DUBAI: An exhibition showing a potentially provocative artwork where Osama Bin Laden is depicted as the Holy Spirit opens at a gallery in Dubai next week.
The controversial artwork titled ‘Father, Son and the Holy Ghost' will be part of Relate to the Matter As I Drop the Bomb, a solo exhibition by Dubai-based artist Vivek Premchandran popularly known as Ubik.
An oblique reference to the Biblical doctrine of Trinity, one of the most important tenets of mainstream Christian faith, the artwork shows US President Barack Obama as the Father, Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the Son and Osama Bin Laden as the Holy Spirit.
But Ubik, 25, dismisses suggestions that his work could offend religious sensitivities. Talking to XPRESS ahead of the exhibition opening at Traffic gallery on May 18, Ubik urged people to come with an open mind. "This is a conceptual art with a bit of dark humour. I don't want to offend viewers, but I will be lying if I say I don't want to provoke them.
"I want people to come with an open mind. This is a hardcore political show," he said.
A Traffic press release said Ubik's "works pose a kind of experiment where the artist displays the work and awaits a response from the audience. Viewers are urged to explore their reactions and emotions, often in a cynical, sarcastic and humorous way."
"As much as I am political, I can't take sides. I prefer to be an observer," said Ubik, denying insinuation that he was trying to cash in on the Osama hysteria.
"I made this piece months back. It's just happenstance that my exhibition is taking place within days of Osama's death. For all you know this could well be the first art exhibition in the world on Osama after his death," said Ubik who uses lenticular imaging technology in most of his creations and has displayed his works at leading art galleries, including Art Dubai.
Another lentrical image of Osama is accompanied by a graphic text that reads: I don't need a eulogy to leave behind a legacy.
Lenticular imaging in a multi-step process consisting of creating a lenticular image from at least two images, and combining it with a lenticular lens. The technology forces the eye to focus on only one of the interlaced images at any viewing angle. When you change the angle, the image changes too.
Ubik said Relate to the Matter As I Drop the Bomb is a lyric from the song I'm Housin, by American political rap group RATM (Rage Against the Machine) but refers to the current socio-political upheavals in the Middle East region. The exhibition runs until June 15.
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