#uovo prize
More than a selfie surface. In Baseera Khan’s “Privacy Control,” a two-way mirror divides the seen and unseen, creating a metaphor for observation and interrogation in society.
Mirrors like these are associated with stereotypical interrogation scenes from procedural TV shows. They are also commonly used to separate gendered prayer halls in mosques, where women can look out, but remain unseen by men.
Our privacy is a fragile concept that is in question with the rise of technology. By photographing ourselves standing in front of the two-way mirror, we play a part in the tracking and surveillance inherent to smartphones. Combined with the English excerpts of the Qur’an, which Khan altered to remove racialized and gendered associations from the English translation, we are left to question the implications—both positive and negative—of visibility.
✍️ Anjali Seegobin, EASCFA intern
Jonathan Dorado
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How do we call attention to humanity?
During the Memphis sanitation strike of 1968, Black sanitation workers carried signs of protest with bold, red text that declared, “I AM A MAN” after two men died while working in dangerous and exploitative conditions.
Those signs are one point-of-reference in Baseera Khan’s Psychedelic Prayer Rugs series, where the words “I AM A BODY” are woven prominently across the textile. In this work, Khan honors the social justice movements created by African Americans that continue to pave the way for other social and liberation movements.
You can see these wool rugs, handmade in Kashmir and custom-designed by the artist, in “Baseera Khan: I Am an Archive” on view through July 10.
✍️ Anjali Seegobin, EASCFA intern
Jonathan Dorado
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