World

Saudi artist turns barcodes into portraits of identity at Paris exhibition

JEDDAH: Most people see a barcode as something to scan. Saudi artist Fahad Salem Basodan sees something else entirely: A visual language capable of expressing identity, memory and human emotion. That idea is at the heart of “Barcode Echo,” the work Basodan is presenting at the 123rd edition of Paris’ historic Salon d’Automne, where more than 1,000 artists from 50 countries are exhibiting their work this week. On the canvas, a human face emerges from a maze of barcode lines. Large eyes and an op