulling it off beautifully. It’s not an easy feat and it’s not over yet. There is still the auction tonight which I hope is a success. And I do hope my beloved painting sells :). Fingers crossed.

glorious, glorious, glorious. a video installation by the charismatically affable farideh lashai, iran. the rabbits, 2009, animation projection on painting (oil and acrylic on canvas). 160cm x 150cm

the evening's spark, shawn stephens vessokar, posing here with two of fritzi's whimsical birds