Barren Seeds
17 September 2024 - 24 January 2025
Drawing inspiration from six of his father's unpublished writings, Mohamad Abdouni embarks on an intimate journey, weaving together their shared fears in his latest work. Barren Seeds delves into the universal themes of isolation, the pursuit of love, and the elusive quest for belonging, all while reflecting on the inevitable solitude that shapes human existence.
Kamel Abdouni (born in 1956) began writing in
his early thirties and has kept his works unpublished, deeming them too
personal. Upon reading these intimate texts, Mohamad persuaded his father to
lend six of them as the groundwork for this exhibition. The result is a
dialogue between father and son, where their distinct approaches to life’s
uncertainties come together—sometimes with playful satire, and at other times,
offering insightful reflections on past wounds.
Despite a close bond, Mohamad has long felt a
subtle disconnect with his father, a gap he attributes to generational and cultural
differences. Through these uncovered writings, Abdouni discovers an unexpected
kinship in their shared search for identity and belonging, leading to an
emotional reconciliation through their shared expression, and a newfound
understanding of one another.
The artist would like to thank Christina Abou
Char for her valuable support.
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Mohamad AbdouniGodless, 2019Chromogenic process print135 x 90 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs (#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist -
Mohamad AbdouniGold Tan, 2018Chromogenic process print135 x 90 cm(#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniI Feel Only Fear, 2019Chromogenic process print135 x 90 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs (#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniManhood, 2024Porcelain, Edition 1/5 + 2AP49 x 44 x 2 cmCourtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniThe Clown, 2023UNIQUE - Chromogenic process print90 x 60 cmCourtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniRemnants, 2024Digital C-type print30 x 13 cm(#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniBuzkashi, Date unknownChromogenic process print150 x 100 cmEdition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs (#1/3)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniLone Horse, 2022Chromogenic process print with aluminum frame30 x 30 cmCourtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniTh Villager, 2024Porcelain, Hand painted by the artist20 x 7 cmCourtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniHold Me One Last Time, 2024Digital C-type print45 x 30 cmEdition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs (#1/3)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniDrive-by, 2023Chromogenic process print135 x 90 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs (#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniWife, 2023Chromogenic process print90 x 60 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs (#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniRaft, 2023Chromogenic process print15 x 10 cm(#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniResidency, 2020Chromogenic process print135 x 90 cm(#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniFrom The Hip I, 2022Chromogenic process print135 x 90 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs (#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniFloating, 2023Chromogenic process print90 x 60 cm(#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniFish and Fly, 2024VideoCourtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniRock, 2019Chromogenic process print135 x 90 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs (#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniMoss, 2019Chromogenic process print135 x 90 cm(#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniDrowning Chairs, 2019Chromogenic process print150 x 100 cm(#1/3)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
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Mohamad AbdouniDreaming is Not for Two, 2018Chromogenic process print60 x 40 cm(#1/5)Courtesy of Marfa’ ProjectsCopyright The Artist
About the artist
Mohamad Abdouni is an artist, photographer, filmmaker and curator based between Beirut and Istanbul. He is also Editor in-Chief and Creative Director of COLD CUTS magazine, the photo journal exploring queer cultures in the SWANA region.
His work has been exhibited namely at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, the FOAM Gallery in Amsterdam, L’Institut du Monde Arabe and the Institute of Islamic Culture in Paris, Patel Brown in Toronto, Photo Arles and the Lyon Biennale amongst others.
Mohamad’s films have been screened and awarded at festivals such as Eyes Wide Open and the Leeds Queer Film Festival in the UK, IQMF in Amsterdam, The Brooklyn Museum and Woodbury LGBTQ Film Festival in the US, and Pink Apple Schwullesbisches Lesbian & Gay Film Festival in Switzerland to name a few.
Commercially, he has shot for and directed narrative fashion films and music videos with the likes of Gucci, Vogue US, Vogue Italia, Burberry, Puma, The New York Times, Slate, Fendi, Farfetch, GQ, King Kong, Dazed, Another, Nowness, Vice UK and L’officiel.
His personal endeavors tend to focus on the untold stories of Beirut and uncovering the rich yet eradicated queer histories of the Arab- speaking region through several documentaries and photo stories that have been featured in publications from A24, Telerama, Foam Magazine, Tetu, New Queer Photography, Kaleidoscope, i-D, Photoworks, The Guardian, Facebook and more.
As of late he has dedicated his time to working on what is arguably the first archive of trans* histories in an Arab country, a project entitled Treat Me Like Your Mother: Trans* Histories From Beirut’s Forgotten Past. The collection resides safely today at the Arab Image Foundation.
Mohamad Abdouni is Lafayette Anticipations’ prize winner for 2024.
