Response to an artist’s argument:

Umar Farooq
Umar’s art piece was very interesting as it did display how we tend to judge people by their outward
appearances, totally disregarding what they are from the inside. The display was very simple: an old,
small phone covered with an iPhone’s phone protection cover. What he attempted to do with such a
display was show to us how a person should not be judged on his outer appearances, and that in order
to gauge a person, he needs to be known inside out.

On strength of the piece in my opinion, was the simplicity with which it was displayed. The piece did not
need any deep understanding or interpretation by viewers, it simply needed a 5-second observstion by
the audience to immediately understand what it meant. This gathered a lot of attention by the piece,
making it a unique one amongst the many.

However, the idea raised some questions in my head: firstly, if we are promoting the idea of not judging
someone by their appearances, why did Umar choose to put an iPhone’s cover on an old Nokia phone?
Isn’t the exact opposite being promoted by this display? (Where an iPhone cover signifies a glamourous
appearance, and a small phone signifies much less).

What I also failed to understand was why Umar thought it vital for us to not see the face of the iPhone
(which, despite written on the instruction manual, was not present in the actual art piece), especially
when the idea of seeing the real in people and judging their worth was being promoted. Instead, I think
that a more effective message would be put across if the face of the phone was, in fact, displayed. This
face could be appealing to the audience who would be more convinced with his argument then.

If, however, he tried to show through this comparison, fragility and strength, then I believe that a better
idea would have been displaying an expensive phone inside the cover of an old phone, to show that
even if someone looks worthless or insignificant, they can still be dynamic and valuable people, and that
they should not be disregarded on physical appearances. Henceforth, I believe that the quote itself was
not thought through, and did not deliver the message that he was trying to display.

The display was also not thought through thoroughly, as again, if the iPhone was representing the
positive in people, I do not understand why he chose to display a dirty iPhone cover. Umar’s attempt
was good, but it could be fixed in many ways, starting with a more effective name, for starters. If he
thought this idea thoroughly, it could be one of the most powerful pieces presented in the exhibition.