Sea change 2011 is a visual novel about the missing and the missed. It revolves around the journey and disappearance of nine people who do so in the name of salvation, a better life or a new one. Hajra waheed s works seek to address personal, national and cultural identity formation in relation to political history, popular imagination and the broad impact of colonial power globally. Character 1, in the rough, at londons mosaic rooms, and the cyphers at baltic center for contemporary art in gateshead. Does the venice biennale have a problem with photography. I recently had the pleasure of writing an exhibition essay to accompany a new body of work by the montrealbased artist hajra waheed, currently on view at montreals darling foundry. Experimenter to unveil exhibit sea change by montreal. The first showcase of the opening chapter of hajra waheed s long term project sea change, commenced in 2011. Character 1, in the rough by hajra waheed, to explore themes surrounding water, earthly desires for outer space, and instances of human interactions.
Image from hajra waheed s sea change waheed describes sea change as an ongoing visual novel with nine chapters and nine protagonists all of whom get lost. Join boroughbased the mosaic rooms for the first showcase of the opening chapter of hajra waheed s long term project sea change this visual novel is dedicated to reclaiming a sense of the intimate, the personal and the poetic from the consequences of regional development, political upheaval, and. The work on view in venice is but a sliver of the sea change. Timely though it was, asylum in the sea was actually part of an ongoing project waheed began years prior. The series is one iteration of a larger, ongoing body of work, sea change 20, a visual novel tracing the lives of nine indian men. Within the next instalment of sea change, emerges character 1. The mosaic rooms, london, presents the first showcase of the opening chapter of hajra waheed s long term project sea change, commenced in 2011. H er methods of creation draw on materials from real facts such as the us hexagon programme in kh21 2014, to the refugee crisis in sea change, and the experience of military surveillance in the saudiaramco s walled community where the artist lived featured in the scrapbook project 20102011. Exhibition essay for hajra waheeds asylum in the sea at.
Her mixedmedia practice consists of ongoing bodies of work that constitute a growing personal archive one developed in response to all those seemingly lost. Character 1, in the rough in london england, united kingdom. Character 1, in the rough 11621516 contemporary culture from the arab world exhibitions events bookshop cafe entry free. Sea change this sprawling multimedia project chronicles the disappearances of nine characters over nine chapters that will unfold over the artists lifetime. Hajra waheed untitled map is a classified map of the largest offshore oil field in the world, located 265 kilometers north of dhahran, saudi arabia, where the artist spent her youth. Her multimedia practice includes works on paper, collage, sound, video, sculpture and installation. This sprawling multimedia project chronicles the disappearances of nine characters over nine chapters that will unfold over the artists lifetime. In a performative conversation, himali responded to our current exhibition, sea change chapter 1. Experimenter to unveil exhibit sea change by montrealbased artist of indian origin, hajra waheed 16 jan, 20, 03. Hajra waheed sea change 20 is a visual novel that stitches together a story about the missing and the missed. Waheed s work often concerns geopolitics, and migration in particular, but the links to these topics can be difficult to trace.
Works from the lifelong project called sea change by montreal artist hajra waheed showing in the main. At that point she had two solo exhibitions taking place simultaneously in the uk, sea change chapter 1 at the mosaic rooms in london and the cyphers at baltic centre for contemporary art in gateshead. Waheed uses news accounts, extensive research and personal histories to critically examine multiple issues including. Asylum in the sea is a suite of 24 new paintings and collages that depict the moment at which something is lost at sea, swallowed by the waves. Sea change inspired formally by votive offerings or traditional exvotos, avow 8 2017 is a series of apparitions in the night, a collection of 38 blue paintings on tin. On the opening day of her first uk presentation of the first chapter from her work sea change, artist hajra waheed discusses her practice with the mosaic rooms director rachael jarvis at the ica waheed s oeuvre seeks to address personal, national and cultural identity formation in relation to political history, popular imagination and. In march 2016, hajra waheed will be presenting a solo exhibition of the first chapter from her sea change project an ongoing visual novel and multimedia archive, to be held at the mosaic rooms, london from 11 march to 21 may 2016. It revolves around one man on a singular quest to find quartz crystals lost amongst rubble and rock. Contemporary culture from the arab world exhibitions.
Photo courtesy of the mosaic rooms most affecting of all are two recent pencil drawings untitled like many of waheed s works that are framed together and tucked into the corner. Hajra waheed asylum in the sea presented at darling foundry for the summer months was asylum in the sea, an exhibition composed solely of an epony mous series by artist hajra waheed. Sea change, which i can only best describe as a visual novel, came to fruition after years of collecting news reports of disappearances. Artist hajra waheed on sea change blouin artinfo india, r. Sea change by montreal artist hajra waheed is an exploration of the migrant experience, including hours at sea. In december 2011, i became fixated on one particular account in which 166 pilgrims from kolkata left for saudi arabia on the pretext of making the hajj but later and upon head count, were nowhere to be found. Join boroughbased the mosaic rooms for the first showcase of the opening chapter of hajra waheed s long term project sea change this visual novel is dedicated to reclaiming a sense of the intimate, the personal and the poetic from the consequences of regional development, political upheaval, and civil conflict. Hajra waheed traces a rising tide at the venice biennale. It was through a past colleague at the latter, alessandro vincentelli, that i. This work, a first chapter of sorts, slowly reveals the narration of the first of nine characters. It was through a past colleague at the latter, alessandro vincentelli. In hajra waheed s work a transition from history to fiction to history can be noticed.
Video installation project 110, fayaz, 201120, installation view. Hajra waheeds sea change at the mosaic rooms, 1103 21. The plot deals with people who disappear during their journeys, and at art dubai, hajra s series sea change character 1. Presented at darling foundry for the summer months was asylum in the sea, an exhibition composed solely of an eponymous series by artist hajra waheed. March 2016 page 2 kensington and chelseas community. The series is one itera tion of a larger, ongoing body ofwork, sea change 20, a visual novel tracing the lives of nine indian men. At the centre of this novel are its nine protagonists, all missing, presumed lost at sea in the course of migrating to. Cbc arts interrupted the sleepless schedules of a few key players to ask just that. Bookshop a wide range of fiction and nonfiction books, limited edition artwork, gifts and dvds. Sea change 2011 is a visual novel that chronicles the disappearances of nine characters, told through nine chapters, most yet unmade. Amongst other issues, she explores the nexus between security, surveillance, and the covert networks of power that structure lives while also addressing the traumas and alienation of displaced subjects affected. Hajra waheed, sea change in the rough character 2014.
This conversation with hajra waheed began in person with an opportune meeting at her montreal studio in april 2016. Megan williamscbc here were 166 people who just went missing. We were so pleased to have artist and poet himali singh soin perform at the mosaic rooms last month. Hajra waheed seeks to address personal, national and cultural identity formation in relation to political history, popular imagination and the broad impact of colonial power globally.
A view of some objects from hajra waheed s a short film series, comprised of negative glass slides, collaged photographs and wood shelves, installed at the venice biennale. The multidisciplinary practice of hajra waheed born in calgary, ab, canada. This exhibition was the first showcase of works from the opening chapter of hajra waheed s longterm project sea change. This lyrical and poignant work is part of a larger, multimedia project, sea change 2011ongoing, sourced from the same set of. Hajra waheed at small arms toronto biennial of art. In the rough becomes a little specific in introducing one out of. This interview takes two exhibitions hajra waheed staged in the uk in 2016 as a starting point through which to explore waheed s expansive practice. Surveillance and secrecy in gateshead and london apollo. The exhibition opens friday, january 18, 20 and will continue till march 2. Asylum in the sea is just one moment within a much larger story, part of an ongoing body of work titled sea change 20 that waheed describes as a visual novel that will unfold over many years and hundreds of works.
This visual novel is dedicated to reclaiming a sense of the personal and the poetic from the consequences of regional. This visual novel is dedicated to reclaiming a sense of the intimate, the personal and the poetic from the consequences of regional development, political upheaval, and. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources. The work is altered, folded, and elongated, suggesting a subterranean mountain range or an active pulse line at the heart of geopolitical warfare. Here the bustle of the nearby market gives way to conversation, conversation in the presence of. Planned by the artist as a lifelong project, it reveals familial connections that reach across. This visual novel is dedicated to reclaiming a sense of the intimate, the personal and the poetic from the consequences of regional development, political upheaval, and civil conflict. Using the cosmos as a marker of time, this personal testimony hints at love, longing, loss and displacement through the eyes of character 1, the first protagonist of waheed. Through hundreds of works and many in the making, viewers. Tiny, intimate works presented in a darkened room that evokes. Quell this, swallow me 15 from the series sea change, hajra waheed, 2014 4 years ago notes 2 fog 5.
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