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Medium: Painting Sculpture

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Artist: Shadi Alzaqzouq, Zakaria Ramhani, Nadim Karim, Khorow Hassanzadeh

Confronting Bodies: Dubai "authorities"

Dates of Action: March 23, 2012

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Description of Artwork: At the Art Dubai art fair: The painting "After Washing," created by Palestinian artist Shadi Alzaqzouq (who, according to a French newspaper, was recently denied a visa) shows a foulard-wearing woman with a pair of men's pants in her hands; scrawled on these pants is the phrase "clear off," written in Arabic. Moroccan painter Zakaria Ramhani's work is a large painting showing Egyptian police and military servicemen beating a stripped protester during the Egyptian Revolution. These two pieces "directly deal with the Arab Spring." Lebanese artist Nadim Karim had a sculpture of a naked man on display. Khorow Hassanzadeh, hailing from Iran, also had a painting in the art fair.

The Incident: The organizers of Art Dubai were ordered by the authorities to remove the aforementioned four works. Karim and Hassanzadeh's pieces were branded as "offensive to Imam Ali." Gallery director Maliha Al Tabari confirmed that the works were removed without the gallery's consent.

Results of Incident: Al Tabari "reaffirmed her support for the two artists, making it clear that she would again put the works in question on display in the London gallery which she has just opened."

Source: Art Media Agency article