East meets West

31st March 2009..

 

If you are looking for a great (free) day out in central London look no further than the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. The latest exhibition is “Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East” and highlights issues of nationalism, identity and perceptions of cultural difference ranging from the bizarre (where else can you see a waxwork of Fidel Castro in a motorized wheelchair?!) to the powerful – ‘Ghost’ by French Algerian artist Kader Attia – features rows of life size foil figures, all kneeling, when seen from the back. However, when seen from the front all of the figures are actually faceless hollowed out shells, and this is thought to be a comment on the denigration of women in Islamic societies. Thought provoking stuff and well worth a visit.