Art as Middle East's Flagship for Sustainability and Environment / Hossein Hashempoor's Description of Ahmed Mater's Art in Collection of Barjeel Art Foundation

The Middle East has no desire to become a gas station. Though it's not the complete tale, this is the most straightforward interpretation of the intriguing piece by prominent Saudi artist Ahmed Mater.

IranArt : Hossein Hashempoor  : Currently on display at Foundry by EMAAR main gallery is a selection of the classics of Arab art owned by Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi's Barjeel Art Foundation.

I was more captivated to Ahmed Mater's 2010 artwork, Custom-made LED light-box, than to the other pieces in this magnificent exhibition.

From right to left, a gas pump takes on the form of a person and shoots the environment and human health in this artwork. However, some people may have witnessed the Mater artwork from left to right, where individuals who shoot themselves can undoubtedly transform into gas pumps, endangering the lives of everyone.

On his personal website, Mater has posted a text regarding the piece that says, among other things:

"A silhouetted gas pump mutates into a human X-ray, a gun to its head, before morphing back again. Unlike the progression of evolution, this foreboding form is caught in a relentless and destructive cycle without reprieve.

Here is a succinct, urgent warning against an over-reliance on the petrodollar, a destructive addiction witnessed in Saudi Arabia as it embraced its fortune as a rentier state."

The exciting thing is that the presence of artists like Mater in the Middle East, who give environmental warnings, and do not shy away from criticizing policies that make it difficult for living things to breathe, is becoming more and more common every day.

Another artwork that Alserkal Advisory has exhibited is A Forgotten Place, which was chosen by Tairone Bastien and is currently on exhibit at the entrance to Alserkal Avenue in Dubai. It was created by Muhannad Shono, a well-known Saudi artist.

Obviously, there are the numerous environmental and sustainable-themed events that Dubai Culture hosts; additionally, there are galleries, foundations, and thriving collectors who order and promote this idea.

Thankfully, the COP meeting in Dubai demonstrated that global and regional decision-makers desire a fresh perspective in this crucial area.

The dream is that the gift of going back to nature and living a healthy, sustainable existence is going to occur faster, and one day, whether it goes left or right, Ahmed Mater's custom-made LED light box will be a distant, educational memory.