Ghost by Kader Attia - Book Report/Review Example

 Ghost by Kader Attia Final report If one takes a close look at the history of the mankind, one will be able to see that art has always played an important role in the development of it. Indeed, it was largely seen as a platform that allowed people to express their inner potential and create messages through time. Nevertheless, art has also been used as a valuable tool that helps the society to reflect on itself. In other words, some representatives of it make statements that urge other people to think about the issues that are important when it comes to evolution of the social environment. It must be noted that the modern artists are able to express themselves in a bold way. This paper I will analyze the work of art which is titled Ghost and which was created by Kader Attia and explore implicit and explicit values, discussing the way it relates to a particular community and demonstrating a potential impact on community. To begin with, one should analyze the very material which was used. The author picked aluminum foil. There is no doubt that this is a rather strange choice. However, one might suggest that the author tried to convey a specific message with the help of it. Thus, it is quite possible that the idea behind the work of art focuses on the similarity of characteristics of aluminum foil and women in the Eastern society. First of all, they both can be found in every house. Indeed, foil is something that people always use, but they do not even pay sufficient attention to it. The similar situation is with women: they are in every house, but they are not always treated as full individuals. In addition to that, foil is disposable in that sense that once it served its purpose, people throw it away. No body washes foil after it is used. No matter how sorrowful it may be, but some say that there is a similar situation is with women. Finally, foil is very gentle and it is easy to break. There is a point of view that there is a similarity between this material and women in Muslim world. Secondly, it may be important to take a close look at the installation in general. Thus, it represents numerous women who are dressed in Muslim clothes, standing on their knees and praying. It is particularly important to note that the work of art draws a specific connection between religion (the figures are aligned in a specific pattern) and the fact that all of them are standing on their knees. In spite of the fact that some might suggest that this simply represents the spiritual tradition of the Muslim faith and that men must stand on their knees as well. However, it is quite possible that one might say that the installation shows that women are conserved in their position and are not able to break free from the shackles that was put by a religion. Another point that should be mentioned is the message that is conveyed by the installation in general. Thus, it is not the number of the figures that impresses, it is not the fact that they are standing on their knees, it is the content, in another word is the lack of it. Indeed, some people might think that there are some figures that are hidden inside the foil. The truth is that there is nothing inside the foil: every figure is empty. This means that the foil constructs merely the shell of each figure and shapes the emptiness. One might suggest that this is an important statement that depicts the peculiarities of treatment of women: there is a point of view that in the Muslim world they are seen as empty shells that are as fragile as the figures that are made of aluminum foil. It is essential to note that the work of art that is being discussed clearly relates to a particular community. Thus, the author has Algerian ancestry and it is quite possible that the situation that is depicted shows the state of affairs in the Algerian society. In other words, some might say that it may be regarded as a manifesto that shows that the contemporary situation should be changes as women as not only objectified, they are turned into empty shells that do not represent the true potential of a human being. Finally, it may be important to examine the potential impact that the work of art in question is able to make on the above mentioned community. It is rather understandable that the Algerian society would not introduce changes into the current state of affairs and on the next day women will not be treated differently. It is more likely that the people would not accept the significance of it and a part of the population would even be against it. However, the rest of the population is likely to think about the state that women in their country live in and think about the degradation of their dignity. Gradually, this awareness may turn into initiatives that would push the necessity to introduce changes in the contemporary situation and make the situation of women better. After having examined all the points which were discussed about in the paragraphs above, one is able to come to the following conclusion: the work of art that is titled Ghost send a powerful statement to the people all over the world. According to it, the significance of a woman in a Muslim community gradually diminishes. The situation is so frightening that instead of being individuals there are merely shells that are fragile and empty inside. All this results in the understanding that something should be done to prevent the total degradation of women in the Muslim society. It may be so that the author was able to choose a peculiar material that is able to reflect the horrible state of affairs that women find themselves in. The aluminum foil as a metaphor of their fragile nature that is easily disposed of by the society. Furthermore, the empty shells show that women almost lose their individuality and cease being humans. Works Cited Attia, Kader. "Ghost." Saatchigallery.com. 2015. Web. 11 June 2015. . Read More