Talking Wall

Overview

Talking Wall (2015) continues Damián Ortega’s long engagement with architecture, informal construction and systems of communication. The work also pursues the artist’s concern with restricted areas and the boundaries that define physical and intellectual territories, particularly those that can be easily violated.

On his first visit to Sharjah, Ortega was intrigued by the walls found in the heritage area and the abandoned village at Al Khan. Constructed from fossilised coral, these walls are made to be transgressed. As a thermal filter, they allow warm air to travel through organic micro-labyrinths kept moist to promote natural ventilation and cooling. Though walls are unequivocal symbols of private property, they function as uncertain barriers, frequently penetrated by street noises, voices and weather. As suggested by Walter Benjamin’s concept of porosity, the wall as defined border between interior and exterior can evolve through spontaneous use and nature’s chaos. The three curved structures in Talking Wall are punctuated with generous orifices connected by an invisible system of channels that transform the dense, rammed earth walls into sensitive, receptive and communicative sites.

This project was part of Sharjah Biennial 12