Collecting and Receiving

In the exhibition, Collecting and Receiving, the works of Mohammed Kazem and Cristiana de Marchi reflect on the memory of collecting and receiving light in architectural and urban settings across the globe. Internationally recognized in the field, both artists created new works for this exhibition, reflecting on a globally-connected cultural economy drastically altered through the global pandemic. The exhibition also features response artworks by FLAG studio artists Joe Girandola, Jeremy Schulz, Dan Reidy, and Larry Collins.

Mohammed Kazem (b. 1969, Dubai) studied painting as a teenager at the Emirates Fine Art Society, Sharjah, and music in the early 1990s at Al Rayat Music Institute, Dubai. In 2012, Kazem received an MFA from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. A conceptual artist who has worked closely with his mentor, artist Hassan Sharif, Kazem uses overlooked remnants of the everyday, from construction flags to chewing gum, to measure and navigate global transformations.

Cristiana de Marchi (b. Italy) is a visual artist and writer who lives and works in Beirut and Dubai. She received her MFA with honors in Archaeology from The University of Turin, Italy and previously completed her Bachelors with honors in Humanities from the same university. De Marchi works with video and textiles as her preferred medium to explore issues related to identity, displacement, belonging and the porous borders that separate regions while allowing contact.

Artists: Larry Collins, Cristiana de Marchi, Joe Girandola, Mohammed Kazem, Dan Reidy, Jeremy Schulz

Curator: Joe Girandola