By the end of 2004, I took part in a workshop concerning the contemporary arts with the National Academy of Art – Oslo, under the project of the International Academy of Art – Ramallah, participants were chosen according to their C.V’s and previous art works. My project entitled “Absence” focused on humans losing humans or impressing things in their life. I presented this concept by using shadows of humans and other elements, which were absent in my life. We as Palestinians always suffer of this case of “Obligatory Absence” that is made by checkpoints which prevent us from communicating with the other.

In this work, I tried to restore my missing humans and things by drawing their shadow over the walls, this restoration was temporary and imaginary appear through the light and shade.

I carried out this project using a number of disposed metal boxes by reforming these boxes according to my subject, I made cuts on one of the sides shaping a human, I added lights inside to reflect the shadow of the shape over the wall.

I fixed the boxes to the ceiling using fibers in different lengths, distance between the boxes and the wall was different in order to control the size of the shadow, as I already mentioned, these five boxes together in addition to their shapes formed my art work that represents in deed the absent in the life of each one of us.

Rafat Asad