Nothing to Declare
"Nothing to Declare" reflects Afnan’s experience moving across national borders: she is a native Palestinian, brought up in Lebanon, and now working in London. The gauze, which forms the shape of a suitcase, is symbolic of this journey. Not only does it render the object as an X-ray would at an airport detector, but also it speaks to the long tradition of Coptic and early Islamic textiles. The blunt title, written at the lower left, adds to the piece’s complexity. Almost obstructed by the gauze, it simultaneously draws attention to and negates the use of language as a visual and semantic element.
Artwork Details
- Title: Nothing to Declare
- Artist: Maliheh Afnan (Iranian, Haifa, present-day Israel 1935–2016 London)
- Date: 2007
- Geography: Made in England, London
- Medium: Mixed media and gauze on paper
- Dimensions: In plexi mount:
H. 17 in. (43.2 cm)
W. 23 7/8 in. (60.6 cm)
D. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm) - Classification: Collages
- Credit Line: Purchase, 2011 NoRuz at The Met Benefit, 2013
- Object Number: 2013.256
- Rights and Reproduction: © Maliheh Afnan
- Curatorial Department: Islamic Art
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