Adel Abidin's Multidisciplinary Practice Explores History Through Zanj Rebellion and Personal Memory
Iraqi-Finnish artist Adel Abidin delves into historical themes, particularly the Zanj Rebellion, a 14-year insurrection by enslaved Africans against the Abbasid Empire during the 860s. His impressive ink mural, ON (2023), which won the Ithra Art Prize in 2023, was revealed at Ithra's Great Hall last autumn, chosen from a pool of over 10,000 submissions. Abidin's solo exhibition, The Revolt, showcased three pieces at Helsinki's Forum Box Gallery, including Unmatched Narratives (2024) and Saline Lands (2024). Additionally, he draws on childhood recollections in The Message (2023), a video that reenacts scenes from Mustafa Al-Akad's 1976 film. Having relocated to Helsinki 23 years ago, Abidin is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in both Baghdad and Helsinki.
Key facts
- Adel Abidin is an Iraqi-Finnish artist exploring history through multidisciplinary works.
- He won the Ithra Art Prize in 2023 for ON (2023), a mural on Japanese paper about the Zanj Rebellion.
- The Zanj Rebellion was a 14-year uprising of enslaved Africans against the Abbasid Empire in the 860s.
- Abidin's solo exhibition The Revolt was held at Helsinki's Forum Box Gallery earlier this year.
- He created works like Unmatched Narratives (2024) and Saline Lands (2024) for the exhibition.
- Abidin moved to Helsinki 23 years ago and has a studio in Amman, Jordan.
- He holds degrees from the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad and the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki.
- His work Plan B (2007) was exhibited at the Val-de-Marne Contemporary Art Museum in Paris.
Entities
Artists
- Adel Abidin
- Mustafa Al-Akad
- Faisal Al-Samer
Institutions
- Canvas
- Ithra Art Prize
- Forum Box Gallery
- Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad
- Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki
- Val-de-Marne Contemporary Art Museum
Locations
- Helsinki
- Finland
- Baghdad
- Iraq
- Basra
- Amman
- Jordan
- Paris
- France
- Medina