Forum Box is delighted to present Adel Abidin's solo exhibition THE REVOLT on the Zanj Rebellion (869-883 CE).
At Mediabox on view will be Nastja Säde Rönkkö's video work salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears (single channel version, 2024).
The vernissage will be celebrated on Thursday, February 29th from 5 pm to 7 pm in the presence of the artists, a warm welcome!
Adel Abidin
THE REVOLT
Curated by Nat Muller
Driven by my curiosity to draw connections between contemporary and historical events, I focus on one of the earliest known revolts of enslaved Southeast Africans, known as the Zanj Rebellion (869-883 CE), which started in Basra, southern Iraq. The Zanj are the Bantu people who had originally been captured from the coast of Southeast Africa and transported to Iraq. They were enslaved to drain the region's salt marshes to turn the lands ready for agriculture, as well as mine its salt.
This solo exhibition at Forum Box offers a visual counter-narrative to how history is often written by the victors. It emphasizes the important role of oral storytelling in Arab culture in the of shaping historical narratives and presents the untold voices of the Zanj across three chapters, chapters, titled: Unmatched Narratives, Documents On Salt, and Saline Lands.
Funded by SKR / Finnish Cultural Foundation, Helsinki.
Helsinki-based artist Adel Abidin is best known for his candid exploration of history, identity, politics, conflicts and memory. His incisive use of irony and humor draws him towards various social situations, addressing elusive experiences and cultural alienation. His projects have gained recognition through numerous exhibitions worldwide. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1973, Abidin earned his Bachelor's degree in the painting department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad (BFA, 2000) and completed his Master's degree in time and space art from the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki (MFA, 2007).
He has received several awards, including the prestigious Ithra Art Prize (Saudi Arabia, 2023), being named Alumni of the Year 2022 at the University of Arts in Helsinki, the Finland Prize for Visual Arts (Helsinki, 2015), Ars Fennica prize nominee (Helsinki, 2012) Jawad Saleem prize (Baghdad, 2001), and the third prize of Ismail Fatah Al Turk (Baghdad, 1999).
Abidin's works can be found in museums and public collections, including the Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki, Finland, the National Gallery in Finland, Darat El-Fenun in Jordan, Mathaf - Museum of Arab Art in Doha, Qatar, Kamal Lazzar Foundation in Tunis, King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - Ithra, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and the NGV - National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, as well as in many private collections.
