Digital Spirituality
by Amr Alngmah
Digital Spirituality, 2016
Circuit board mixed media installation and 3D print
(73.4 × 73.4 × 8 cm)
Amr Alngmah explores the root of the word “spirituality.” The artist believes that humans consist of two main parts: the body and the spirit, where the spirit holds a higher rank as the main engine in the machine of the body. Furthermore, spiritual influence is an effect produced by strong and deep bonds between various elements or peers. This association results from the deep value placed upon peer-to-peer spirituality and morality. In this installation, Alngmah looks to the spiritual influence of the Kaaba in Mecca, where over a billion of Muslims turn towards to pray multiple times throughout the day.
Alngmah’s use of digital hardware as material for his installation is a direct reflection of the modern era as the age of technology. All electronic devices have circuits that possess microprocessors.These microprocessors are the main components of electronic circuits and essentially represent the pulse and power of the whole apparatus. The work ultimately presents the functions of power within the mechanical engineering of electronics to the ritual behaviors of human spirituality.
Amr Alngmah was born in 1982 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in dental surgery. He is a self–taught artist who began painting at a young age and is increasingly interested in trying different materials, from the traditional to the digital. He has a special interest in conceptual work, installation, and digital media that reflects the culture of the region and his personal vision. His works depend more on concept and idea (including extensive research) than on traditional aesthetic objectives. He is driven by a desire to have a positive effect on people through the communication of contemporary art. Alngmah's immense creative curiosity has influenced his experimentation with a variety of both traditional and digital media. His particular interest in expanding on conceptual frameworks when creating his works of installation and digital media reflect the cultural and regional context from which he is working.