Set Seen: Sharif Farrag, Rat Race, 2024
For Frieze Los Angeles 2024, Art Production Fund will be presenting the on-site public program ‘Set Seen’, featuring works that speak to constructed environments and how they relate to our perception of reality and understanding of space. These projects are in dialogue with the rich history of set design in Los Angeles and specifically the role that set designers played in camouflaging the former Douglas Aircraft Company factory at Santa Monica Airport. This program is free to the public, and select projects will remain on view through April 7, 2024.
Sharif Farrag, Rat Race, 2024
Sculpture modified RC cars
*Races on the central fields VIP Day 2/29 and Sunday 3/3
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
As an Angeleno, Farrag perceives the relationship between himself and his car as more than a mere tool for transportation. The car is akin to a secondary home, a reliable friend, and a means of survival. While working in food delivery, Farrag spent extensive hours in his car, considering it an extension of his soul. In this project, he aims to transform R/C cars into embodiments of the human experience, envisioning them as a post-human representation that reflects our societal shift toward unity with technology.
Beyond the modification of R/C cars in imaginative forms, Farrag will organize races to take place on the central sports fields during Frieze. These races serve as an allegory for the "Rat Race" of competition and capitalism, symbolizing the relentless cycle of survival, work, and money that many endure. Drawing inspiration from the 2001 movie "Rat Race," Farrag introduces humor and creativity as a lighthearted approach to alleviate the stress associated with competition.
ARTIST BIO
Born in Reseda, California, 1993, based in Los Angeles, Sharif Farrag merges classic ceramics styles with his own improvisational building techniques, representing his hybrid identities through clay. The artist’s work reflected his distilled Syrian-Egyptian heritage, lived experiences, passions, and desires.
SCHEDULE
Thursday Preview, Feb 29, 2024
Gates Open: 2:30pm
Race #1 A & B Tracks: 3:00 - 3:30 pm
Race #2 A & B Tracks: 3:30 - 4:00 pm
Sunday, Mar 3, 2024
Gates Open: 11:30 am
Race #1 A & B Tracks: 12:00 - 12:30 pm
Race #2 A & B Tracks: 12:30 - 1:00 pm
