The word “oil” has been the object which determined the economic range, social class and the power system structure in the Middle East. Disregarding the political borders, the growth of western soft clonalism and its cultural impacts during the recent centuries could be the most important factor of the development and stagnation of the oil-dependent societies which were damaged by various political approaches. Oil seems to be a stimulating commodity, by achieving which the dreams are fulfilled. It is the wounded body that teases, infects its surrounding lands, provides facility and luxury, and has the potential to create a passive, self-indulgence society with high expectations. Oil-maintenance turns the society into a middle-class and totally transforms it. The deception of oil powers in the Middle East has targeted the middle class participation in the oil reserves, aiming at practicing standards that normally result in imposing war, luxury, and cultural corruption to the Middle East.
The oil profits and transactions are actually actions and reactions in which things might be achieved or lost and a situation would be created as a result. Hamidreza Fotouhi concentrates on this process. He has created this collection with the ready-made barrels, assembling pre-made figures, and combining them with signs and materials that have reached to the oil-relevant societies’ visual culture. The artist has created simple yet deep, meaningful concepts, attempting to share the created situation with the audience by interacting with the subject matter. He then, aims at
creating a connection between the subject and the object, considering the audience as the subject to reveal the hidden relations and respectively, involves the society at the situation he provides to share the answer with. 

Eisa Jabari Mamaqani | Spring 2017
Translated by: Narges Marandi