Running from March 13 until July 27, 2024, Sfeir Semler Gallery presents the second edition of ‘The Blind Date’ a concept which debuted in 2017. The show features a group exhibition with artists from outside of the gallery’s roster. Coincidentally, the five invited artists are all young female artists with diverse practices and expressions, all connected to the Arab-speaking world.
Alia Farid, a filmmaker and sculptor, focuses on lesser-known histories, addressing the impact of extractive industries in southern Iraq and Kuwait. Similarly, Farid’s tapestries explore under-told histories of Arab and South Asian migration to Latin America and the Caribbean, using traditional craft techniques.
Daniele Genadry, working with painting, photography, and print, examines how light is captured and perceived, creating overexposed landscapes with precise brushstrokes.
Tala Worrell, a Lebanese-American painter, negotiates various aspects of her identity through abstract, gestural paintings that reinterpret feelings from daily encounters.
Bayan Kiwan, a Palestinian-Jordanian artist, explores questions of place and memory, depicting women’s private sociality and intimacy through figurative works.
Farah Al Qasimi, engages with postcolonial structures of power and gender in her multimedia work, questioning global trade and consumerism.
The exhibition showcases diverse perspectives on cultural heritage, identity, and societal issues, inviting viewers to explore themes of resistance, daily life, and interconnected crises through the lens of contemporary art. Through their expressions, these artists contribute to a broader conversation about the complexities of the world, offering insights into personal experiences and collective struggles.
Location: Sfeir Semler Gallery, Karantina, Beirut
Date: March 13 until July 27, 2024
Caption featured image: Alia Farid, installation view, BLIND DATE 2.0, 2024, Sfeir-Semler Karantina, Beirut, Lebanon. Courtesy of the artists and Sfeir-Semler Gallery Beirut/Hamburg