SINA ATA
MAMNOO3
FORBIDDEN
18 September to 7 October 2012
Sina Ata’s photographs capture the word ‘Mamnoo3’, taken in Beirut, Amman, Dubai, Ramallah and Cairo, are images now seen outside of their original context. While the word itself dictates to the viewer, once removed from its original context the interpretation takes on a broader meaning, one the artist sees as indicative of current times.
“The idea behind the collection is to capture the mindset of the Arab street through street signs. The one that is most prominent is the one that tells you what you cannot do, taken symbolically it reflects years of oppression, fear and the punishment that awaits you if you don’t obey.
The word Forbidden is quite popular, forbidding us to park here, cross there or smoke anywhere. Taken out of context it takes a life of its own making the messages both political and social.
The signs I chose to take pictures of were mostly hand written and not printed, I felt it had more power when there was a human element woven into the word. “
The images were first shown as part of a group exhibition at the Across Borders gallery in Lucerne, Switzerland early in 2011, and at that time they were seen in the light of the start of the Arab revolutions. A year later the images have a different edge, where instead of people taking it upon themselves to paste the word, they have taken it upon themselves in other ways as well.
Sina Ata
Sina Ata was born in New York of Iraqi parents. He has held solo exhibitions in Baghdad, Amman, Bahrain and Dubai and has participated in group shows in a number of Arab cities as well as in the USA and the UK.
After completing degrees in Engineering in Baghdad and Building Management in London, his return to Iraq coincided with the start of the Iran-Iraq war. Five years of service, witnessing countless atrocities and injustices led him to start painting. What began as a therapeutic exercise developed into a passion, and Ata has since built a solid international reputation, participating in exhibitions in Washington DC, San Francisco, Cairo, Kuwait, Dubai, Switzerland, and most notably at the British Museum’s, “Word into Art,” in 2006.
Sina Ata lives and works in Amman Jordan.
