Still Standing Always, 2022, by Hady Sy is part of his latest body of work titled It’s a Numbers Game (ongoing till 2024) across which he exposes the pervasive dehumanization stemming from political, economic, and technological factors across the globe, as seen through the inhuman frame of numbers. From left to right, this art piece reads as the numerical sequence 911 (as in the events of September 11, 2001, but also the 911 emergency call number), with the New York Twin Towers at the end; and from right to left it reads ‘Lillah’ (meaning: to God or to Allah in Arabic). By combining the words with the numbers, Sy brings out the inherent absurdity of the catastrophe that took place, the consequences of which are still felt more than two decades later. Ultimately, this work, and others across Sy’s collection, seeks to challenge the reduction of humans into mere numerical values. 

The sculpture brings the viewers face to face with the role that religion had to play in justifying brutality, while forcing them to come to terms with how numbers create narratives that shape our perceptions. It is important to recall the shock of the September 11 attack not only in terms of its devastation and aftermath, but also in relation to the historical rise of religious extremism during this period. The rise of militant religious groups in many Middle Eastern countries became more evident in the 1980s, and by the 1990s their violent and brutal tactics would become apparent within these nations. The aims of these groups are not anti-imperialist, rather it is to instill more dogmatic and unprogressive rule through increasingly destructive behaviors and ideologies. Their brazen attack in 2001 on foreign soil was shocking not only to the American public, but across the Middle East and the rest of the world as well. 

Sy was in New York when the events unfolded, which had left a significant mark on him as he came face to face with the devastation of such ideologies on innocent people. This work challenges viewers by renouncing the idea that there are distinct boundaries between cultures, nations, or civilizations. It highlights the way in which such events are historically and geopolitically interconnected.