The Lives of Animals

ENNLFR

“It is true that animals are usually not able to participate in their liberation, but they behave differently when they are liberated and have better living conditions.”
— Speaking Beyond Language: Lin May Saeed Interviewed

Noor Abuarafeh

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08 June - 22 September 2024
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Noor Abuarafeh is a Palestinian visual artist and writer who divides her time between Rotterdam and Jerusalem. In her video works, performances and pub­lications, she develops themes related to the issues of conservation, museum, ar­chiving, absence and the interpretation of history. Through gaps and omissions, she imagines alternative scenarios. 

The video installation Am I the Ageless Object at the Museum? (2017) is part of an extensive project that draws analo­gies between museum collections, zoos and cemeteries as institutions dealing with conservation, collections and ex­hibits. The project spans various forms, including video, performance and an artist’s novel entitled The Earth Doesn’t Tell Its Secrets His Father Once Said (2017). Each piece explores the concept of the museum from unique perspectives. In the video installation, images filmed in zoos in Palestine, Switzerland and Egypt show how these institutions im­plement a scenario similar to museums by collecting and displaying animals in cages as objects. The artist examines relationships of power and the various representations of history.

 © image: M HKA

Exhibited work:

Am I the Ageless Object at the Museum?, 2017
Courtesy Noor Abaurafeh studio
 

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