Aekyad #150 2020

Curator: Let's turn our attention to Douglas Abdell’s "Aekyad #150," created in 2020. It's an intriguing sculpture. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by its enigmatic nature. The matte black surface amplifies its cryptic form—angular shapes stacked on top of one another that creates this heavy but slightly playful silhouette. Curator: Abdell’s work often engages with complex political and social themes, particularly concerning identity and displacement within the Lebanese diaspora. He blends abstraction with symbolism to address these subjects. Do you think we see that here? Editor: Absolutely. The hashtag symbol, now a potent icon in our digital age, intersects with that peculiar winding form above it. This juxtaposes modern communication methods with, what I see, as something akin to ancient pictograms or scripts, which speak to forgotten knowledge, a theme so many deal with regarding displacement. Curator: The repetition of geometric forms and that particular kind of symbol that reminds us of language also fits into discussions about communication, power and social structure. How do we even express identity without a language? Editor: Exactly, and what’s so intriguing is how the negative space enhances this interplay. Each void allows light to cast compelling shadows, playing on ideas of visibility and concealment that are quite common among diaspora works. Curator: These types of minimalist aesthetics that are rooted in deeper concepts of heritage can have the strongest voice. Especially, considering that it could act as a response against Orientalist exoticization. Editor: Agreed. While its outward appearance seems modern, I believe this sculpture functions as a vessel carrying stories of migration, identity, and, perhaps, a redefinition of oneself amidst new landscapes. Curator: Precisely. "Aekyad #150" shows that minimalism can be very moving, speaking volumes by suggesting, rather than directly stating. Editor: Yes, a simple shape acting as a complex metaphor. Food for thought!