Produced by the Sharjah Biennale in the United Arab
Emirates, Sikander’s Parallax is an extended meditation on the ebb and
flow of cultures and histories localized at the Strait of Hormuz. It weaves
together images that range from Indo-Islamic manuscripts to the contemporary
landscape of the Persian Gulf. The operatic compositions, created by the
composer Du Yun with epic poems from Sharjah-based poets, match the video’s
luminous imagery with layers of music and spoken word, expanding the core
themes of oil extraction, migratory flows, and climate change.

Sikander prepared hundreds of drawings, watercolors, and
animation cels for Parallax. The sweeping, plunging, bird-like forms
that coalesce into oceans, oil slicks, and “singing spheres” are female hair
silhouettes embodying the redemptive powers of the female body as a counter to
the extractive forces of global capital. This opening sequence transitions to
images tracing the bounty brought to oil-rich nations through their natural
resources, as well as the toll this industry has entailed.