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Goodman Gallery presents QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON, an exhibition of early and new works by New-York based Egyptian artist Ghada Amer, spanning decades of practice in which the artist uses language to ask what it means to communicate across cultures and to truly understand “the Other”. 

Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery
Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

YOUR SILENCE, 2023

Cotton Appliqué on Canvas

Work: 90.9 x 93.2 cm / 35.8 x 36.7 in.

Frame: 95.5 x 98 cm / 37.6 x 38.6 in.

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Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

REFUSE, 2023

Cotton Appliqué on Canvas

Work: 70.5 x 71.1 cm / 27.8 x 28 in.

Frame: 74.6 x 75.6 cm / 29.4 x 29.8 in.

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Working for the first time with the traditionally male-dominated Egyptian textile craft, Amer deploys Eastern and Western voices within a series of large-scale abstract appliqué works: transforming statements by Simone de Beauvoir - “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” - and Amina Sboui - “my body belongs to me and it does not represent the honour of anyone” - into bold geometric formations that reference the ubiquitous QR code form, a recent visual language that has replaced printed text. The exhibition expands on Amer’s career-long commitment to pushing against the exploitation of women around the world and to inspire all women to reclaim agency.

Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

ONE IS NOT BORN, 2023

Cotton Appliqué on Canvas

Work: 200.05 x 203 cm / 78.8 x 79.9 in.

Frame: 204.7 x 207 cm / 80.6 x 81.5 in.

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Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

WAKE UP, 2023

Cotton Appliqué on Canvas

Work: 202.4 x 202.4 cm / 79.7 x 79.7 in.

Frame: 206.8 x 206.8 cm / 81.4 x 81.4 in.

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Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery
Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

DARKNESS, 2023

Cotton Appliqué on Canvas

Work: 197.4 x 197.5 cm / 77.7 x 77.8 in.

Frame: 206.3 x 201.8 cm / 81.2 x 79.4 in.

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Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

REVOLT, 2023

Cotton Appliqué on Canvas

Work: 88.4 x 91.7 cm / 34.8 x 36.1 in.

Frame: 92.9 x 96.3 cm / 36.6 x 37.9 in.

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Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

MY BODY IS MINE, 2023

Cotton Appliqué on Canvas

Work: 74.2 x 72.4 cm / 29.2 x 28.5 in.

Frame: 79 x 76.9 cm / 31.1 x 30.3 in.

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Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery
Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

Barbie Loves Ken, Ken Loves Barbie, 1995-2002

Embroidery on Canvas

Part 1: 152 x 42 cm / 59.8 x 16.5 in.

Part 2: 160 x 46 cm / 63 x 18.1 in.

Edition of 2 + 1 AP

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Amer’s iconic embroidered wall sculptures Barbie Loves Ken, Ken Loves Barbie (1995/2002), previously exhibited as part of the artist’s survey exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in 2008 and now for the first time in the UK, consist of two life size straitjackets bearing the phrase: “Ken aime Barbie Barbie aime Ken” [Eng. Ken loves Barbie Barbie loves Ken]. The work reflects on the obsessive nature of love and the impossible beauty standards that define Mattel dolls which are absorbed by young women. A recent article in Hyperallergic, timed to the release of Barbie (2023) in the cinemas, highlights the work as one of the earliest artist critiques of the doll:

In her 1995 work “Barbie Loves Ken, Ken Loves Barbie,” artist Ghada Amer printed two suits with the phrases that make up the installation’s title. The outfits are both onesies — garments that should exist without gender, as there are no skirts, heels, or suit jackets to reference traditional women’s and men’s clothing. Still, it is obvious whose onesie is whose. Amer has transferred Barbie’s body proportions onto her costume, making the exaggerated proportions of her body even more startling.

Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery
Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

Absence, Longing, Desire, Torment and Pain, 2006

Embroidery, gel medium on canvas

Each: 152.4 x 127 cm / 60 x 50 in.

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Since the 1990s, Amer’s Definition paintings have questioned the power of words to capture individual and shared realities. The Arabic dictionary definitions embroidered in the works featured in QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON explore meanings for: “Freedom,” “Love,” “Security” and “Peace” with the intension to challenge audience assumptions around Islamic culture and remind us that these qualities are integral to Arab societies. The work invites viewers to appreciate the overlooked riches of language, highlighting how easily one can become lost in translation. 

Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery
Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

The definition of the word Freedom in Arabic, 2007

Acrylic and gel medium on canvas

91.4 x 91.4 cm / 36 x 36 in.

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Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

The definition of the word Love in Arabic, 2007

Acrylic and gel medium on canvas

91.4 x 91.4 cm / 36 x 36 in.

Unique

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Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

The definition of the word Security in Arabic, 2007

Acrylic and gel medium on canvas

91.4 x 91.4 cm / 36 x 36 in.

Unique

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Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer

The definition of the word Security in Arabic, 2007

Acrylic and gel medium on canvas

91.4 x 91.4 cm / 36 x 36 in.

Unique

Enquire

Ghada Amer | QR CODES REVISITED—LONDON - Goodman Gallery London - Viewing Room - Goodman Gallery

Ghada Amer (b. Cairo, 1963) has a wide-ranging practice spanning painting, cast sculpture, ceramics, works on paper, and garden and mixed-media installations. Amer’s work is featured in public collections around the world, including: The Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha; the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; the Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah; the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, NY; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR; the Guggenheim Museum, Abu Dhabi; the Israel Museum, Jerusalem; the Samsung Museum, Seoul; among others. Among invitations to prestigious group shows and biennials—such as the Whitney Biennial in 2000 and the Venice Biennales of 1999 (where she won the UNESCO Prize), 2005 and 2007—she was given a mid-career retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York in 2008 and an even wider retrospective by the MUCEM across three venues in the city of Marseille (France) in 2022-2023. 

Ghada Amer is celebrated this season with four concurrent gallery exhibitions in the UK, Europe, and North America, marking an unprecedented opportunity to experience new and historical works by the artist across continents. This follows Amer’s 2022-2023 retrospective at MUCEM, highlighting the artist’s work across painting, ceramic and sculpture and iconic garden works.