MIR tables

MIR tables are part of the continuation of the SYRIA2087 project for the year 2020.

In 1987, Muhammed Fares flew aboard the Soviet Soyuz TM-2 to the orbit of the Mir space station, becoming the first Syrian in space. The double stone tabletops of MIR tables are adorned with acid-etched original graphics, collaging images drawn from Syrian and Martian maps created in this significant year. The act of demarcating the borders of a given — even unknown — territory has long been utilized not only as a means of consolidating knowledge but also of maintaining political and social power. In MIR tables, these manipulated maps no longer function solely as spatial databases but become part of a multi-dimensional legacy of geographical knowledge long lost, outdated, or yet to be acquired. The necessity of reiterating and processing one’s own position, both spatially and culturally, to solidify and sustain identity, is rooted in these monoliths—their irregular surface doubling as a frottage block, serving for an endless reproduction of their intricate cartography.

The graphics complementing MIR tables were created using the frottage technique with the tabletops from the collection.

The project was presented as a solo exhibition titled “SYRIA2087. Fossils of the Future” at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg (06.2020 - 06.2021).