Glorious: Shadows of the Past, Foretelling the Future 6 - Limited Edition of 150 Photograph

‘Glorious: Shadows of the Past, Foretelling the Future’ Shooting a documentary series about abandoned palaces in this Kingdom and roaming these ruins, it was impossible not to be touched by the eerie feeling of déjà vu. With only some details left but with a vivid fantasy, I could imagine the opulence and glory these palaces once harboured. I imagined lots of children running around, imagining how the King’s wives walked from their red and pink quarters to the green and blue Royal Bedchamber on layers of the finest carpets, surrounded by a treasury of colours framed by gold and silver... The palaces are spread all over the country and though I covered some, many are still on the to-do list. At home, processing the photographs I cannot help but the artistic side of my brains wanders off to the abundance of the past. Abundance in many ways because I suddenly realise why I am so touched (emotional) about the work in front of me. Come Full Circles. As sometimes happens in places all over the world and having quite some examples in history as well, at the time these palaces were built, the society was freer than it is recently. Saudi grandparents tell their grandchildren that they were more liberal and freer than the generation now, but the society is changing very quickly now, is moving forwards so speedily and vastly that it might catch up with its own history. That realisation brings a metaphor: not only the palaces but also the lively society was abandoned, was left to wither, but now, with a new time arriving, both will be restored to their rightful glory. By adding opulence directly onto my photographs with embroidery, gilding, rug making, adding 3d layer and colours, I bring three layers of past-opulence, present-ruin and future-restoration together in one. “The King is Dead, Long Live the King”, when a king dies the old is being abandoned and the new will be embraced. Palaces, once opulent and flourishing as in the colourful epic of ‘A Thousand and One Nights’, are seemingly easily disregarded after the death of its King, they are left to decay and what remains is a mere memory of its previous self. The old perishes and becomes a shadow of its own, a witness, foretelling of what will come next. The past, present and future are connected. By looking back into the past, into history, we can better understand the present and it helps to predict the future. If we only look to the future, we are condemned to repeat its past. If we look to the past only, we shall be trapped into history and shall not be able to appreciate the present nor the future, the time inevitably ahead of us. Ongoing project: Khuzam Palace Jeddah, Jabrah Palace Taif, Bayt Katif Taif, Bayt Kaki Taif, Al-Fakheria Palace Hofuf, Qasr Ibn Tha'ali Mecca, Mushrif Palace Hofuf. Aljohara

Photography:Color on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:150

Size:40 W x 60 H x 0.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.