Casey Kaplan
Igshaan Adams
Please Remember
A Tale of A Tub
Rotterdam, Netherlands
August 29 – November 1, 2015
A Tale of a Tub is proud to announce its first residency with South African artist Igshaan Adams (1982), resulting in the exhibition “Please Remember” that opens on Saturday, August 29th at A Tale of a Tub. “Please Remember” is a multi-disciplinary exhibition with existing and newly commissioned works, including a performance by Adams and his father.
CLEANSING AND PURIFICATION
In “Please Remember” Adams explores the notion of cleansing within Islamic culture. He is interested in how this idea is related to site, environment and the body as a site of renewal. “Please Remember” takes its title from a performance in which the artist undergoes the ritualistic washing normally conducted on a person who has passed. During the opening on August 29th the artist’s father will conduct this ritual by washing his son’s body and covering him in white linen. This is one of the works in which Adams investigates the multitude of interpretations regarding the ritual of cleansing within a religious as well as non-religious context. In his practice, Adams uses the material and iconographies of Islamic tradition and colored culture particularly from South Africa to develop a more equivocal, phenomenological approach towards issues concerning race, sexuality and religion. His interests translate into performances as well as sculptures and handwoven, colorful tapestries.
“The key to heaven is prayer and the key to prayer is cleanliness” – Prophet Muhammad