At Sfeir-Semler’s downtown gallery in Beirut, Taysir Batniji invites viewers into an evocative exploration of memory, loss, and resilience. His works resonate with the weight of history and the fragility of human connections, using everyday objects to reflect on profound experiences.
The exhibition features Batniji’s 1997 installation inspired by Mahmoud Darwish’s Ahmad Al-Za’atar. Rolled fabrics bear the rusted imprints of keys—symbols of hope and displacement carried by Palestinians in 1948. These imprints, tinged with reddish-brown patinas, evoke a sense of absence and an enduring longing for return.
A more recent piece, Just in Case (2024), premiered at the Biennale de Lyon and continues this exploration. Through a series of photographs, Batniji documents keys belonging to residents of Gaza, each accompanied by handwritten notes identifying their owners and the places they left behind. This work underscores the heartbreak of severed ties and the persistence of memory, transforming the mundane into a poignant reflection on human fragility.
Batniji’s creative process often involves a quiet, almost meditative engagement with found objects and ephemeral traces. In Homeless Colors (2024), he uses discarded pens and crayons to fill sheets of paper with monochrome tones, stopping only when the materials are depleted. These works stand as testaments to endurance, finding beauty in limitation.
His art also delves into the nature of time, capturing fleeting moments and stretching them into permanence. By painting distorted images from delayed internet feeds, Batniji prolongs the interval before violent realities fully manifest, creating works that suspend time and soften harsh truths. Similarly, accidental phone images become abstract pastels, transforming randomness into intentional artistry.
Batniji’s practice reflects his dual perspective as both an observer and a participant in his homeland’s narrative. Through his deeply personal yet universal works, he bridges the divide between memory and loss, urging viewers to grapple with the enduring impact of displacement.
About Taysir Batniji
Taysir Batniji (b. 1966, Gaza, Palestine; based in Paris) studied Fine Arts at Al Najah University, Palestine, and the School of Arts in Bourges, France. His recent solo exhibitions include Mathaf, Doha (2022); MAC Val, Paris (2021); and Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai (2020). Group exhibitions feature the Lyon Biennale (2024), Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (2023), and the 12th Berlin Biennale (2022). A Venice Biennale participant (2011, 2009, 2003), his works are held by the Centre Pompidou, Victoria & Albert Museum, British Museum, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and Kunsthalle Wien. Batniji’s art reflects themes of memory, displacement, and time.
Location: Sfeir Semler, Down Town, Beirut
Dates: January 9 – March 29, 2025