Until the 10th of August, 2024, the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf) in Doha is holding Shahid (Arabic for “witness”), a project space exhibition created by Sudanese artist Khalid Albaih that combines digital pictures, sound elements, and an installation. It offers visitors to contemplate their role as witnesses to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
Shahid, an engaging audiovisual installation, consists of four printed digital drawings displayed on a mirror that spans the width of the wall. They reference heartbreaking moments that have gone viral across social media, resulting in numerous witnesses to the tragedy in Gaza. In the mirror, visitors see not only their reflections but also the reflection of an image of Gaza’s destroyed cityscape. Additionally, in the exhibition space, one is encouraged to participate in recording the names and ages of people whose lives were affected by the plight of Gaza.
Through the Shahid installation, Albaih emphasises the individual’s role as a witness by demonstrating to viewers that they represent one more voice added to those speaking out for Palestine. The art piece focuses on what it means to witness the devastation unfolding in Palestine and encourages the visitor to contemplate the responsibility coming with this role.
About the artist
Khalid Albaih (b. 1980, Bucharest, Romania) is an acclaimed civil rights activist, artist, political cartoonist, illustrator, designer, and writer who grew up in Doha. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design Engineering from the Ajman University of Science and Technology (UAE). Albaih resides in Copenhagen (Denmark), where he is the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) PEN Artist-in-Residence.
In his practice, Albaih explores race, politics, various social issues, and the global struggle for civil and human rights. His cartoons symbolise resistance, criticising authoritarian and repressive regimes while expressing solidarity and hope for the future. Albaih’s works attract a wide international audience; he publishes them on social media under the name “Khartoon!”, a wordplay on cartoons and Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. His cartoons have also been featured in prestigious international publications, such as The Atlantic, NYT, BBC, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera, among others.
Albaih has showcased his art in a number of exhibitions: a solo show held at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (Doha, Qatar, 2016); do it [in Arabic] (Sharjah, 2016); RE:BELLION // RE:LIGION // RE:FORM – Artistic Action in Times of Crisis (Zwickau, Germany, 2015); and It’s Not Funny: Political Cartoons by Khalid Albaih (a solo exhibition at the Arab American Museum, Dearborn, MI, USA, 2015), to name a few.
In 2022, the artist became an artist-in-residence at the Human Rights Foundation’s Art in Protest Artist Residency programme dedicated to promoting democracy and human rights globally. Besides, he became the inaugural Soros Arts Fellow for the Open Society Foundation (2018) and was selected as the Human Rights Fellow at the Oak Institute for the Study of International Human Rights (Colby College, Waterville, USA) (2016).
To get more information about Shahid, please visit the official web page of the exhibition.
You might also be interested in visiting HUNDRED BEST ARABIC POSTERS — ROUND 4 on display at M7.
