The Lost Path
A sculptural sketch that may lead you to yourself
65,000 recyclable PVC pipes, Desert X Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, 2020
Treasure maps often lead to empty chests. We are all in search of meaning in our lives, maps to follow and journeys to undertake. In The Lost Path, Shono reminds us that the journey is greater than the destination with a monumental sculptural path made of 65,000 PVC pipe responding to a remote location in Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia. Only partially visible from the main site, Shono lays out a call to adventure and points us towards our personal buried stories. The path is drawn from a single line and grows to become the treasure itself, a sculptural relic waiting for visitors to explore. The work cannot be seen from a singular vantage point but must be experienced by traveling with it. Shono hopes to gift those who choose to do the journey, not empty treasure chests, but a moment of serenity alone with one’s self, a childlike sense of wonder they once had. The Lost Path is a call for self-discovery and personal worth.
Curated by Raneem Farsi, Aya Aliriza and Neville Wakefield.
Muhannad Shono Desert X 2020
Photography by Lance Gerber