Sunrising Artist Project at Ashkal Alwan
As part of the Home Works 6 Platform, Ashkal Alwan is hosting an artist project by Kristine Khouri, Dilek Winchester, and Maha Maamoun called “Sunrising”.
Beyond the turnstiles of the Yapi Kredi Bank’s headquarters, scattered within secured corridors and large empty halls, reside eight paintings, 2 x 3 metres each, filling oversized walls. White collared bankers and administrators scurry in and out of offices, conference rooms and elevators, past equally self-absorbed farmers tilling the land, women weaving carpets, and strong men carrying baskets. In their vicinity, taking pride of place, is a sun.
Scorching farmers’ backs from time immemorial, it shone for a brief moment in time, the summer of 1954 to be precise, even more strongly on this particular group of realist and cubist farmers. What gave the sun the upper hand this time around was not its innate power, though some believe it was, but a jury’s verdict.
Behind these paintings is a story of a contest, controversial and transformative. As in every contest, there were winners, losers, sore losers and other observers. Bankers, academicians, artists, local and international art critics, government officials, decision-makers and gossip column writers were also present. What was so special about this contest? Why are these players and observers still discussing it? Are they still discussing it?
