RIYADH — Theories of imagination (TOFI) through their (Extrospection) has made it possible for Noor Riyadh's visitors to experience the importance of the connection between themselves and others. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Theories of imagination (TOFI), which is a creative collective composed of the Bahraini artists Abdullah Buhjji and Noor Alwan, stressed that they wanted, through their artwork which is called (Extrospection), to convey the message of not limiting matters to the self only but rather it is important to strengthen communication between the self, others and the environment. TOFI has participated in Noor Riyadh with a spatial experience by using light boxes, as they call it, and Extrospection is part of a series that they have been developing about the relationship of the self and the others. As in Extrospection, TOFI are exploring sort of the relationship of the self versus the society or the collective group around the individual. Abdullah and Noor have created this artwork where people can experience Extrospection by themselves as an individual and compose their own music. But people will only get the ultimate experience when there is someone else in the space itself, as they will get another layer of experience. The light boxes is actually a mirror, but during the experience, when each person approaches it, it will rotate from them as a light, and will never stop for them and turn into a mirror until someone else comes on the other side. One of the key secrets of successful relationships, as it is always said, is communication, because people through it express and clarify themselves to others, and not only keep what is inside them to themselves. Extrospection exploits the duality between individual and communal experience, and challenges presumptions by transforming the personal act of staring in the mirror into a shared endeavor. Abdullah said that their goal of this artwork is to encourage people to collaborate and interact with each other, whether they are strangers, friends or anyone. "We do this simple act of looking at ourselves in the mirror every day, but now with Extrospection, the only way we can do it is when someone else is with us," Abdullah noted. Noor said that Extrospection is about creating different moments of connections between different people who possibly don't know each other. TOFI wanted to provide the visitors a holistic experience with the sense of empathy and the sense of collaboration, and also creating connections between people who don't know about each other. Moreover, in order to integrate the visitors into the Extrospection atmosphere, TOFI has collaborated with the Saudi musician Abdullah Faisal. He has composed different musical pieces that are present at each light box, and he is also the one who chooses the colors and the shapes of the light boxes. Visitors have the opportunity until Feb. 4, 2023, to experience Extrospection, as the artwork is being displayed at Jax District in the From Spark to Spirit exhibition, which is part of Noor Riyadh activity. The exhibition is full of interesting experiences and is suitable for visitors of all ages, both art enthusiasts and others.
