Khaled Hourani
* 1965 Hebron, Palestine.
Every Palestinian Refugee in Lebanon Is an Artist Until Proven Otherwise. 2011
Audio, paper, 29.7 x 42 cm each
Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation
About the work
Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon are prohibited from practicing more than 70 professions, except art, fortunately. More than 300,000 refugees live in camps, under dire conditions, waiting to go back to Palestine. They have been waiting for a long time...deprived of civil rights and of many rights as refugees, certainly the right to work, move freely, seek higher education, and own property, to cite a few examples. In essence they are denied hope.
Article 25 from the Lebanese Law pertaining to entry into, residence in and exit from Lebanon, states: “[a] foreigner, other than an artist, is prohibited from carrying on in Lebanon any work or occupation unless permitted to do so by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs under the valid laws and regulations.”
In Hourani’s proposal, art is empowered to become a realm wherein these prohibited professions can be performed, aspirations for self-realisation rekindled. The ultimate ambition is to instigate innovation and experimentation and compel art to uncover new frameworks for being in the world and gradually transform the camp into a museum.
© From the SB10 Guidebook.
© Photos: Khaled Hourani. Repros: Alfredo Rubio. Courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation
Teil 2 der Fototour durch die Sharjah Biennale 10: Plot for a Biennial; 16. März - 16. Mai 2011. Kuratorinnen: Suzanne Cotter, Rasha Salti; Assoziierter Kurator: Haig Aivazian. Mehr als 100 Beteiligte.