Exhibitions
The Slow Cancellation of Practice By Maryam Zahra Kazimi
Visit the latest RIPE exhibition from ‘a space’ arts
Maryam’s practice is experimental and unpredictable. It exists at the intersection of research-creation, socially engaged art, curation, intervention and the expanded field of drawing. Ideas begin as doodles, drawings and notes and evolve through collaborative and collective activity, conversations and large-scale installations.
The Slow Cancellation of Practice explores the conceptual anxiety and stasis inherently found within art practice – the periods in between productive spells, time spent casually in the studio, on the road, conceptualising new ideas or deep in research. Eclecticism is embraced; the archival impulse is quietly celebrated. The outcome is a site-specific installation that serves as a snapshot of Maryam’s art practice at a very fleeting moment in time, defiantly proclaiming a resistance to conventional modes of classification and the curation of a singular narrative.
The installation explores the artist’s perpetual struggle between the authentic expression of self, and the pressure to make more conceptually-palettable, commercially-viable forms of art for public consumption. Paintings, drawings, objects and text are loosely drawn together to map a particular set of narratives, but what are they? The work itself is left open-ended, unresolved and open to interpretation. Evading conclusion, it begs the question of purpose and direction. Much like a self-aware AI system, it asks itself, “what am I doing here and where am I headed?”
Comprising an eclectic range of materials and mundane objects, including drawings, writing excerpts, repurposed office supplies and scrawled text on wood, the work speaks directly to the chaotic and discursive nature of artistic practice. Viewers are invited to travel along with this sprawling train of thought in all directions, and perhaps offer a narrative of their own to logically reconcile this anxious set of questions.
The Slow Cancellation of Practice is on display 24/7 in the windows of the Hidden Wardrobe from Friday 2nd September until Sunday 9th October and is free to visit.
The Slow Cancellation of Practice explores the conceptual anxiety and stasis inherently found within art practice – the periods in between productive spells, time spent casually in the studio, on the road, conceptualising new ideas or deep in research. Eclecticism is embraced; the archival impulse is quietly celebrated. The outcome is a site-specific installation that serves as a snapshot of Maryam’s art practice at a very fleeting moment in time, defiantly proclaiming a resistance to conventional modes of classification and the curation of a singular narrative.
The installation explores the artist’s perpetual struggle between the authentic expression of self, and the pressure to make more conceptually-palettable, commercially-viable forms of art for public consumption. Paintings, drawings, objects and text are loosely drawn together to map a particular set of narratives, but what are they? The work itself is left open-ended, unresolved and open to interpretation. Evading conclusion, it begs the question of purpose and direction. Much like a self-aware AI system, it asks itself, “what am I doing here and where am I headed?”
Comprising an eclectic range of materials and mundane objects, including drawings, writing excerpts, repurposed office supplies and scrawled text on wood, the work speaks directly to the chaotic and discursive nature of artistic practice. Viewers are invited to travel along with this sprawling train of thought in all directions, and perhaps offer a narrative of their own to logically reconcile this anxious set of questions.
The Slow Cancellation of Practice is on display 24/7 in the windows of the Hidden Wardrobe from Friday 2nd September until Sunday 9th October and is free to visit.
