UBIK (b. 1985)

Dubai-based UBIK’s conceptual works highlight themes of propaganda, censorship, and repression. By combining imagery lifted from political campaigns and pop culture, he questions capitalism and contemporary political systems with sardonic humor. In A firm grip (will improve your trajectory) (2011), he re-envisions a carton of Coca-Cola bottles as an artillery of Molotov cocktails. The revolution will be merchandised (2011) reveals the importance of text to UBIK’s practice. Fusing consumerist tee-shirt culture with the lilt of political slogans, he proposes a new world order: “First comes the revolution, then comes the media, then come the analysts, then comes the merchandise, then comes the victory, then comes more merchandise.”