Movement of the People

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Part 1 (29 September - 29 October)
 We bring together internationally renowned artists who have adopted subtle and poetic means to address the harsh reality of living with conflict, including work by Mona Hatoum,  Rabih Mroué, Issam Kourbaj and Khaled Abdulwahed.

The artists in this show create a space for us to pause and reflect on the impact of conflict on civilian populations. Mona Hatoum speaks of exile, displacement and a tremendous sense of loss as a result of the separation caused by war.  Lebanese artist Rabih Mroué cuts out images of conflict from newspapers, carefully removing all context. We are left to dwell on what remains –  the human condition. Issam Kourbaj’s showcases a vast collection of hardback books now pinned to the gallery walls. Filleted of their pages, with their stories and human creativity removed, the sense of loss is palpable. Khaled Abdulwahed’s simple but utterly effective film ‘Tuj’ shows a football being kicked in a hallway of a home, which rhymically starts to mimic the reality of everyday life in Syria.

Part 2 (3-26 November)

A celebration of the extraordinary creativity coming up from the streets of Syria. Protest art takes on a powerful role of rebellion as it strengthens solidarity, breaks the barrier of fear and offers hope. This show includes cartoons by Ali Ferzat, cellphone film by Zaher Omareen, animation by Top Goon, posters from the Alshaab collective, and graffiti stencils brought together by Ibrahim Fakhri.

Part 3 (1-10 December)

A chance to reflect on the UK, a seafaring island’s attitude to  migration through Sarah Wood’s remarkable film, ‘Boat People’, which turns to history to investigate our ongoing relationship to those who make it to our shores.

Supported by Arts Council England in partnership with firstsite, Colchester Arts Centre and Jaywick Martello Tower.