Sophia Al-Maria's upcoming exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York, "Black Friday," is a nod to the consumer holiday, and the holy nature of Fridays in Islam.
Sophia Al-Maria's upcoming exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York, "Black Friday," is a nod to the consumer holiday, and the holy nature of Fridays in Islam.
Courtesy sophia al-maria , Anna Lena Films and The Third Line
Shot entirely in Doha, Qatar, the work "essentially posits the thought that shopping malls have become a sort of replacement for religious structures in our contemporary consumer society" says Al-Maria.
Shot entirely in Doha, Qatar, the work "essentially posits the thought that shopping malls have become a sort of replacement for religious structures in our contemporary consumer society" says Al-Maria.
Courtesy sophia al-maria , Anna Lena Films and The Third Line
The themes of the exhibition were in part inspired by the Gruen Transfer, a phenomenon named after the creator of the original shopping mall. It references the ways in which a controlled environment —combined with visual and auditory stimuli—is used to distract and manipulate consumers. <br /><br /><em>Still from '"Evil Eye" (2014) by </em><em>Sophia Al-Maria</em>
The themes of the exhibition were in part inspired by the Gruen Transfer, a phenomenon named after the creator of the original shopping mall. It references the ways in which a controlled environment —combined with visual and auditory stimuli—is used to distract and manipulate consumers.

Still from '"Evil Eye" (2014) by Sophia Al-Maria
Courtesy Sophia Al-Maria and The Third Line
The works will be screened on a series of consumer electronics. <br /><br />"I come from the Gulf where our economy is particularly tied up in the fossil fuel business" Al-Maria explains, "and because our fossil fuel based economy is quite literally killing the planet, I felt the need to try to find through my work some way to address this. And a big part of that is of course, consumer electronics, which we waste at an incredible speed." <br /><br /><em>"Between Distant Bodies" (2013) </em><em>by Sophia Al-Maria</em><br /><em>Installation view at Frieze London 2013</em>
The works will be screened on a series of consumer electronics.

"I come from the Gulf where our economy is particularly tied up in the fossil fuel business" Al-Maria explains, "and because our fossil fuel based economy is quite literally killing the planet, I felt the need to try to find through my work some way to address this. And a big part of that is of course, consumer electronics, which we waste at an incredible speed."

"Between Distant Bodies" (2013) by Sophia Al-Maria
Installation view at Frieze London 2013
Courtesy Sophia Al-Maria and The Third Line
Much of Al-Maria's work deals with her concept of "Gulf Futurism," inspired by "the idea that time travel had literally occurred in one generation -- from a sort of pre-agrarian society, at least in terms of Bedouin culture, deep into hyper capitalism and consumerism in one generation -- and that was an incredible shock."<br /><br /><em>Still from "The Future was Desert Part II" (2016) </em><em>by Sophia Al-Maria</em>
Much of Al-Maria's work deals with her concept of "Gulf Futurism," inspired by "the idea that time travel had literally occurred in one generation -- from a sort of pre-agrarian society, at least in terms of Bedouin culture, deep into hyper capitalism and consumerism in one generation -- and that was an incredible shock."

Still from "The Future was Desert Part II" (2016) by Sophia Al-Maria
Courtesy Sophia Al-Maria and The Third Line
In 2014, Al-Maria decided to turn a failed feature film project titled "Beretta" into the show "Virgin with a Memory." <br /><br />"Beretta" followed its mute heroine, Suad, on a killing spree in which she targets men who harass her and other women. <em>Still from "The Watchers No. 1-5" (2014) by Sophia Al-Maria</em>
In 2014, Al-Maria decided to turn a failed feature film project titled "Beretta" into the show "Virgin with a Memory."

"Beretta" followed its mute heroine, Suad, on a killing spree in which she targets men who harass her and other women. Still from "The Watchers No. 1-5" (2014) by Sophia Al-Maria
Courtesy Sophia Al-Maria and The Third Line
In the five-channel video installation "The Watchers No. 1-5", Al-Maria evokes the male gaze with a reenactment of a dream sequence in the script for "Beretta."<br /><br /><em>Still from "The Watchers No. 1-5'" (2014) by Sophia Al-Maria</em>
In the five-channel video installation "The Watchers No. 1-5", Al-Maria evokes the male gaze with a reenactment of a dream sequence in the script for "Beretta."

Still from "The Watchers No. 1-5'" (2014) by Sophia Al-Maria
Courtesy Sophia Al-Maria and The Third Line