Lawrie Shabibi is excited to present Through the Window – በመስኮቱ ውስጥ, the first solo exhibition in the Middle East by Elias Sime, born and based in Addis Ababa. Opening on 15 April 2025, the exhibition showcases Sime’s distinctive practice of transforming technological materials—colourful wires that he braids, circuit boards, and electronic components—into intricate, layered compositions that blur the boundaries between technology, nature, and abstraction.
The title Through The Window speaks to both literal and metaphorical apertures—portals that frame perception, whether through architecture or digital screens. His layered, textured surfaces recall aerial landscapes, circuit pathways, and organic topographies, offering a meditation on interconnectedness and the materials that shape our digital world.
Sime has long been at the forefront of contemporary art, gaining international acclaim for his prominent inclusion in the 59th Venice Biennale (2022) as part of Cecilia Alemani’s The Milk of Dreams, and for his celebrated Tightrope series, which explores the tension between technological progress and environmental sustainability.
Throughout his career, Elias Sime has evolved a practice that is as much about process as it is about product. At its core, his work is an exploration of transformation—both in the physical realm and in the way we perceive the evolving relationship between technology and humanity, as society adapts to the constant flux of technological advancements. Sime’s compositions reflect the dynamic interplay between technological progress and human experience, capturing the essence of how our lives are intertwined with the devices that surround us.
Sime’s method is notably hands-on and meticulous, involving an almost alchemical reworking of materials, where each component is carefully selected, manipulated, and reassembled to create intricate networks that evoke emotions. At first glance, they give the impression of maps, topographies, and even urban grids. This attention to detail not only results in visually arresting pieces but also challenges viewers to reconsider the value and potential of the limitless possibilities of human imagination. By turning everyday industrial remnants into art, he interrogates the relentless pace of technological progress and its environmental ramifications, highlighting how precious minerals are extracted from the earth to fuel its development.
Conceptually, Sime’s practice explores the interplay between structure and fluidity. The precise, almost surgical arrangement of electronic parts reveals an underlying framework that underscores the importance of connectivity and communication. His work is a meditation on how modernity, with all its technological advancements, is deeply intertwined with the broader narrative of human ingenuity and the historical trajectory of innovation, highlighting the complex relationships between technological progress and the natural world.
Press release from Lawrie Shabibi
Image: Elias Sime. Tightrope/ Through the Window 8. 2025. Electrical wires and components on panel. 161.5 x 200 cm. Photography by Mustafa Aboobaker of Seeing Things. Image courtesy the artist James Cohan and Lawrie Shabibi
