When glass is the admired object...
6:26 p.m.Monira Al Qadiri (1983, Senegal) presented her works at the Perrotin Gallery in Paris, in an exhibition dominated by sculptures, though perhaps the term “petro-sculptures” would be more fitting. The artist explores the potential future of oil drilling and the corruption associated with its extraction from the Earth's crust, along with its consequences and vicissitudes.
Because the remote nature of oil infrastructure and the industrial technology surrounding it is largely unknown to us (the average consumer), Al Qadiri proposes to include us in it through her iridescent sculptures. These objects, based on drilling equipment, are made from a rotating glass drill head that spins silently on its pedestal, but in the opposite direction to the real thing. By decontextualizing this oil drill bit, its resemblance to the Tower of Babel becomes undeniable. In this way, Al Qadiri evokes the grandiose architecture of ancient civilizations as a means of manifesting the grandeur and extravagant wealth of those who built it.
Orbital (Auger), by Monira Al Qadiri (2025)
Materials: Fiberglass, automotive paint, rotation machine / Measures: 120 cm x 85 cm x 85 cm
In addition to Orbital (Auger), the Man of War series is on display, in which Monira Al Qadiri reinvents the eponymous marine creature: a striking organism composed of multiple beings acting as one. Its venomous tentacles can extend up to 30 meters, and its gas-filled chamber keeps it afloat. The creature embodies the paradox of being both powerful and fragile—a single entity sustained by collective interdependence. Perhaps that's why she chose glass as her medium. She also tells us that the work questions the concept of individuality in a world beset by crises, prompting reflection on collective identity and the interconnectedness of life in the face of shared vulnerability.
Man of War, by Monira Al Qadiri (2023)
Technique: hand-blown glass
Al Qadiri enlightens us on aspects we were unaware of and forces us to question human fragility, interconnectedness, and the absolute ignorance we have as a society regarding issues that only a few on our planet understand.
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