For the second edition of Desert X AlUla, Alicja Kwade presents her newest site-specific installation, In Blur. Using double-sided mirrors and carefully placed pairs of natural objects like stones, bushes and trees, Kwade has created an illusion of sudden and surprising transformation. The mirror glass conceals part of the installation, and completes the final form by way of reflection. In this way a new, illusionary object is created through the overlaying of reality and appearance.
In Blur comes to life through the viewer’s movement within the structure, as the objects within shift, depending on perspective. This poetic work of art is a complex interplay of reflections, and challenges viewers to understand their surroundings, emphasizing the subjectivity of perception and thus reality. In Blur draws inspiration from the surrounding landscape and geological heritage of AlUla - the vastness of the desert, the clear sky, and the dramatic canyon.
Desert X AlUla is a recurring, site-responsive, international art exhibition taking place in AlUla, a globally significant ancient desert region in the Arabian Peninsula. This year’s exhibition, under the curatorial vision of Reem Fadda, Raneem Farsi and Neville Wakefield, features newly commissioned works by 15 artists bringing a plurality of voices from around the world. To learn more about this year's edition, visit desertx.org.