Allow Me… (2020) by Guillaume Rouseré, on view at Msheireb Metro Station in Doha, Qatar. Allow Me… translates into sculptural form an audio recording of the poignant and unforgettable speech delivered by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the opening of the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2017. The speech resonated with Rouseré’s interest in preserving sound and what sound looks like. As he explained, “For me, and as for many of the residents and citizens of Qatar, the speech resonated as a message of thanks and inclusion into Qatari society. Also, this statement underpinned the wishes to settle differences in peace without compromising the security of its people.” Rouseré was able to preserve an ephemeral audio sound bite of part of the speech by casting the patterned sound waves into a fossil-like sculpture made from limestone. The original quote was: “Allow me, on this occasion and from this podium, to express my pride in my Qatari people, along with the multinational and multicultural residents in Qatar.” – HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

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