Photo: "Ayman & Ghina Unpacked Refugee Baggage", 2017 (courtesy of Mohamad Hafez)
In this Moonless Black Night: Syrian Art After the Uprising marked the 10-year anniversary of the Syrian Revolution by showcasing leading Syrian contemporary artists whose work explores the conflict, trauma and hope of the past decade through the experiences of ordinary Syrians.
Curated by New York-based writer and researcher, Maymanah Farhat, the exhibition’s 14 featured artists reflected on the widescale destruction of the country and the plight of its displaced through painting, multimedia, photography, video and installation. In the process, their work helped shape our understanding of the conflict, from the peaceful start of the revolution to the resulting humanitarian crisis.
Curator
Participating Artists
Azza Abo Rebieh, Hiba Al Ansari, Ammar al-Beik, Nour Asalia, Tammam Azzam, Khaled Barakeh, Bady Dalloul, Oroubah Dieb, Osama Esid, Lara Haddad, Mohamed Hafez, Nagham Hodaifa, Essma Imady, Kevork Mourad
Marking the launch of the MEI Art Gallery exhibit, In This Moonless Black Night: Syrian Art After the Uprising, MEI was pleased to host a conversation exploring how Syrian artists in exile have addressed the hope, trauma and displacement of the past decade through their art.
Featured Programming
Panel Discussion: Re-Seeding Culture: Syrian Artists in Berlin
In collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Washington, MEI hosted a conversation about the development and influence of a thriving Syrian creative community in Berlin over the past decade. Featuring Berlin-based Syrian contemporary artist Khaled Barakeh, actor Kinan Hmeidan and filmmaker and producer Diana El-Jeiroudi, the panel will explore the impact of the relocation of Syrian artists and creatives to Germany, particularly Berlin, in response to the Syrian conflict.
Lens on Syria: Film Screening & Panel Discussion
A screening of short documentaries and experimental films reflecting on the loss and trauma experienced by Syrians over the past decade of revolution and conflict.
Directed by Syrian filmmakers with the support of the Beirut-based Bidayyat, the three short films – A Day and a Button (2015) by Azza Abo Rebieh, 9 1/2 (2015) by Syrialism (Omar Imam), and The Boy and the Sea (2017) by Samer Ajouri explore the human impact of the conflict through multiple lenses, including animation and imagination. The filmmakers bring an intimate and personal take on a ravaging conflict and through their work counter the stereotypical depiction of the Syrian conflict.
Ten Years After: Syrian Artists Reflect on the Anniversary of the Syrian Uprising
Marking the launch of In This Moonless Black Night: Syrian Art After the Uprising, MEI hosts a conversation exploring how Syrian artists in exile have addressed the hope, trauma, and displacement of the past decade through their art.
Among the 14 participating artists, US-based artists Lara Haddad, Essma Imady and Kevork Mourad, as well as curator and writer Maymanah Farhat, will reflect on their artistic practice and the personal experiences that influenced their work over the past 10 years.
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Media Highlights
- “In the aftermath of civil war, contemporary Syrian art emphasizes not just loss, but resilience,” The Washington Post
- MEI Art Exhibit: “In this Moonless Black Night,” Al Arabiya [Video in Arabic]
- “Syrian art exhibition in Washington’s Middle East Institute captures the agony of civil war,” The National
- “How Syrian artists have dealt with the displacement and loss caused by the ongoing civil war,” Arab News
- “Show at DC’s Middle East Institute marks Syrian uprising 10 years on,” The Daily Star