Sawad (from the Black Hole series)

Details

Amer Shomali (Palestinian, b. 1981)
Sawad (from the Black Hole series)
shredded bank notes laid down within a metal satellite dish
41 1/3 in x 37 3/8 in. (105 x 95cm.)
Executed in 2017

Exhibited

Ramallah, Gallery One, Sensorial Immunity, 2017.
Bethlehem, The Walled Off Hotel gallery, House..Houses, 2018.
Beirut, Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture, Keyword: Palestine, 2018.

Special Notice

The lot was imported into the UAE for sale and is held in a Designated Zone. VAT at 5% will be added to the buyer’s premium and will be shown separately on our invoice. If the lot is released into GCC/UAE free circulation, import duty at 5% and import VAT at 5% will be payable on the hammer price by you at the Designated Zone before collection of the lot.

Brought to you by

Michael Jeha

mjeha@christies.com +971 (0) 56 311 6088

Lot Essay

'In the aftermath of the Gulf War of 1991, as the Iraqi state collapsed, so did the Iraqi Dinar depreciate in value. (From 1 IQD = 3. USD down to 1 USD = 4000 IQD). Within just a few days, over half a million dollars were shredded and scattered to the wind, reduced to a mere 50 USD. The state and its currency were decimated and eroded, leaving behind black scars and black holes that swallowed the lives and dreams of entire nations. These black holes are from which sprung ISIS and invaded us, which perpetuated this cycle of violence that feeds off of greed, suffering, and despair. Only art may one day restore a damaged, void currency to its former value and luster.’
-AMER SHOMALI

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