In Al Salem’s work State of Affairs, the artist unveils the power of words and the production of meaning. Al Salem deconstructs the verse “He arranges [each] matter” into a letter or groups of letters, which are then repeated or duplicated and scattered across the surface of the paper. The expansion of the letters on the paper represents the continuous expansion of the universe and the constant movement that characterises it in its entirety. Here, each letter is a unique element of formal organisation within a system. Al Salem is not only concerned with the way the system expands, but is also interested in exploring notions of matter within such a system, such as the endless motion and vastness of the universe, the intense diversity of nature and the world and the logic that affirms the belief in God.