Over the past two decades, Raed Yassin has meticulously crafted his artistic practice, delving into personal narratives and their intersection with collective history through the lens of consumer culture and mass production. ‘Hell Between My Teeth, Phantom in My Heart, and Never-Ending Hum’ marks a milestone as Yassin’s inaugural exhibition in his homeland. Showcasing fourteen bodies of work, including seven new commissions developed over the past four years, the exhibition traverses diverse media, from film and sound to sculpture, photography, and installation. Curated by Reem Shadid, this exhibition is open from April 18 to September 7, 2024.
Yassin navigates themes of failure, death, loss, memory, and disappearance, grappling with the spectral presence that permeates both the past and the future. He invokes existential inquiries through a myriad of familiar yet eerie figures and symbols, spanning from pop culture icons to devilish representations, funerary-like imagery, animals, skulls, and discovered photographs. Notably, the inclusion of Beirut’s beloved Shushu adds poignancy, urging viewers to contemplate the fragility and intricacy of corporeal existence amidst prolonged adversity and sorrow.
The peculiarities of the past four years, marked by escalated conflicts, anxiety, fear, and instability, compel us to confront long-standing issues, shaping the challenging material, emotional, and psychological landscapes of our reality. Through his artworks and interventions, Yassin probes memory and the normalisation of violence, challenging conventional narratives of beginnings and endings while guiding us towards reevaluating our recollections.
Alongside pieces that dissect the recurring distortion of time and space, Yassin encourages recognition of the perpetual dissonance ingrained in our collective consciousness. Infused with Yassin’s trademark humour and a whimsical acknowledgement of life’s absurdities, ‘Hell Between My Teeth, Phantom in My Heart, and Never-Ending Hum’ prompts reflection: How do we confront pervasive loss and death without succumbing to oblivion? How can we persist in this dystopian existence with purpose and intentionality, embracing the disquieting sense of displacement rather than fading into anonymity?
About Raed Yassin
Raed Yassin, born in 1979 in Beirut, is an artist and musician. After graduating from the Institute of Fine Arts in Beirut, he explores conceptual themes across mediums like video, sound, and sculpture. Yassin’s art delves into personal narratives within collective histories, often critiquing consumer culture and mass production. He has been a resident artist at prestigious institutions like De Ateliers in Amsterdam and the Delfina Foundation in London and received the Abraaj Group Art Prize in 2012. Yassin’s recent exhibitions include the Lyon Biennial and Taipei Biennial, with his first major exhibition at the Beirut Art Center in 2024. As a musician, he organises the Irtijal Festival for Experimental Music and has released albums both solo and with groups like “A” Trio and PRAED. He resides between Berlin and Beirut.
Location: Beirut Art Centre, Beirut
Dates: 18 April – 7 September 2024.