A group exhibition on the (im)possibility of dreaming at Melike Bilir Gallery, Hamburg, Germany, Co-curated by Larissa Furhman and Reem Aljeally, With works by Yasmeen Abdullah, Reem Aljeally, Dar Al Naim, Amna Elhassan, Zainab Gaafar, Aya Sinada, Enas Suliman & Studio Urban.
February 2024
Exhibition text:
To dream while in peace entails different prospects than to dream while in turbulence. To dream individually holds within it dreaming collectively. And to dream as a woman is to carry the dreams of all those around you.
The exhibition – The Wandering of Dreams – displays the work of 7 Sudanese female artists reflecting on the past, present, and future of one’s self and a nation in extension. During these times of a raging war, displacement, instability, and violent conflict, the artworks invite us to think about dreaming in the past and future whilst facing an unknown present.
To dream is to preserve and remember, to carry within you a life once lived and a life yet to be lived. It is also to carry the traditions and emotions of those who lived and continue to live around you. This combination is vivid in the artists’ work, from Amna Elhassan’s print making centring Sudanese traditions within female communities depicting Dokhan, braids, and Karkar, to Yasmeen Abdullah’s immersive paintings that resemble a composition of an illusive reality of their own. Memory and longing are as well a poignant element in the works, whether it’s longing for a home in Dar Al Naim’s work or longing for a better future that holds within it all that has been through Zainab Gaafar’s imagined film posters. In her photographs, Aya Sinada invites us to consider the power of dreams to shape our perceptions of what is happening around us and how we can continue to dream in the face of adversity, while Enas Suliman’s poems are a strong testimony of overcoming hardship yet honouring and preserving its memory.
Ultimately, this exhibition is a powerful demonstration of the resilience of the human spirit and an invitation to dream boldly in the face of uncertainty. ‘The Wandering of Dreams,’ not only invites us to contemplate the nature of dreaming in the context of an unknown present but also serves as a poignant reminder of the human capacity to envision a better future despite the most challenging circumstances. As we immerse ourselves in the vibrant prints, immersive paintings, and poignant photographs, we are reminded of the enduring power of dreams to shape our perceptions and fuel our resilience in the face of adversity.
