JEDDAH: An exhibition being staged in Jeddah has been putting a whole new perspective on everyday objects.
The “Matters Through Matter” display, part of the Jeddah Historical District Program’s Balad Al-Fann arts and culture initiative, aims to challenge traditional human-centric worldview.
Curated by Jeddah-born Jumana Ghouth in collaboration with Graham Harman, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the enigmatic and mysterious potential of objects, shifting the focus of reality from the familiar and explained to the unexplored and existential.
Running until March 9 at Sharbatly House in Al-Balad, the exhibition merges contemporary artworks with the historical architecture of the region through installations featuring 35 local and international artists.
The ‘Matters Through Matter’ display, part of the Jeddah Historical District Program’s Balad Al-Fann arts and culture initiative, aims to challenge traditional human-centric worldview. (Supplied)
Visual artist Marlon De Azambuja’s debut installation “A Light That Crosses the Space and Shows Us a Strange Path,” on show at Rubat Al-Khunji, explores an inner space that projects outward, while Saudi artist and architect Aseel Al-Amoudi has carried out public interventions in the historic district.
Ghouth, curator and art and culture adviser, said: “The boundaries of our knowledge are challenged as the works in ‘Matters Through Matter’ transcend human limitations.
“By utilizing the metaphysical framework of object-oriented ontology, the exhibition grants the artworks their own intrinsic existence and agency, magnifying their complexity and rendering them sublimely incomprehensible,” she added.
‘Matters Through Matter’ exhibition in Al-Balad features 35 local and international artists. (Supplied)
Harman, a professor of philosophy and proponent of object-oriented philosophy, said the exhibition challenged the prevailing belief that objects existed solely for human use.
He pointed out that, instead, it positioned objects as the focal point of investigation, emphasizing their dynamic interactions and inherent withdrawal from other objects. He added that such a perspective acknowledged that objects could never be fully comprehended or exhaustively known.
Ghouth said: “Absence is also treated as an object, with artists focusing on the spaces left behind by contemporary civilization. Aesthetic metaphors and interconnected relations create new matter, triggering fictions and imbuing the works with meaning that is led by the viewer’s perception.
“The exhibition celebrates the innate multiplicity and theatricality of every artwork.”
Art enthusiast and exhibition visitor Laila Hameed said: “‘Matters Through Matter’ is an extraordinary journey that challenges our understanding of reality.
“The exhibition’s fusion of contemporary works with the historical architecture of Al-Balad creates a captivating environment where objects come alive and demand our attention.”
Another visitor, Rouad Mohammed, said: “This exhibition is a breath of fresh air for artists like me. It pushes the boundaries of art, encouraging us to explore hidden meanings within objects and expand our artistic horizons.
“‘Matters Through Matter’ has reignited my passion for creating art that transcends traditional boundaries.”
