CURRENTLY ON VIEW AS PART OF THE ARTISTS SOLO EXHIBITION ‘SAFEHOUSE DE S.W.I.F.T.I.E.’ AT MEADOW IN SOUTH LONDON — OPEN UNTIL 28TH JUNE 2026. EMAIL JARELLE@VISUAL-ARTS.UK TO BOOK A VISIT.

AZAR’S IDOL SHOP IS A MODERN DAY TAKE ON THE QURANIC UNCLE EQUIVALENT OF ABRAHAM’S BIBLICAL FATHER TERAH. IN THE QURANIC NARRATIVE ABRAHAM, OR IBRAHIM, LOBBIES HIS FATHER TO STOP PRODUCING IDOLS FOR SALE IN THE MARKETS OF BABYLON, AND INSTEAD WORSHIP THE ONE TRUE GOD. THIS INSTALLATION IMAGINES THE TIKTOK SHOP AS THE NEW IDOL MARKETPLACE, AND THE NEW GENRE OF ISLAMIC CONSUMER PRODUCTS AS THE IDOL OF CHOICE FOR MUSLIMS SUBSUMED IN THE ALGORITHMIC ITEMISATION OF A SPIRITUAL TRADITION, INTO A COMMERCIAL IDENTITY MARKER. THE WORK MUSES ON REAL EFFORTS BY COMPANIES LIKE REMITLY, REVOLUT AND WESTERN UNION TO RECRUIT MUSLIMS INTO THEIR FINANCIALISED UMBRELLA BY SACRALISING FINANCE AND COMMERCE AS RITE AND WORSHIP. THE PHRASE OF REMITLY’S 2026 RAMADAN CAMPAIGN LEAVES LITTLE TO THE IMAGINATION: “EACH TRANSFER BRINGS YOU CLOSER”.

WITH THE ENCROACH OF CYBERNETICS AND THE INCREASING DOMESTICATION OF CYBERNETIC TECHNOLOGIES LIKE WEARABLES, BIOHACKING, TECH-WEAR, DIGITAL INTERFACES, EVERYTHING-APPS AND PORTABLE DEVICES, THE WORK SPECULATES ON THE ROBOTIC, UPLOADED AND PERHAPS TRANSHUMAN – SPIRITUALISED FUTURES OF THE MACHINES, NETWORKS AND PRODUCTS THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY INVITING INTO, BUT ALSO PRODUCING FOR OUR HOMES.