Politics of Land and Paper
Upon April 2023, Sudanese people were faced by a raging war, thousands were forced to leave their homes and were struck by the struggles and obstacles of crossing borders or fleeing to new lands. We managed to make it through, while thousands others were stuck in cities, borders, and airports with instructions that change every minute. Politics of Land and Paper examines the extent to which our lives are in the hands of elements beyond our control, it questions when humanity prevails laws and vice versa.
In the collection of Moleskine Foundation, 2023
Exhibited at DETOUR LONDON, SAATCHI GALLERY, September 2023
This exhibition, guided by the question ‘Can creativity change the world?’, showcases Moleskine notebooks transformed into stunning works of art by artists, designer, activists and changemakers, including William Kentridge, Francis Kéré, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Paula Scher, Toyo Ito, Hannah Marshall, and Aida Muluneh. Each notebook tells a different story, dream project, or distinctive way of being and relating to the world, showcasing how creativity can be a transformative force on a personal and community level.
The Wandering of Dreams, Gallery Melike Bilir, Curated by Larissa-Diana Furhman and Reem Aljeally, January - February 2024
A group exhibition on the (im)possibility of dreaming.
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 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. Es ist auch die Traditionen und Emotionen von denen, die um Sie gelebt und weiterhin leben. This combination is vivid in the work of the artists, from Amna Elhassan’sprint 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 honoring 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.
