MORAL CODES, curated by Celine Azem is the first solo exhibition of Josh Rowell in the Middle East. The exhibition presents a thought-provoking trajectory of Rowell's work, featuring his renowned series such as "Painting Language," "Virtually Fragile," and "Mosaics." This exhibition delves into the realms of ethics, communication, and the evolving digital landscape, inviting viewers to contemplate the moral codes that shape our society.
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AESOP'S FABLES
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WORKS FROM AESOP'S FABLES
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1088 REFLECTIONS OF ME
Painting LanguageThis painting consists of the word 'me' repeated 1088 times on the left-hand side of the painting, with a mirror-image of the text reflected on the right-hand side. 1088 is a significant number, at the time of producing this artwork (April 2021) this was the number of posts being uploaded to Instagram around the world each second. Again, the choice of the word 'me' was designed to highlight the increasing levels of narcissistic behaviour that is flourishing across social media platforms; with the repetition of the word attempting to comment on the relentless and constant nature of social media and our interaction with it. By reflecting the text on the right-hand side, this relates to the original Narcissus story, the boy who fell in love with his own reflection, as well as the concept of now turning cameras back around at ourselves in the 'selfie' generation.
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Other works from the Painting Language series reflect on ancient mathematics and geometry. Rowell seamlessly merges art, technology, and language, blurring the boundaries between the digital and the tangible. By meticulously hand-painting passages of text, he creates intricate systems of color coding, symbolizing the complex coding systems that underlie our interconnected digital realm. These artworks not only explore the aesthetics of digital communication but also emphasize the value of the hand-made in an increasingly digitized world.
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PAINTING LANGUAGE | SACRED GEOMETRY AND MATHEMATICS
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MOSAICS
by Josh Rowell
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Virtually Fragile
By Josh RowellLastly, Rowell's Virtually Fragile series sheds light on the fragility of our digital connectivity. These artworks capture the pivotal moment when our connection to the virtual world is severed, plunging us into a realm of abstract chaos. By depicting the loss of connectivity and the disarray that ensues, Rowell prompts us to contemplate our dependence on the digital realm and the potential consequences of its disruption.
