“The artists in Eyes Wide Shut challenge preconceived notions and expose blindspots; they teach us to see and think anew. The exhibition is thus an invitation to shift our perspectives and to open our eyes to the realities of our contemporary world.”
Artists: Qamar Abdulmalik, Sawsan Al Bahar, Afra Al Suwaidi, Amani Al Thuwaini, Khawla Almarzooqi, Negin Fallah, Annie Kurkdijian, Alymamah Rashed, and Maria Shapranova
Curated by Céline Azem, Mara Firetti and Océane Sailly
Firetti Contemporary is pleased to present Eyes Wide Shut, a collective exhibition including ten women artists from the UAE, Iran, Armenia, Ukraine, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Kuwait.
The exhibition embodies a visual exploration on a wide range of socio-political issues through multidisciplinary mediums, such as painting, collage, video, and installation. Eyes Wide Shut is a dialogue of individual styles by women artists belonging to three different generations (Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z) who, whilst navigating their own path, question familiar narratives and shed light on pressing issues.
Collectively, the artists in Eyes Wide Shut investigate a variety of themes, including cultural and gender identity; interpersonal relationships; and more broad sociopolitical dynamics, both in their locale and beyond. Individually, their probing investigations stir discussions and draw attention to their diverse and varied experiences as they adopt a personal, intimate lens. Following this line of inquiry, each artist conveys the struggles and conflicts they encounter as women, both privately and publicly, while bringing together fresh perspectives and approaches to both traditional and new mediums. With the intent to reveal the new forms of consciousness that have emerged in recent years, the featured works transcend gender and cultural differences, venturing into a more universal sense of human nature.
These women challenge preconceived notions and expose blind spots; they teach us to see and think anew. Eyes Wide Shut is thus an invitation to shift our perspectives and to open our eyes to the realities of our contemporary world.
