Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art launched the ‘Khalid Albaih: Shahid’ Exhibition, a new project featuring the work of Sudanese artist and political cartoonist Khalid Albaih. Running from 6 May 2024 to 10 August 2024, this exhibition invites visitors to reflect on their roles as witnesses to the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
Curated by Fatma Mostafawi and Hadeel Al-Kohaji, ‘Khalid Albaih: Shahid’ is an interactive audiovisual installation consisting of four printed digital illustrations displayed on a wall-sized mirror. These illustrations capture poignant moments that went viral on social media, creating a vast number of witnesses to the current tragedy in Gaza. Visitors see their reflections alongside images of victims, emphasising their roles as witnesses. The mirror also reflects a devastated Gaza cityscape, while a recorded recitation of the names and ages of martyrs intensifies the experience.
Zeina Arida, Director of Mathaf, expressed pride in unveiling Albaih’s exhibition at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. She emphasised Mathaf’s commitment to providing a platform for regional artists to showcase their visions, illuminating the diverse tapestry of Arab artistry and addressing significant causes. Since its inception, Mathaf has aimed to shed light on societal structures and the role of art in local and regional contexts.
Albaih’s installation underscores the individual’s role as a witness, showing visitors that their presence adds to the voices speaking out for Palestine against biased mainstream media. This literal and figurative use of reflection highlights the world’s complicity in this tragedy, exposing the prejudice and injustice in contemporary politics and international law.
Khalid Albaih commented, “If the world can’t see Gaza with all the evidence coming out of there, how can they see Sudan; which means if they can see Gaza, they can see us and all of us.”
About Khalid Albaih
Khalid Albaih, born in 1980 in Bucharest, Romania, is a Sudanese artist and political cartoonist currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Raised in Doha, Qatar, he publishes his work on social media under the name Khartoon!, a play on “cartoon” and “Khartoum,” the capital of Sudan. Albaih’s cartoons have appeared in international publications like The Atlantic, PRI, and NPR, alongside his commentary in The Guardian and Al Jazeera. His work has featured in group exhibitions such as “do it [in Arabic]” (Sharjah, 2016) and solo exhibitions at venues like Virginia Commonwealth University (Doha, 2016) and the Arab American National Museum (Dearborn, 2015).
Location: Mathaf Museum, Doha, Qatar
Dates: 6 May – 10 August 2024