Alia Farid at The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ (APT10)

In Lieu of What Was, 2019. Exhibition view courtesy Portikus, Francfort. Photo: Diana Pfammatter

For this landmark tenth edition, QAGOMA’s Asia Pacific Triennial looks to the future of art and the world we inhabit together. It’s rich with stories of how to navigate through time and space, reimagine histories and explore connections to culture and place. 

The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ (APT10) will include 69 projects with new and recent work by emerging and established artists and collectives, together comprising more than 150 individuals from 30 countries. It includes works of art that are by turn highly personal, deeply political, and full of joy. The exhibition on view through April 25, 2022

Alia Farid, Born 1985, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Lives and works in Kuwait City and San Juan, Puerto Rico

Alia Farid has become known in recent years for her elegant and thought-provoking installations and videos that bring together art, architecture and anthropology. Her practice has often focused on spiritual and infrastructural engagements with water — an acute political topic across the world, but especially in West Asia.

Operating as artistic readymades in the gallery space, In Lieu of What Was 2019 is a series of unpainted sabil (public drinking fountains) manufactured by a Kuwaiti plastics company. Each one takes the form of an oversized container that reflects changes in the storage of water in West Asia. The work speaks to the different ways people treat, transport and consume water — from respectfully carried sacred liquid to environmentally harmful disposable plastic containers. As people around the world face the rapid advancement of water scarcity, In Lieu of What Was asks which vessel will be the next technological innovation.