A sculpture and letter that question, “Can state-ownership of a miracle be considered ownership of truth?” The perceived sign of the word Allah is valued and sought-after. 17 years ago, a fish was found off the coast of Oman by a Pakistani fisherman. Later that same year, a newspaper article revealed it had been taxidermied and was now in the possession of the Dubai Municipality.
Taxidermy is a suspended state, perhaps in this case, suggesting an extension of the miraculous. I wondered whether the fish retained any fidelity to the original event of the miracle. When I started my research on this fish in 2019, I discovered that it was on display in the palace of Dubai’s Minister of Finance, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The letter is addressed to the office of Sheikh Hamdan
and depicts my encounter with the same fish, at Lake Michigan. Miles and miles away from its location inside the Sheikh’s palace in Dubai.
and depicts my encounter with the same fish, at Lake Michigan. Miles and miles away from its location inside the Sheikh’s palace in Dubai.
