artBahrain:  Initially, did you ever make representational works before you worked on installations? If so, what inspired this evolution?

Mohammed Kasem: I started as a painter when I was 14 and worked for many years on painting. In 1990 I started producing my scratches on paper, a technique that I developed along the years and that is much connected to music and light. At the same time I started working on installation projects. I can’t talk about inspiration; rather the practice and experience moved me to the exploration of different media.

ab: What appeals to you about making installations? When did you begin working this way?

MK: I am not exclusively working on installations. I choose the media according to the concept I want to express and develop. Therefore, I can still use traditional media in a non-conventional, contemporary way, if I think they can better support the concept.

ab: As your oeuvre is mostly characterized by installations, another way of calling it would be – viewer specific installation – because of the engagement your work stimulates in the viewer. What are you looking for in the viewer’s experience and what in their experience would you consider yourself satisfied?

MK: Artists don’t work for themselves only, they want their artwork to be exhibited and received by the public. The involvement of the audience is always important. That doesn’t mean a certain effect is wanted, except for very few works, where the physical and emotional experience of the audience is aimed.

ab:  You craft pieces in specific sites using a range of materials. So when you come into the space, how do you go about thinking about what materials you are going to use in a given piece?

My Neighbours, 2006, C-Print, 70 x 50cm ( 1 of 14 images)

MK: Whenever I am exposed to a new environment I capture different aspects and stimulations that ultimately converge in a piece of art with specific characteristics and with a strong connection to the context.

ab:  Do you have an idea first and then adapt it to the space or the other way around?

MK: I work in strict connection with environment. While being in a new context, I come to catch aspects of those realities and incorporate them in my work. Of course I have my line of interest, the way I look at things and interpret the facts and situations I am exposed to.

ab:  How much do you compromise when putting together an installation? How far is the final result from what you have planned and how do you deal with the unexpected?

MK: When I cannot realize the project the way I know it should be, I write the concept and realize a model of the final aspect of the installation.

ab:  Do you feel you are going to be working exclusively on installation works in the future?

MK: No. I use different media according to the concept I want to develop

ab:  What would you say is the role of contemporary art in the UAE today?

MK: The art scene in UAE has dramatically evolved in the past decade and the interest in visual arts is still increasing.

ab:  Finally, you’ve been a representative of the UAE at various biennales and again at the 55th Venice Biennale. What do you think is the role of the biennale? How did you feel about representing your country at such an important event?

MK: Biennials are the most prestigious events in the art world and being asked to participate in biennials is always a wonderful opportunity. This year participation in Venice as the representative of UAE contemporary art scene is a great responsibility and an honor.

ab