As he walked between Al-Watiya and the Panasonic Tower in Kuwait City in 2021, Hamad Almuzaini encountered a sidewalk completely blocked off by an active construction site. A massive ditch had severed the sidewalk, guarded by a tall construction fence. But pedestrians still managed to squeeze through a small opening. First, they stepped onto a flat trail forged by pedestrian footprints in the sand, then they balanced across a single wooden plank suspended beside the deep ditch.

“It’s extremely unsafe but it was the most efficient path,” he said. “People were walking on this path while being on their phone. It’s like second nature.” Having recently returned to Kuwait after years of living abroad, including in the United States, Almuzaini was experiencing a reverse culture shock. “There’s a lot of chaos. … At the beginning it was a bit frustrating,” he said.

Driven by curiosity rather than annoyance, he began using his phone to photograph these seemingly small details. Soon, Almuzaini found comfort in Kuwait’s chaos. He said he appreciated how it allowed people to contribute to the rules governing how a public space is utilized. “Chaos allows for autonomy. So we are all inventing together … Sometimes we are repurposing things,” he said. “It’s really beautiful.”

Hamad Almuzaini

Although an architect by training, Almuzaini had grown disillusioned with the rigidity of corporate architecture. “In school it was all fun and very theoretical and conceptual, but later I was doing kitchens and bathrooms, and there was a large disconnect,” he said. He eventually stepped away from traditional architecture and turned toward art and product design, while continuing to draw on the 3D modeling and drafting skills he had developed as an architect.

Since then, Almuzaini has continued observing how people actually use and adapt public spaces. He documented many examples of this ingenuity over the years. In one instance, people repurposed a bent metal safety barrier into a makeshift bench. In another, he observed commuters creating an informal bus stop because the designated stop was too far away. People began leaning against nearby poles and leaving their bags there. Gradually, the spot turned into a visual signal for buses to stop and pick them up.

From photos to Precarious Beings

These observations ultimately culminated in Almuzaini’s debut solo exhibition, “Precarious Beings”. The exhibition examines the everyday objects and pieces of infrastructure that shape how people use and experience a place. “I chose (to refer to the objects as) beings because … I’m trying to show how animated they can be and how all these stories and narratives can be compressed into a single object.”

The objects are precarious because their meanings are also precarious, he added. “Everything is subject to change… nothing in the built environment should ever be taken for granted.”

Almuzaini’s process is rooted in de-acceleration, an attempt to slow down and better understand the world around him. For the exhibition, Almuzaini distilled his photos into graphite sketches and took notes of his thoughts on each object. In some cases, he translated the artworks into sculptures and ceramics. Through photography, drawing and sculpture, Almuzaini traces the subtle relationships between people, objects, systems and the built environment.

The exhibition gradually expands from individual “subjects” to broader “situations” and, finally, “simulations.” In the “subjects” section, Almuzaini presents hand-drawn graphite studies of individual pieces of infrastructure on a series of cards, arranged to reflect how he encounters them in everyday life.

One of the artworks features trash cans hanging off poles outside the Kaifan Co-op, near Almuzaini’s family home. When a trash can breaks off the pole, the parking attendant at the co-op continues placing it beside the pole instead of replacing it with a new one. Another installation features a street curb made of lightweight toilet paper and joint compound that can be lifted with a single finger. However, it is painted in “heavy” safety-yellow and black, prompting viewers to question whether visual color carries physical weight in urban infrastructure.

In the simulation series, wooden panels represent human actors who shape a built environment, such as security guards, shopkeepers and maintenance workers. Each actor is accompanied with everyday items usually associated with them. In the case for the security guard, it’s a Lipton tea bag, a Styrofoam cup, a cigarette and a Casio watch.

A love letter to Kuwait

Almuzaini views his body of work as a sentimental “love letter to Kuwait”. “It’s special in its own way, and I think I feel that even more when I’m away from it,” said Almuzaini, who lives between Kuwait and Dubai. Precarious Beings is on display at the Tashkeel Studio and Gallery in Dubai until October 11. Tashkeel’s year-long Critical Practice Program gave him the time, space and mentorship to develop his practice.

The experience also highlighted something he feels is missing in Kuwait: long-term programs that give emerging creatives the time and guidance to grow. Kuwait has plenty of “raw talent”, he said, but much of it remains unseen. He hopes more sustained mentorship programs can help bring that creative energy to wider audiences.

Almuzaini hopes his work encourages both architects and the public to slow down and appreciate the wisdom embedded in ordinary, everyday details. “Everyone in Kuwait is involved in shaping the city, and it’s on display,” Almuzaini said. “You just have to go and look.”

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