Contemporary Art from the Arabian Gulf A
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Fueling Petroculture: Contemporary Art from the Arabian Gulf A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Fine Arts of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Rawya M. Aljared May 2018 © 2018 Rawya M. Aljared. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Fueling Petroculture: Contemporary Art From the Arabian Gulf by RAWYA M. ALJARED has been approved for the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and the College of Fine Arts by Andrea Frohne Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts Matthew R. Shaftel Dean, College of Fine Arts 3 Abstract ALJARED, RAWYA M., Ph.D., May 2018, Interdisciplinary Arts Fueling Petroculture: Contemporary Art From the Arabian Gulf Director of Dissertation: Andrea Frohne The unprecedented transformation of petromodernity in the Arabian Gulf’s landscape and culture during the twentieth century coincided with the formation of the Arabian Gulf nation states. As such, the Arabian Gulf’s oil economy is considered as an important factor in the stability and prosperity of these countries. This oil transformation has generated a modern lifestyle, denoted by petromodernity, which hinges on petroleum as its mode of energy. Petromodernity and its subsequent petroleum culture, or petroculture, serve as the framework for this research analysis of the Arabian Gulf’s contemporary art. The project focuses on how the works of art reflect the manifestation of petroculture on: 1) urban landscape; 2) social behaviors; and 3) environmental issues of the region. Navigating contemporary art in the Arabian Gulf through manifestations of petroculture attest to a new regional field in art history. This dissertation aims to lay out art as a mode of civic engagement and critical space regarding the discourse around the inevitable ramifications of energy transition by opening the possibility for the advocacy and the discussion of this topic within and beyond the region. 4 Dedication To my parents, husband and kids, and my siblings. I love you. 5 Acknowledgments First, I thank Allah Almighty for giving me the strength and knowledge to complete this research and for blessing me with this opportunity. My sincerest gratitude goes to my primary advisor and chair Dr. Andrea Frohne to whom I am infinitely grateful. I could not have completed this dissertation without your support. Your dedication to this project by constantly meeting and challenging my thoughts had a profound impact on my ability to be a better researcher. I can’t thank you enough for connecting me with various individuals and advising me throughout the process of data collection and writing. I also sincerely thank Dr. Marina Peterson for introducing me to the literature of energy in the humanities during an Interdisciplinary Arts seminar of Fall 2014. This has helped articulate and frame my analysis on issues of oil and energy in relation to the Arabian Gulf culture. Thank you so much for your continuous support over the years. I am specifically grateful for your valuable advice and edits during the difficult time when Dr. Frohne was on medical leave. I am extremely grateful to my committee members: Dr. Steve Howard and Dr. Jennie Klein for their incredible support and guidance throughout my years at Ohio University. Your encouragement was a significant factor in my ability to continue furthering my research. Thank you so much. I also extend my thanks and appreciations to the artists, curators, and scholars who have agreed to meet with me and to share their time and knowledge that have informed this research. Particularly, I thank Dr. Salah Hassan, Ahmad Mater, Stephen 6 Stapleton. I thank curators Dr. Leslie Luebbers and Edmund Warren Perry, Jr from the Art Museum of the University of Memphis. I thank artists: Maha Malouh, Seddek Wasil, Dr. Zahra Algamdi, and Saeed Salem. I also thank my talented friend the Saudi artist Ashjan Al Sulimani for connecting me with many artists and for sharing her collection of Jeddah exhibitions and art catalogues. I thank my friends in the school of Interdisciplinary Arts and from the Saudi community in Athens for the intellectual discussions and support that made this journey possible. In addition, I thank the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission to the US for their support and guidance. I am grateful for the generous scholarship that the College of Art and Design in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has given me in order to complete my doctoral studies at the School of Interdisciplinary Arts at Ohio University. I thank the School of Interdisciplinary Arts as well for their support over the years and specifically for granting me the Dissertation Research Award in 2017 that funded my trip to Memphis, TN for data collections. This would not have been possible without the never-ending support of my husband Hussain who encouraged me along the way to pursue my dream, and reminded me never to give up even in the most difficult times. My kids, you are the light of my life. Your precious smiles every day is what motivates me to work harder. My dearest Mom and Dad, I am forever grateful for the unconditional love, encouragement, and prayers that you have given me throughout the years. My siblings, I thank each one of you for your support, help, and prayers. My words cannot describe my gratitude. I love you and I hope I made you proud. 7 Table of Contents Page Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 11 Petroculture, Societies, and Art .................................................................................. 14 The Development of Petroculture Studies .................................................................. 17 Dimensions of Petroculture and Public Debates ......................................................... 18 Artistic Intervention on Petroculture .......................................................................... 23 Cities of Salt: Saudi Arabia’s Oil Predicament ........................................................... 25 Petrocultural Artistic Intervention in the Arabian Gulf .............................................. 30 Methodology ............................................................................................................... 32 Significance of Dissertation ........................................................................................ 33 Chapter One: Mapping the Contemporary Art World in the Arabian Gulf ...................... 34 Contemporary Art Discourse and the Middle East ..................................................... 35 A Reflection on Contemporary Art from the Arabian Gulf ........................................ 41 Art Between the Past and the Present ......................................................................... 45 The contemporary Moment of Saudi Arabian Art and the Gulf ................................. 51 Exhibiting and Curating .............................................................................................. 52 The Trajectory of Contemporary Arabian Gulf Art .................................................... 68 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 70 Chapter Two: Photographic Anxiety in the Urban Petroscape ......................................... 72 Ahmed Mater’s Quest for a Regional Urbanism ........................................................ 75 Nostalgia and Migration in “Empty Land” ................................................................. 78 Utopia and Dystopia in the Urban Landscape of Sami Al-Turki’s Photograph ......... 94 Constructakons and the Promise of Progress and Utopia: .......................................... 97 Futuristic Uncertainty in Barzakh ............................................................................... 99 Gender, Memory, and Storytelling in Manal Al-Dowayan’s Work ......................... 101 The creation of a New Social Order in I Am and Landscape of the Mind ................ 102 Oil Towns and The Neocolonial Practice ................................................................. 104 If I Forget You, Don’t Forget Me: An Ethnographic Exploration ............................ 110 8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 113 Chapter Three: Petrocultural Consumerism through Arts in the Arabian Peninsula: Goods, Plastic, and Petroleum Waste ............................................................................. 115 Colliding Carts and Shopping Malls in Contemporary Art of the Arabian Gulf ...... 119 Petrocultural Waste in Contemporary Art ................................................................ 136 Plastic, Rubber, and the Oil Drill .............................................................................. 142 Conclusion: ............................................................................................................... 148 Chapter Four: Environmental Issues and Sand Storms: An Intervention ....................... 149 Interactive Artistic Projects......................................................................................