The story goes like this: In 2003, someone discovered a storage container filled with the remains of a political campaign for a now unknown man living somewhere in the Middle East.
An art collector in New York bought the contents under the promise he would do nothing with them for 10 years.
During this time, a mutual friend, the artist Mahmoud Obaidi, found out about the objects and decided to turn them into an art project when the deadline was up.
Now, in Meem Gallery in Dubai are the results of this project in an exhibition titled The Replacement that opened on Monday.
Propaganda posters cover the walls depicting this man with a strong bearded jaw and heavyset eyes. He is somehow familiar but at the same time anonymous.
Items from the original campaign such as watches, medals and even newspaper clippings with the name of the unknown man removed are cased in cabinets.
Playing on the back wall and with the sound emanating through the entire gallery space is a video made for his supposed inauguration day and memorabilia such as T-shirts and caps, that Obaidi has made based on the originals are hanging on racks.
So why did he decide to choose this as a subject?
“Because this is my life, it affects us all. When we grow up this is all around us. Propaganda is everywhere; this is more obvious, nowadays we have different forms of it but it is still there,” he says.
But the story and the exhibition are so bizarre it almost seems stranger than truth.
“Part of the campaign is the story, the idea of the story is part of the show,” says Obaidi mysteriously. “This shows that anyone can take any guy and make a leader out of him.”
But is that exactly what Obaidi has done? What do you think?
Take a look at the pictures, visit the show and comment on the blog to let me know what you think.
The Replacement runs until May 1st at Meem Gallery. For more info visit: www.meemartgallery.com
