Ali Cherri's Dreamless Night at GAMeC Blurs Reality and Fiction Through Cyprus Border Soldier Narrative

At GAMeC in Bergamo, Ali Cherri presents his exhibition Dreamless Night, which showcases a video installation titled The Watchman (2023). This piece portrays a young Turkish-Cypriot soldier stationed at the border of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Curated by Alessandro Rabottini and Leonardo Bigazzi, the exhibition features works from 2023 that delve into themes of violence, memory, and landscape. The soldier's dull routine is disrupted by a robin that crashes into the guardhouse window. Additional works on display include No Man's Land (Theater Backdrop), We Grow Thorns so Flowers Would Bloom, Wake up Soldiers, Open Your Eyes, and The Dismembered Bird. Cherri's experiences during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–90) deeply influence the exhibition's concepts. The show will be open until 14 January.