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Photo Pavilion
Undertow
The exhibition is dedicated to photography and the moving image in the Arab world, and seeks to explore the Mediterranean in the context of migration and exile, highlighting the work of emerging photographers from the region.
Undertow
Curated by Amanda Abi Khalil, Danielle Makhoul
Undertow refers to the current of water below the surface, moving in the opposite direction from the current we see at the surface. While the smoothest sail is usually with the flow, undertows, rip tides and rip currents represent possible dangers for the journey.
How to address the Mediterranean Sea and region without navigating the depths of the odysseys of human experiences? This route has forever been one of passage; a channel for expansion, colonization and exile. Its waters have witnessed the struggles of countless individuals forced to leave behind their homes in search of refuge from conflict, wars, persecution and economic hardship. As we navigate the complexities of guest-host relations, we critically question power, privilege and responsibility. The Mediterranean Sea is the largest open-air cemetery and the stories that intersect and intertwine along its coastline are those of survival and resilience.
Catherine Cattaruzza, I Can't Recall the Edges, 2016 - 2019
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Randa Maroufi, Bab Sebta, 2019
Guests are invited in by a welcome song (Sirine Fattouh), to witness a multitude of crossing and waiting journeys (Bouchra Khalili, Imane Djamil, Randa Maroufi, Forensic Oceanography), forms of exchanges between loved ones (Badr El Hammami, Nabila Halim), modes of diary and record keeping (Catherine Cattaruzza, Sara Kontar, Majd Abdel Hamid), as well as revelations from the sea itself (Lara Tabet.). As we step into the pavilion, the traces of our footprints become testimonies of a journey of many journeys: a porous floor piece in the shape of the Mediterranean basin commissioned to artist Akram Zaatari will record the traces of guests’ passage in the exhibition throughout the trip.
The pavilion features We Knew How Beautiful They Were, These Islands a film program titled after a work by Younes Ben Slimane featuring seven videos running in loop with contributions by Firas Shehade, Hiwa K., Mounira Al Solh, Rania Stephan, Sara Sadik, Valentin Noujaïm and Younes Ben Slimane.
Marssares
Abdullah Al Meslemani
The exhibition curators
Amanda Abi Khalil is an independent curator who resides between Beirut, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro. Her curatorial projects focus on socially engaged artistic practices. She is the founder of TAP (Temporary Art Platform), a non-profit organization that envisions an alternative possible world by fostering social change through contemporary art.
Danielle Makhoul is an architect and independent curator based in London. She collaborates with architects,designers, curators and artists on the conception, development and execution ofmultidisciplinary projects, with an increased focus on cultural initiatives andpublications.
