SAMA ALSHAIBI | IRAQ
Situated within natural environments, Sama Alshaibi’s multimedia work explores spaces of conflict and the power struggles that arise in the aftermath of war and exile. Alshaibi is particularly interested in how such clashes occur between citizens and the state, creating vexing crises that impact the physical and psychic realms of the individual as resources and land, mobility, political agency, and self-affirmation are compromised.
Through performance, video, photography, and installation, Alshaibi positions her own body as an allegorical site that makes the byproducts of war visible. Though the artist uses her own body as the subject of the images, she does not consider the works to be self-portraits. By using elements of her experiences, anxieties, and curiosities, the artist is able to embody different characters that perform various issues, people and concepts.
Videos from the series SILSILA by Iraqi artist SAMA ALSHAIBI
Silsila — Arabic for ‘chain’ or ‘link’— is a multi-media project depicting Alshaibi’s sever-year cyclic journey through the significant deserts and endangered water sources of the Middle East and North African region. By linking the performances in the deserts and waters of the historical Islamic world with the nomadic traditions of the region, and the travel journals of the great 14th century Eastern explorer, Ibn Battuta, Alshaibi seeks to unearth a story of continuity within the context of a threatened future.
Sama Alshaibi has had over ten international solo exhibitions and her artworks are widely exhibited in prominent international biennials, film festivals, museums/institutions, galleries and fairs, including the 55th Venice Biennial on 2013, Honolulu Biennial 2017 (Hawaii), 2014 FotoFest International Biennial (Houston), MoMA (NYC), Edge of Arabia (London), Arab World Institute (Paris), Headlands Center for the Arts (San Francisco), The Bronx Museum (NYC), Paris Photo (Paris) and Museum of Contemporary Art (Denver). Alshaibi is exclusively represented by Ayyam Gallery. Video and works by Sama Alshaibi, courtesy AYYAM Gallery, Dubai, UAE
Last group show: 2020 – “Geo-Graphies: Identity rituals and fragile ecosystems”, curated by Dores Sacquegna, Fondazione Palmieri, Lecce
