Artist Shurooq Amin explains her artwork to the visitors
The Exhibition “It’s A Man’s World” by Kuwaiti artist Dr. Shurooq Amin was opened yesterday (March 5) at AL M. Gallery (with absolute record of attendance) and was shut down at 10pm – 3 hours after the Opening. At the present moment exhibition is suspended (link)
We are not ready to say if it was the case of censorship, or it was just the case of the misunderstanding and exhibition will continue soon. However, this situation had no precedence in Kuwait.
Follow @ArtKuwait @ALMGallery or @ShurooqAmin to be updated.
Meanwhile we are awaiting the situation is clarified and to publish some pictures from the Opening, you can express your solidarity to the Artist Shurooq Amin and AL M. Gallery leaving your comment below.
Read more “It’s A Man’s World” – the story of the shortest art exhibition in Kuwait
I can somewhat imagine how she felt. Someone asked me to remove an illustration from my artist statement, and I just felt so frustrated that I did remove it, even though the gallery curator asked me not to.
But at least I still had the main part of the statement and my installation wasn’t interfered with.
I do hope this is all just a misunderstanding and that the exhibition will resume.
It must feel horrible, but when you have such opposition as an artist, it means your work matters.
Thye have a history of censoring direct expression, but this is a case against indirect expression. Dr. Shurooq has all my sympathy…
We are living in a country where everything is first looked in a negative way no matter if your work is glowing with positivity. All I can say is that Dr. Shurooq I am sorry you had to go through this but welcome to our world (non Kuwaiti) where we face this every day.
Who specifically ordered the shutdown? There has to be an official statement from the concerned public authority on this!
No to censorship!
Yes, exactly. Should be an official statement, that AL M. Gallery until now didn’t receive, that’s why there is no information, for the moment, about what was happened and how the story will continue.
I am astonished that such an important body of works was “shut down” – Fear is a terrible danger and Fear is what causes mankind to be restrictive and negative. It’s time we realized that half of the world, or more! is being refused the right to share their talents and insights in certain places. It is not acceptable. Shurooq, I and the Galerie Quint-Essences stand behind your work and your objectives 100 %. You are welcome to share your work here in the gallery any time next year.
no censorship !
my full solidarity as artist and woman…
pas de censure !
toute ma solidarité en tant qu’artiste et femme…
Iam glad they shut it down, her work is very extreme. Visualizing women as slaves and only sexual tool. Well guess what .. you are not living in Kuwait. Women have all the rights as men and we can do and live as we want. Yet we are Muslims and conservatives. People should respect that like they respect other cultures and religions and believes. Like in anyother countries , some peole are religious more than other, some people have more morals and others have non. I dont agree with her work of art she should understand the nature of our country. Muslims Arabs and conservatives and Proud of it. Many other countries in the West are proud of their culture and believes too.
Just one small question. Did you see her works at this exhibition or previous one ? Because there is nothing extreme and there are no women depicted as slaves. It’s not quite clear the accent about Muslims arabs and proud, because her art is not about religion. I am living in Kuwait and the artist Shurooq Amin she is Kuwaiti, and the AL M. Gallery owner he is Kuwaiti and the people who appreciate her works and who give her all support they are also Kuwaiti ( foreigners also) we know the reality and we love this country. The point is that understand contemporary art is difficult sometimes, especially without proper background in the field and the people who decide to shut down the exhibition they don’t have this background and they don’t want to have it.
I had a similar experience to a group of my student’s work on display, lots of punishing feedback. Shurouq, actually opened that exhibt “Chair as Self Portrait.”
This is only your own opinion. Other viewers should have the right to see the work and make their own decision, although it may be different to yours. This is artistic and intellectual freedom, which is the way in which ground breaking work is created. Insular blinkered ideas need to be challenged, it is healthy.
Entesar – you have the right to not agree with her work, as she has the right to not agree with what she sees as what is happening to women. You say that we should respect your culture, religion and beliefs but you do not respect her right to believe that there are problems that need to be pointed out. It is her right to do so if you truly live in a free country. But censorship is never a good answer. By the way Shurooq is a native of the country, not a foreigner.
Dear Entesar,
having a glance at one part of the society from an artistic point of you is not an attack on religion and culture. Religion doesn’t need the beautification of reality in images in order to survive. Of ‘course we all have the right to jujde, like, aproove or dislike a piece of art but apply censorship is a whole different issue. Don’t forget it’s art we are talking about and freedom of expression. Think about it because this is the way that leads people to dangerous paths. I am writing this with full respect to what you think and beleive.
I don’t understand how that very “extremist” comment got to this page. I mean, it isn’t enough that the entire exhibition has been shut down because of people’s “extremist” views. Now supporters of these extremists are attacking this page, which is supposed to give artists and intellectuals hope! I’m really angry.
Perhaps, it was just a comment that is based on doubts and confusion, and certainly from the person who didn’t see the exhibition…
A message to people who didn’t see the exhibition:
Please do not judge anything before you see it! If indeed you have seen it and haven’t liked it, please respect views different than yours and do not moralize.
who are the intruders .. Are they really police officers and is it really ordered by a parliamentary or just an individual act .. Why no body talk..I Began to doubt the hall brilliant story????!!!!!!!!!
http://www.artkuwait.org/2012/03/its-a-mans-world-the-story-of-the-shortest-art-exhibition-in-kuwait.html
A couple of people have asked a pertinent question about WHO demanded the shut down and if it was an individual or a government authority. Does anyone know the answer to this?
Everything is written here. There is no any other information available.