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Manifesto No. 1

Life can be lived poetically, and art can grow rainfed.

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We used to say that artistic practice for us, amid all the complexities of identity and after every imperfect attempt; was something different from what we had done or witnessed before, and that there had to be something else. In our search for the right balance between content and form to express what we wanted to say, we put on glasses, fixed our gaze to the sun, and tried to bring it a little closer to the earth, hoping to ripen the orange fruit. In the midst of distilling this question, the “Firestarter” interrupted us, reciting his own proven metaphor: how to be eloquent, how to be beautiful, and how to master the art of improvisation.

In a humble attempt to break free from the dominant production relationships in the Western art world, and its tacky copies scattered across the Arab region, along with the liberal appropriation of all that is beautiful, the idea for this project emerged.

The initial question of the project was: what remains of an artwork —sculpture in specific— if we set aside certain elements, such as its material value and uniqueness as a one-of-a-kind piece? Instead, we decided to create a visual documentation by photographing the sculpture in an interactive scene with the human body, and then destroy all the sculptural works except for the final piece (the Firestarter). Rather than displaying and selling the artwork to someone seeking to satisfy their ownership instincts, we aimed to document it for the purpose of selling unlimited digital copies ready for printing. These would then be showcased in an online space at a symbolic price, making them accessible to all interested individuals rather than a limited audience of art collectors in galleries and art institutions. This approach allows for the freedom to express what you want, how you want, without complying to the laws and demands of the art market.

The materials used in the production of the sculptures: White silicone on various materials.

PS. The final work in this series (the Firestarter) is available for free in its ready-to-print version.