Adel Abidin's 'The Revolt' Revisits the Zanj Rebellion at Forum Box

Adel Abidin's solo exhibition 'The Revolt: On the Zanj Rebellion (869-883 CE)' at Forum Box in Helsinki presents a visual counter-narrative to the history of the Zanj Rebellion, one of the earliest known revolts of enslaved Southeast Africans. The Zanj, Bantu people captured from Southeast Africa, were enslaved in Iraq to drain salt marshes and mine salt. The rebellion, led by Ali Ibn Muhammad against the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258 CE), lasted from 869 to 883 CE in Basra. Abidin's exhibition is structured in three chapters: 'UNMATCHED NARRATIVES' features ink-on-paper drawings with mirrors revealing erased details; 'DOCUMENTS ON SALT' comprises sculptures made from natural salt slabs, symbolizing the Zanj's limited means of documentation; and 'SALINE LANDS' is a one-channel video installation (5 min 22 sec, 4K digital) depicting saline landscapes and commemorating the rebellion's final battle. The exhibition runs at Forum Box, with the video crew including Anton Demerjian (DOP), Hassan Abu-Jarar, Ra'ad Al-Swaeer, Ali Masoud Al-Sufi, Adel Abidin (offline editing), Martin Jäger (online editing and color grading), and Timo Anttila & Jaakko Heikura (sound design).