Floating World, an exhibition by Kuwaiti artist Monira Al Qadiri, is on show at ICD Brookfield Place in Dubai until 3 January. The exhibition features five giant inflatable sculptures representing enlarged versions of invisible substances that exist all around us, in particular oil derivatives.
"I thought it would be interesting to exaggerate their presence in our lives so that we can't ignore them" - The artist for The National.
Each floating sculpture is based on the drawing of a so-called space-filling model that represents the molecular structure of a petrochemical substance such as benzene, propane gas, paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene.
Oil is a recurring theme in Al Qadiri's work. From its invisible compounds to its extraction methods, from the way it has defined nations to its necessary presence in our daily lives, she is fascinated by its many facets.
"Oil is like a mutant, it transforms into so many different things. There's something magical about it.