11 September 2013
Experiencing a new journey in my life is walking on the waters of the beautiful city of Venice, when I first arrived I was taken by the magnificence and the era of this city, yet I was also scared of being lost between its narrow alley ways and waters. Just like our artist Mohammed Kazem’s experience being lost for half an hour in openness of the sea, therefore creating the brilliant work of “walking on water” to be featured at the 55th edition of the Venice Biennale, representing the Art scene of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion.
I can safely say that a common fear between humans is the fear of being lost, be it in space, directions, time or even thoughts. But being lost is only a journey of the human soul when we experience a new incident that opens the door to imagination, inspiration and creativity.
In my opinion the relevance between the city of Venice and the artwork of Mohammed Kazem is the fear of being lost at the beginning. As the solo artwork “walking on water” is a one of a kind encounter, which as titled promises the viewer an unforgettable experience that touches all the human senses not only the vision, but also hearing, feeling and touching, for the viewer is surrounded by a three hundred and sixty degree of open water. The effect of this particular art piece is intense and it pulls the viewer into another world of imagination, beauty and fear of not knowing what or where to go next, just like my first experience of this beautiful city Venice.
