Ace of Spades
2019 – 2021
Ace of Spades highlights the exploitation of human beings that were forgotten or overlooked through history. Using the relationship between history of Poker cards and the political and social human history to unfold sexism, racism, and the intersection between the two.
Inspired by the role of poker cards in social and political movements in Europe and European colonies since the 14th century and until the early 20th century, “The Ace of Spades” card played an important role in controlling the movement of the cards around the world, beside the company name, kings name, customs sticker and wraps, in the 18th century Charles the first used the card to control tax-evasion due to the high prices of poker cards decks that was financing the civil war. In 1805 Richard Harding was sentenced to death for printing underground Ace of Spades, that’s when the card was known as “The unlucky” card.
Artwork
Ace of Spades
Kunstler post Karten at Strahlhoz train station.
Gais, Switzerland, 2021
In this series I use my body in pauses inspired by photos of the Model, Series No.1 in 1925 by Albert Arthur Allen Who saw the female body in a very superficial visual way. I chose movements to highlight the powerful female body and stamped the cards with the project stamp that clearly shifts the powers from unlucky to lucky as a demonstration.
Ace of Spades
Soma Gallery.
Cairo, Egypt, 2017
I chose to present women and darker skinned as “The Unlucky”, those who were born under certain circumstances that made their life harder than others and to create a space where sexism and racism intersect to present the layered nature of oppression. I chose to control the audience by creating a stamp, honoring women and Africans as a symbol of ownership and authority, to own the “The white cube”, control the audience and to reverse powers.
Inspired by Audre Lorde`s essay “Sister outsider”, I presented the oppressed feminine powers by creating playing cards, where women figures taken from 20`s erotic cards, are playing, controlling, dancing with or wearing symbols of ownership and authority represented in the historical stamps used to control the trading of poker cards. The most powerful and most unique card “The Ace of Spades” was used to carry all stamps. Women in the cards control their environment using the power of their femininity against the illusionary strength that is fashioned within the context of male models of power.
