This book was conceived out of the exhibition of the same name by artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke at The Mosaic Rooms, London in 2014. The exhibition was inspired by the history of the gallery’s building which, more than a century ago, served as the domicile for Imre Kiralfy, the man responsible for many of the grand exhibitions at Earls Court, White City and Olympia. Kiralfy brought curiosities from all parts of the global empire to England, where the Victorian public was eager to view such spectacles. This publication reflects on the structures of power that thread colonialism and capitalism, captivity and control, the observed and observing. It features a dialogue between Nadia Kaabi-Linke, curator and art critic Timo Kaabi-Linke and cultural scientist Dr Falko Schmieder, forming an exploration of geography, history, politics and identity through the analysis of the works featured in the exhibition. Furthermore, it offers a fascinating insight into contemporary artists research based practices, as the discussion details the methods used to develop the site specific works. The book is beautifully illustrated and intellectually critical.
About the Artist
Nadia Kaabi-Linke was born in 1978 in Tunis. She studied at the University of Fine Arts, Tunis (1999) before receiving a PhD from the Sorbonne, Paris (2008). Her installations, objects and pictorial works are embedded in urban contexts, intertwined with memory and geographically and politically constructed identities. Her works are part of several public and private collections including that of MOMA, New York.
About the Publishers
The Mosaic Rooms are a London-based non-profit cultural organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting comtemporary culture from and about the Arab world through contemporary art exhibitions, multidisciplinary events, artist residencies and learning and engagement programme.
The A.M. Qattan Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organisation founded in 1993 and registered in the UK as a charity. Its principle remit is the support of culture and education in and about Palestine and the Arab World.
