Mimetic advent of historical repetition, 2014

In an image full of opulence, we don’t find intestines or plastic inside this fish’s belly, but pearls and gems. The artist duo who created this photograph, Christto & Andrew, use an exaggerated and surrealistic visual language to tell a satirical story about their adopted home of Qatar. The staged images are full of symbolism and references to Qatar’s history, which in this way is reinterpreted to offer a contemporary alternative. This image specifically refers to Qatar’s long history with pearls. Before the discovery of oil in the region, the local economy revolved around pearls. The gems also refer to extreme luxury, and at the same time to the huge inequality to be found in this Gulf state.