Shamiyaana–Food for Thought: Thought for Change

Overview

Shamiyaana–Food for Thought: Thought for Change
8 April–16 July 2017
documenta 14, Athens, Greece

At documenta 14 in Athens and Kassel, Rasheed Araeen presents Shamiyaana–Food for Thought: Thought for Change (2016–17), a new project partly supported by Sharjah Art Foundation. Under canopies inspired by the shamiyaana (a traditional Pakistani wedding tent) and distilled to a few colours and geometric patterns that appear in his recent work, the artist invites people to sit together and enjoy a free meal, while reflecting on possible scenarios for social change. Recipes from around the Mediterranean are cooked on site in collaboration with Organization Earth.

Situated across from city hall, the project’s location in Athens’ Kotzia Square draws attention to the storied history of this public space. Although the area has become increasingly deserted due to the recent decline of Athens’ commercial centre, it has always been a vital meeting point for the city’s inhabitants. Also important is the name of the square, which commemorates a former mayor celebrated for developing a nearby Bauhaus social housing complex. Within this context, Araeen’s brightly coloured open structure of canopies invites visitors to consider the present and historical dynamics of this public space and revitalises its activities through an offering of hospitality.

In 2014, Sharjah Art Foundation organised Rasheed Araeen: Before and After Minimalism, the artist’s first major solo exhibition in MENASA. Bringing renewed attention to his practice, the survey of Araeen’s work featured early paintings produced in Karachi, experiments in sculpture spurred by his move to London, documentation of participatory and performance works and his widely recognised geometric forms made of industrial materials. In addition, newly commissioned sculptures were produced specifically for the exhibition.

The production and presentation of Shamiyaana–Food for Thought: Thought for Change is partly supported by Sharjah Art Foundation.