While We Wait on show at Concrete (Photo: Musthafa Aboobacker)
While We Wait, an artwork designed by Palestinian architects and designers Elias and Yousef Anastas is now on show at Concrete in Alserkal Avenue.
Inspired by the Cremisan Valley, near Bethlehem, where the separation wall is currently being built, threatening to sever the historic link between the valley and its monastery.
The installation is made from pieces of stone quarried in various regions of Palestine, which fit together to form a large, lattice-like, self-supporting structure. The resulting sculptural installation is visually porous, allowing viewers to see their surroundings from inside, whilst listening to evocative sound and video components.
While We Wait (Photo: Musthafa Aboobacker)
While We Wait was designed digitally, cut by robots, and hand-finished by artists. Using “stereotomy”, the art of cutting stones for assembly, the installation was produced in Palestine, and elements of the process have employed traditional techniques from the region.
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In contrast to the concrete wall, which dominates and divides the landscape, this installation will venerate extreme natural beauty and evoke the Cremisan Valley, its eventual home.
After it’s finished its run on show at Concrete in Alserkal Avenue, While We Wait then moves to the Cremisan Valley where it will represent a celebration of the relationship between nature and architecture in the context of the Palestinian landscape.
Palestinian architects and designers Elias and Yousef Anastas
Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, founder of Alserkal Avenue said: “The vision behind Concrete has always been to create a multi-dimensional platform that is ideal for museum-grade exhibitions across the spectrum of art, performance and design. While We Wait inhabits the intersection of contemporary art and design while also being relevant to the diverse audiences in Dubai. We hope that this will be the first of many such collaborations.”
While We Wait is on display at Concrete until 18 November.
