The Malaysian artist Amir Zainorin's work is not easy to catagorize.There are clear threats from pop art, but there are also elements of expressionism, classical social indignation and satire mixed all together. His technics and chosen materials are multiple and inventive and makes the final catagorization of the work difficult.
The exhibition 'Paradice now' is taken from the dutch-palestinian instructor Hany Abu Assad's film Paradise now, about two palestinian mens preparation of a suicide attack. Amir Zainorin is occupied with religion and it's history - but what is paradise? The artist's opinion is that paradise very well can be here and now. we don't need to 'save it for later'. The exhibtion however brings up the question of the capitalist paradise, hence the title 'paradice now'. Paradise the year 2008 is a 'game', and the question is, whether the two suicide bombers from the film are the winners. Here in the west most will doubt it.
The religious aspect is also expressed in one artwork, 'black box', with the bar code, which in the inside of the box consist of a little temple that praise the worlds four main religions, the cross, the kaaba in mecca, a Mcdonald's M and a cocacola can.
One of Amir Zainorin's characteristics is the use of collage. Artposters are most often used - often with the name of the exhibitions, and the fragmentations combined with the recognition of the name contributes with a feeling, that the city landscape is never far away, but inevitably intrudes no matter where we are.
The artist as mentioned, is from Malaysia, and globalization also gets a shot from the shoulder as in a title like ' One mans paradise is another mans hell', and the artist shows a pacifist disposition in a few other works. There is a funny comment to the resently pensioned F117 Stealth bomberfly which doesn't drop it's the deadly bombs, but instead throws badminton shuttlecocks. In the background of the painting flies a silloute of a man, free like a bird.
Rasmus Olsen Art Historian, March 2008, Copenhagen
The exhibition 'Paradice now' is taken from the dutch-palestinian instructor Hany Abu Assad's film Paradise now, about two palestinian mens preparation of a suicide attack. Amir Zainorin is occupied with religion and it's history - but what is paradise? The artist's opinion is that paradise very well can be here and now. we don't need to 'save it for later'. The exhibtion however brings up the question of the capitalist paradise, hence the title 'paradice now'. Paradise the year 2008 is a 'game', and the question is, whether the two suicide bombers from the film are the winners. Here in the west most will doubt it.
The religious aspect is also expressed in one artwork, 'black box', with the bar code, which in the inside of the box consist of a little temple that praise the worlds four main religions, the cross, the kaaba in mecca, a Mcdonald's M and a cocacola can.
One of Amir Zainorin's characteristics is the use of collage. Artposters are most often used - often with the name of the exhibitions, and the fragmentations combined with the recognition of the name contributes with a feeling, that the city landscape is never far away, but inevitably intrudes no matter where we are.
The artist as mentioned, is from Malaysia, and globalization also gets a shot from the shoulder as in a title like ' One mans paradise is another mans hell', and the artist shows a pacifist disposition in a few other works. There is a funny comment to the resently pensioned F117 Stealth bomberfly which doesn't drop it's the deadly bombs, but instead throws badminton shuttlecocks. In the background of the painting flies a silloute of a man, free like a bird.
Rasmus Olsen Art Historian, March 2008, Copenhagen
