Stories Vending Machine
2013, 2014, 2018
commissioned by Tashkeel
The Stories Vending Machine revolves around three vending machines with which the viewer can interact to "purchase" a story, a story, an illustrated short story, or a very short story, the theme of which is the ordinary, everyday life but with a twist, all within the cultural parameters of the UAE.
Each vending machine will target a specific audience: Those who prefer a substantial read will be attracted to the first machine whereas those who enjoy illustrated pieces will be drawn to the second one. The third machine is for those who prefer a casual, quick look into the lives of well-constructed characters. Such setup will add an interactive, bespoke dimension to the artwork that I believe will engage the audience of the fair.
The machines are a metaphor of the commercial nature that art has taken in the context of such an international, cultural event such as Art Dubai. The stories are there to both inspire the casual viewer and enlighten those who would like to get an engaged sense of the Emirati culture in its most essential.
This project is an opportunity for me to share personal works of fiction with an audience with the hope that it will inspire them somehow. Storytelling has always been a universal and basic form of entertainment on which humans relied to share information, whether among a family, tribe, or even nations. The power of storytelling has also recently been mined successfully in both marketing and advertising.
The machine was shown three times: Art Dubai 2013, Art Abu Dhabi 2014, and Tashkeel 2018.
2013, 2014, 2018
commissioned by Tashkeel
The Stories Vending Machine revolves around three vending machines with which the viewer can interact to "purchase" a story, a story, an illustrated short story, or a very short story, the theme of which is the ordinary, everyday life but with a twist, all within the cultural parameters of the UAE.
Each vending machine will target a specific audience: Those who prefer a substantial read will be attracted to the first machine whereas those who enjoy illustrated pieces will be drawn to the second one. The third machine is for those who prefer a casual, quick look into the lives of well-constructed characters. Such setup will add an interactive, bespoke dimension to the artwork that I believe will engage the audience of the fair.
The machines are a metaphor of the commercial nature that art has taken in the context of such an international, cultural event such as Art Dubai. The stories are there to both inspire the casual viewer and enlighten those who would like to get an engaged sense of the Emirati culture in its most essential.
This project is an opportunity for me to share personal works of fiction with an audience with the hope that it will inspire them somehow. Storytelling has always been a universal and basic form of entertainment on which humans relied to share information, whether among a family, tribe, or even nations. The power of storytelling has also recently been mined successfully in both marketing and advertising.
The machine was shown three times: Art Dubai 2013, Art Abu Dhabi 2014, and Tashkeel 2018.