Suspended Territories

Few people in Germany are familiar with contemporary art from the Middle East and North Africa and even fewer with works by female Arab and Persian artists. That is why the Museum Marta Herford is developing an exhibition featuring nine renowned women artists from the Middle East and North Africa whose works provide insights into this aesthetic cosmos, its formats and narrative styles. The selected artworks reflect on and present the current socio-cultural zones of conflict between the Arab and Western world, but also document very personal experiences in one’s country or in exile.
For example, the videos, photos and installations by Moufida Fedhila (Tunisia), Lamia Joreige (Lebanon/Great Britain) and Ala Jounis (Jordan), explore the themes of homeland and the loss thereof, the experience of being a foreigner, and hybrid identities. Their works address the political situation in the Middle East and revolve around the depictability of borders, territory and stages of transition. They question the validity of body images and cultural attributions, and confront established artistic systems of production and distribution with new images and interpretations. An extensive accompanying programme with multilingual formats of encounter, lectures and workshops will enable visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the work and background of these female Arab artists.

Artistic director: Roland Nachtigäller
Artists: Arwa Abouon (LY), Sama Alshaibi (IR), Moufida Fedhila (TN), Saba Innab (JO), Ala Jounis (JO), Lamia Joreige (LB)