Q&A with Residency Unlimited’s Ahmed Alasad
Oct 30, 2019
We are proud to announce that we have partnered again with Residency Unlimited and will be co-sponsoring another exhibition of theirs titled RU Exhibition: Reclamation.
This November you will be able to able to witness the work of Ahmed Alasad, Mariam Alnoaimi, Elsie Kagan, Judith Leinen and Ran Zhou. As their installations will be up for view at our office located on 351 Van Brunt Street starting November 3rd and ending on November 10th. We are very excited about their new exhibition and welcome you all to come by for a visit.
Opening reception: Sunday, November 3, 2 – 7 pm
On view: November 6 – 10, 2019
Location: Compère Collective, 351 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn
Hours: 12 – 6pm
Curated by Anna Cahn for Residency Unlimited
You can view their site here to learn more about this organization and read their announcement about working with us and using our space.
Please reach out directly to info@realtycollective.com, if you have a project or idea you would like to host in our space.
Q&A with Ahmed Alasad
Q. What brings you joy as an artist?
A. Being intricate with the artwork itself, where I feel there’s a connection or a special relationship between me and the artwork. Sometimes I feel that I can talk to my paintings, and they can feel me and understand what’s going in my mind which leads to the final artwork. I feel happy, in a wild way! When the final result matches my expectations, which make me look at the piece over and over, until a new piece be born.
Q. How has your work developed since your last exhibit?
A. My last exhibit was in March, and since then I can feel the progress in the artworks, specially the painting techniques and the figures presentation and the pauses of the characters. Another thing would be, that I developed my paintings so I can add more than one figure or element in the painting. From the mediums I use, I still work with mixed media, but I think that I have been familiar with more new materials such as fabrics and metal. On the other hand, the themes and the backgrounds has become more general to cover more issues. And a huge part of this transition is because of the curators, senior artists and the audience comments.
Q. What do you plan to do next?
A. After this show and after the residency, I am going to work on a solo exhibition. But before I do so, I am going to develop myself more in the installation field beside the paintings. Because I want to have a variety of art works in this solo. Where I am willing to work on larger scales and I want to try to work with more deferent mediums. Besides that, I want to pass the experience that I have earned here during the residency to others maybe through workshops.
Q. How has being a resident in NYC affected or contributed to your art?
A.To be honest, it added a lot to me in the personal aspect and also from the art aspect too. First, I needed to see more and to have more visual feeding. And the museum visits, galleries and even the street art was more than enough to provide we with what I needed. On the other hand, the studio visits here was like a guide to me to make sure that I’m making a real progress here. Another thing would be the studio space which I really love. I feel that This space is a lab to do my art studies and experiments in. and I really can feel the progress! Now am able to deal with more mediums and materials, specially that I have a limited recourse which forced me to a thing out of what’s in my hands. And not forget to mention the New York lifestyle, the busy life, the millions of people down the streets and noise of cars and trains which gave more stories and concepts to think about. And I think the culture shock could be another story itself.
Q. What is your favorite experience or exhibits that you encountered during your time in NYC?
May favorite experience is an everyday experience, where I can see art everywhere! And I also think that art here is very appreciated and has unlimited freedom. I was amazed when I saw famous artworks in real life for the first time! Where I never thought that I am going to see them one day. I remember when I saw Van Gogh’s Sunflower, it felt like heaven when I saw the strong brush strikes from a very close distance. Or when I saw an original artwork by masters such as Picasso and Basquiat for the first time, where I really consider him as a Godfather in art. And finally, I like subway trains, specially the moment when they arrive to the station and the noise they made.