Author of the chapter on Ghada Amer in the first volume of Captioned Landscapes. Intermedial Combinations Beyond the Human, edited by Marco Maggi for Vernon Press.
Abstract
Since 1997, Egyptian artist Ghada Amer has been developing her renowned “gardens” series, which gained international recognition at the 2005 Venice Biennale. This essay examines the various typologies of these gardens, focusing on the progressive incorporation of text as a central element. The use of textual elements not only enriches the aesthetic dimension of Ghada Amer’s works but also amplifies their political and feminist undertones.
This analysis centers on two key installations: her garden-sculptures presented in Marseille during her retrospective exhibition at the MUCEM in 2022, titled A Woman’s Voice is Revolution, and Esto nos salvará (This Will Save Us), exhibited in Valencia from 2023 to 2024. The latter introduces text as the primary component of the installation, marking a significant innovation in her garden-sculpture series. These installations, at once captivating and subversive, evoke critical engagement with pressing social issues, encouraging viewers to reconsider entrenched perspectives and envision alternative approaches to everyday life. The increasing emphasis on textual elements in her recent works underscores this transformative potential.
Keywords: Ghada Amer, political art, garden, feminism, imaginary, community, activism
Name list: Adorno, Theodor W.; Lucretius; Blumenberg, Hans; Beck, Ulrich; Shakespeare, William; Amer, Ghada; Medina, Pedro; Kuri, Viviana; McKenzie, Don; Todorov, Tzvetan; Iveković, Sanja; Krue-On, Sakarin; Pagliasso, Giancarlo; Bourdieu, Pierre; Al-Bukhari; Szeemann, Harald; Clair, Jean; Brusatin, Manlio; Bourgeois, Louise; Vicuña, Cecilia; Navarro, Sonia; Triolo, Daisy; Alemani, Cecilia; Nochlin, Linda; Sutherland-Harris, Ann; Guerrilla Girls; Pollock, Griselda; Parker, Rozsika; El Saadawi, Nawal; Tutu, Desmond; Didi-Huberman, Georges; Arendt, Hannah
Download Raise Your Voice: Reflections on Ghada Amer’s Exhibition ‘This Will Save Us’
Ficha técnica
Título del libro: Captioned Landscapes. Intermedial Combinations Beyond the Human. Volume I: Places
Editor: Marco Maggi
Título del capítulo: Raise Your Voice: Reflections on Ghada Amer’s Exhibition «This Will Save Us»
Autor: Pedro Medina
Idioma: English
Editorial: Vernon Press, 2026
ISBN: 979-8-2616-0013-8
Vernon Press
