Abdulla Al-Awadi’s Anmatt 2: The Clash of the Icons is an exhibition where poetry, story, geometry, society, iconography and color all meet in one place. Al-Awadi utilizes his skills in architecture, design, poetry and installations to create the perfect vision of what exactly it is that makes an icon.
The title of the exhibition itself captures the essence of the artworks. Upon entering, visitors must ask themselves a key question: what is an icon? Viewers must ponder whether it is enough just to be remembered after years of existence or whether there are necessary steps to becoming an icon.
As soon as you enter the exhibition, the answer is clear. Artists, words and designs that you have embedded in your subconscious are brought to life in Anmatt 2. There will be designs that you will have never seen before, but somehow you’ll find yourself feeling connected to the works.
Right at the start of the exhibition, we are introduced to a wall of hands that literally “hand” out scarves to the viewer. It’s as if Al-Awadi is telling the viewer, “This is my work, enjoy it.”
Later on as you go through the exhibition, you will stumble upon a photo that, when scrutinized, has the icon that is known throughout the globe, Marilyn Monroe. The effect used in this artwork, as many others in the exhibition, is called “The Kaleidoscope Effect.”
At the end of the exhibition, the viewers will come across what seems to be a photograph of the iconic Egyptian musician Mohammed Abdulwahab, however, when the viewers gets a close look at the artwork, they will notice that the photograph is made up of differently colored small dots.
An exceptional and truly original exhibition!
