The Sultan Gallery is proud to present 'Graduation
Ceremony', visual artist Aseel AlYaqoub's sixth career solo exhibition.
From March 7th to April 28th, The Sultan Gallery will exhibit a selection of minimal, military-inspired works by Aseel AlYaqoub in its new first-floor gallery space. Marking AlYaqoub's sixth career solo exhibition and the second with The Sultan Gallery, 'Graduation Ceremony' is the latest series presenting the artist's deep dive into Kuwait’s military institution.
AlYaqoub's research-based art practice concerns themes of history, colonialism, and nationhood. Her work questions the universal specifications used for nation-building, from the structuring processes of national identity to government programs such as military conscription and visual propaganda. She mines historical material for her pieces, with a particular personal focus on Kuwait, and uses satire as a thread through most of her conceptual works.
Using Joseph Massad's book "Colonial Effects" (2001) as a lens, the artist delves into Kuwait's military genealogy to uncover whether its symbols and traditions are nationally born or inherited from colonial legacies. AlYaqoub recontextualises her research through various witty works in varying mediums and styles, questioning whether Kuwait's national culture–born out of the military–is not so much 'traditional' as it is 'traditionalised'.
For the past five years, AlYaqoub has analysed found-footage of military demonstrations and annual graduation ceremonies in Kuwait and the Arab World. The performances recall a history of theatre-making, often amidst extravagant sets mimicking local architecture. Additionally, the recognisable traditions adopted from colonial cultural products, such as British fanfare instruments and music, are made apparent. However, the invented traditions have had little to no change since their inception, as proven in today's annual military re-enactments.
Graduation Ceremony examines Kuwait's military spectacle and its constant embodiment of nationalism. The exhibition shows how the independent nation-state reappropriates the same colonial apparatuses that once governed it. The artist's research is brought into the physical realm through drawings, sculptures, video, and photography to discern why the creation of national icons and the processes they inform continue to follow imperial prescriptions.
From March 7th to April 28th, The Sultan Gallery will exhibit a selection of minimal, military-inspired works by Aseel AlYaqoub in its new first-floor gallery space. Marking AlYaqoub's sixth career solo exhibition and the second with The Sultan Gallery, 'Graduation Ceremony' is the latest series presenting the artist's deep dive into Kuwait’s military institution.
AlYaqoub's research-based art practice concerns themes of history, colonialism, and nationhood. Her work questions the universal specifications used for nation-building, from the structuring processes of national identity to government programs such as military conscription and visual propaganda. She mines historical material for her pieces, with a particular personal focus on Kuwait, and uses satire as a thread through most of her conceptual works.
Using Joseph Massad's book "Colonial Effects" (2001) as a lens, the artist delves into Kuwait's military genealogy to uncover whether its symbols and traditions are nationally born or inherited from colonial legacies. AlYaqoub recontextualises her research through various witty works in varying mediums and styles, questioning whether Kuwait's national culture–born out of the military–is not so much 'traditional' as it is 'traditionalised'.
For the past five years, AlYaqoub has analysed found-footage of military demonstrations and annual graduation ceremonies in Kuwait and the Arab World. The performances recall a history of theatre-making, often amidst extravagant sets mimicking local architecture. Additionally, the recognisable traditions adopted from colonial cultural products, such as British fanfare instruments and music, are made apparent. However, the invented traditions have had little to no change since their inception, as proven in today's annual military re-enactments.
Graduation Ceremony examines Kuwait's military spectacle and its constant embodiment of nationalism. The exhibition shows how the independent nation-state reappropriates the same colonial apparatuses that once governed it. The artist's research is brought into the physical realm through drawings, sculptures, video, and photography to discern why the creation of national icons and the processes they inform continue to follow imperial prescriptions.
Graduation Ceremony
March 7 - April 28, 2022
The Sultan Gallery, Kuwait
Information:
Wesbite: www.sultangallery.com
email: sultangallery@sadeer.com
Instagram: @sultangallery
ⓒ Aseel AlYaqoub, 2024
March 7 - April 28, 2022
The Sultan Gallery, Kuwait
Information:
Wesbite: www.sultangallery.com
email: sultangallery@sadeer.com
Instagram: @sultangallery
ⓒ Aseel AlYaqoub, 2024