ONE
Installation: costumes, engraved mirror tiles, ropes, papier-mâché, 2024.
Ali Gharib connects the traditions of Islamic and Jewish prayer garments to symbolize unity and dialogue between the two faiths. Interlocking elements of the Star of David and the crescent moon form the central motif, processed ornamentally to represent the visual language of both religions. Employing contemporary pop aesthetics, the artist embeds his work within a consumer-oriented context while engaging with modern visual themes. Critically, Gharib draws on Theodor W. Adorno’s “Aesthetic Theory,” viewing art as an opportunity for reflection and questioning the shadows of civilization. Gharib brings Seyyed Hossein Nasr into this conversation — a thinker who emphasizes enlightenment through the metaphysical commonalities of Islam and Judaism — inviting viewers to reflect on shared values and traditions.
Malas
Installation: costume, fabric, rope, silicone, 2024.
The artwork “Malas” explores the spiritual connection between Judaism and Islam. At its core is a prayer piece designed to be suitable for both religions. It incorporates elements of a prayer garment, a prayer shawl, and prayer straps, all intertwined.
The Arabic inscription references the word “Salam”, meaning peace. Through its design, which transforms depending on the viewer’s perspective, the word “Salam” becomes “Malas.” This transformation symbolizes the process of reconciliation and the bridging of cultural and religious divides.
“Malas” highlights the shared symbols and rituals of these two religions, emphasizing their deep roots in the pursuit of peace and unity.
Two Prophets
Collage: paint, fabric, cardboard on canvas, 70 x 50 cm each, 2024.
“Two Prophets” is a collage that combines fabric, cardboard, and paint to create an abstract, symmetrical composition. Dominated by gray geometric elements and vibrant green paint, the piece contrasts structure with dynamism. The green splashes appear spontaneous and energetic, while the gray shapes introduce a sense of order and restraint.
Incorporated fabric pieces with circular patterns break up the surfaces and add a tactile dimension. The symmetry and duality evoke associations with two prophets or visionary figures seemingly engaged in dialogue. The interplay of order and chaos, rationality and intuition, lends the collage a poetic and enigmatic quality.
Die systematische Vernichtung von Zwerglanien
Installation: 4-channel video, various materials, 280 x 80 x 500 cm, 2017.
The installation “Die systematische Vernichtung von Zwerglanien” (The Systematic Extermination of Zwerglanien) employs elements of exaggeration and visual overload to address social, cultural, and potentially political dynamics. By using diverse media—including graffiti elements, images, videos, texts, and everyday objects such as dolls or spray cans—the artist creates a space that is both physically and symbolically charged.
The artwork can be interpreted as a critical reflection on mechanisms of social exclusion and discrimination, deliberately provoking the viewer while encouraging them to question their own patterns of thought. Its visual complexity and subversive humor evoke parallels to diagrammatics, a method that seeks to visualize complex relationships or structures in unconventional ways. Diagrams often disrupt classical orders and facilitate thinking beyond linear systems—an approach that is palpable in this installation.
The piece raises questions about identity, power structures, and the transgression of societal norms. Through its directness and radicality, it aligns itself with artistic practices engaging with pop culture, gender, and subversion.
Dress II
Dress: acrylic on cotton, different sizes depending on the installation, 2017.
The artwork depicted is a dress that can be interpreted as both a painting and a sculpture. It combines textile art with expressive painterly elements. The fabric of the dress is draped and features abstract color gradients in yellow, pink, purple, and blue, resembling brushstrokes that create a vivid and dynamic effect. At the same time, the folds and the three-dimensional presentation emphasize the sculptural quality of the piece.
The bold blue framing the fabric contrasts strikingly with the warm tones of the painterly design, bridging the gap between the dress as a functional object and as a medium of art. This work balances between fashion, artistic expression, and visual art, challenging traditional categories. It represents the fusion of wearable art and spatial composition.
I Love You
Video performance (cut-out): duration 04:11 min, 2012
Inspired by Roland Barthes’ “A Lover’s Discourse”, this video invites reflection on the radical act of love: the reduction of the beloved object. The metaphorical killing of the object is presented as a cathartic moment – a disruption of the madness of projection, longing, and repetition.What remains when the object is stripped of its symbolism? What emerges when the beloved is seen anew?
This work creates a space to confront the paradoxes of love – as a discourse oscillating between destruction and renewal.
Pets Must be Beautifu
Video performance (cut-out): duration 26:36 min, 2009.
The video performance positions itself as a reenactment of Marina Abramovic’s iconic work Art Must Be Beautiful (1975), deliberately adopting its visual and thematic elements. It challenges the audience’s aesthetic expectations to reveal a tension: the pet as a luxury object and status symbol versus the farm animal as a functional commodity.
The work explores the ambivalent relationship between humans and animals, oscillating between emotional closeness and instrumental exploitation. By intentionally echoing Abramovic’s ironic approach, this duality is both emphasized and placed in a contemporary context, highlighting the contradictions in humanity’s treatment of animals.
The aesthetic staging employs irony to create a distance from the depicted images while simultaneously deepening their conceptual impact. Through the juxtaposition of luxury and utility, affection and exploitation, the performance prompts reflection on society’s engagement with animals and their cultural significance within the interplay of use and empathy.
Anne Marie
Painting: egg tempera on paper, 53×40 cm, 2009.
This painting blends a powerful yet delicate aesthetic, expressed through the fusion of figure and texture. The minimalist depiction of the human form, with flowing contours and restrained color tones, creates space for interpretation and emotion. The earthy color palette contrasts with the soft whites of the cloth held in the figure’s hands—a symbol that may evoke protection, transformation, or vulnerability.
The intentionally abstract rendering of the face enhances the universal quality of the work, inviting viewers to project their own stories and emotions onto the piece. Special attention is drawn to the details, such as the expressive hand with dark nails, which adds a subtle tension between stillness and drama.
This painting is a reflection of introspection and the beauty found in imperfection. It encourages us to pause and perceive the quiet nuances within ourselves and the world around us.