WHERE AM I STANDING?
March 2007
Shaghayeq Arabi examines the role of the ordinary man in his relationship to his surroundings. "By laying out the analogous object-like figures in space I investigate the issue the cryptogrammic nature of the ordinary man, juxtaposing notions of freedom and constraint, certainty and uncertainty, homogeneity and individuality".
The figures are suspended metaphorically in space, again, examining void through presence. "The particular and direct relation between architectural space with a steel rail and the men hanging still and fragile in space creates an insensitive feeling and intensifies the emotional force behind the work". With the puppet-like frail structure of the figures, she creates a dynamic installation giving the audience the chance to either partake or not. She juxtaposes the notion of safety with danger by giving the viewer the power to pull the safety harness of the individual, causing them to move in what she calls "a non-safe space". The ordinary man is always in the power of someone else’s hands.





