Memories of a Stormy Night
The installation forms part of the artist’s Refugee series.
A powerful and emotive new installation by the Emirati artist Jamal Habroush Al Suwaidi conveys the challenges that refugees face when trying to put up their tent in the midst of a storm, while also drawing parallels between the fragility of their temporary home and the hardships they have already endured during their journey by sea
When creating the installation, Al Suwaidi puts himself through the laborious and often tedious process of putting up the tent, beginning by digging deep into the ground to pitch the main pole, before linking up the auxiliary arms and securing them with rope. The artist constantly moves around the area to ensure the pieces are in position before hoisting the framework. We are reminded that refugees carrying out this process would be relieved at the prospect of shelter, but also already exhausted and traumatised.
Once the apparatus is secured, the group’s satisfaction is short-lived, however, as the wind, which has been gathering during the exercise, unleashes its fury on the framework. The poles and ropes swing and creak precariously in the storm, as the elements batter them without mercy. The apparatus swinging violently in the wind conjures up images of a boat navigating choppy waters, reminding the viewer that this is an experience many refugees living in tents have only recently endured. What impact will these memories have on them/ The frailty of both tent and boat in the face of extreme weather reminds us of just how fragile life itself is and of the challenges some of us have to contend with simply to survive…