Alia Farid's Woven Maps of Palestinian Diaspora at Chisenhale Gallery
Artist Alia Farid has debuted her inaugural solo exhibition in the UK, titled 'Elsewhere,' at London's Chisenhale Gallery. Running until February 4, 2024, the exhibit features intricately embroidered rugs that narrate the experiences of Palestinian migrants journeying to Puerto Rico. Collaborating with weavers from Samawa in Iraq, Farid incorporates urban scenes along with texts in both Arabic and Spanish. Her extensive research covers over a decade, focusing on the migration of Arab and South Asian communities to Latin America and the Caribbean, and sets the stage for a broader exploration of the Palestinian diaspora and its historical milestones.
Key facts
- Alia Farid's first UK solo exhibition 'Elsewhere' at Chisenhale Gallery
- Exhibition features embroidered rugs created with weavers in Samawa, southern Iraq
- Rugs document Palestinian migration to Puerto Rico, combining architectural facades with Spanish and Arabic text
- Research spans over a decade, mapping Arab and South Asian migration to Latin America and the Caribbean
- Palestinian migrations to Central America began late 19th century, increased after 1948 Nakba and 1967 exodus
- Farid born in Kuwait, raised between Kuwait and Puerto Rico
- Previous solo shows at Kunsthalle Basel, Contemporary Art Museum St Louis, MCA Chicago (all 2022)
- Installation 'Palm Orchard' featured at 2022 Whitney Biennial
- Winner of Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award, with show at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Oslo
- Work 'In Lieu Of What Is' nominated for Artes Mundi 10 prize
- Exhibition runs until 4 February 2024
Entities
Artists
- Alia Farid
Institutions
- Chisenhale Gallery
- Kunsthalle Basel
- Contemporary Art Museum St Louis
- MCA Chicago
- Whitney Biennial
- Henie Onstad Kunstsenter
- Artes Mundi
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Samawa
- Iraq
- Puerto Rico
- Kuwait
- Oslo
- Norway
- Cardiff
- Egypt
- Jordan
- Honduras
- El Salvador
- Caribbean