"Samaa SANAA: Setting The Scene" is a collective exhibition showing the work of five visual artists based in the Netherlands with links to the Arab World. They set the scene for new moments of exchange with their audience and show the diversity of art in the Middle East.
This exhibition will be the first presentation moment of the Samaa SANAA project in which Arab artists based in the Netherlands gather and connect, sharing their work to a larger audience. It will also be the 100th exhibition by galerie SANAA.
Oussama Diab (1977, Syria, Palestine) He addresses the contradictions and obstacles of political conflict, globalisation, and exile through playful symbolism, references to popular culture, iconic imagery, and narrative structures.
Raafat Ballan (1990, Syria) His work is transforming into a more hybrid, diasporic entity however employing a contemporary thematic related to the changes and gaps of history that the Middle East is facing now.
Fatima Barznge (1968, Iraki Kurdistan) Her work has mainly to do with memories from her birthplace and how this relates to her current residence in the Netherlands where she has lived since 1997.
Hala Tawil (1991, Lebanon) She aims to create uneasy and mysterious narratives of desire, longing and loneliness.
Yara Said (1991, Syria) Her work is very personal, yet has a strong purpose to construct a universal narrative starting from her own observations of the world around her.
