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NAJMA (SHE PLACED ONE THOUSAND SUNS OVER THE TRANSPARENT OVERLAYS OF SPACE), 2020

Sculpture: aluminum, pigment; star map: Ultramarine blue powder pigment, dimensions vary.

Desert X AlUla, curated by Neville Wakefield, Raneem Farsi, Aya Alireza

AlUla, Saudi Arabia

 

NAJMA is a continuation of Albuquerque’s projects in the great deserts of the world. For the artist, deserts are places to listen and connect to the rich history of celestial traditions.

 

This installation continues to document generations of human consciousness and wisdom through the science of astronomy. A gift that gives an understanding of the cosmos, it first flowered in this part of the world and provides constant guidance in both ordinal and celestial dimensions.

 

The narrative is particularly potent here in AlUla, with the region’s long connection to astronomy. The sculpture sits atop a boulder in the hidden valley, amid a special arrangement of blue powder pigment circles that reflects the alignment of stars overhead on January 31, 2020, at 26.5503 degrees N, 37.9679 degrees E.

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