200 fiberglass doves imprinted with notes and postage.
Manal’s statement about the piece in its entirety:
Manal’s statement about the piece in its entirety:
“Suspended Together” is an installation that gives the impression of movement and freedom. However, a closer look at the 200 doves allows the viewer to realize that the doves are actually frozen and suspended with no hope of flight. An even closer look shows that each dove carries on its body a permission document that allows a Saudi woman to travel. Notwithstanding their circumstances, all Saudi women are required to have this document, issued by their appointed male guardian.
The artist reached out to a large group of leading women from Saudi Arabia to donate their permission documents for inclusion in this artwork. “Suspended Together” carries the documents of award-winning scientists, educators, journalists, engineers, artists and leaders with groundbreaking achievements that gave back to their society. The youngest contributor is six months old and the oldest is 60 years old. In the artist’s words, “regardless of age and achievement, when it comes to travel, all these women are treated like a flock of suspended doves.”
installation entitled Suspended Together by Saudi Arabian artist Manal Al Dowayan
Manal Al-Dowayan was born and raised in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions including the British Council’s Common Ground project (2006), the Saudi-Italian artist exchange, Nawafith (2007-09), and various Edge of Arabia exhibitions (2008-11). In 2009 she was a resident artist at the Delfina Foundation in London and attended the Clore Leadership programme. In 2010 she was a resident artist at Cuadro Fine Art Gallery in Dubai, and she is currently part of the British Council International Cultural Leaders programme. Manal has also exhibited regionally and internationally, and exhibited her work during the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009), the 2010 Berlin Biennial and Contemporary Istanbul. Her artworks reside in the permanent collections of the British Museum, the Jordan National Museum of Fine Art, the Abdul Latif Jamil Foundation, the Delfina Foundation in London, the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), the Nadour Collection in Germany, and the Barjeel Foundation in Sharjah. Manal Al Dowayan is represented by Cuadro Fine Art Gallery in Dubai.
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