KADIST and Sharjah Art Foundation Present 'A Convening of Civic Poets' in Paris

The exhibition 'A Convening of Civic Poets' opened at KADIST in Paris as part of a collaboration with Sharjah Art Foundation. Co-curated by both directors, it features works from their collections alongside invited pieces. The show explores the figure of the civic poet through films, drawings, playlists, and installations, examining politically engaged poetry as a tool for social transformation. Artists include Manthia Diawara, whose film 'Angela Davis: A World of Greater Freedom' follows the philosopher and activist; Bouchra Khalili, whose works 'Twenty-Two Hours' and 'The Typographer & The Radical Ally' examine Jean Genet's radical allyship; Hajra Waheed, whose project 'Hum' incorporates songs by imprisoned Kurdish singer Nûdem Durak; Jinoos Taghizadeh, who stamps portraits of four Iranian intellectuals murdered in 1989; Helina Metaferia, channeling black female civil rights protesters; and Cecilia Vicuña, with her 'Palabrarma' series born from repressive dictatorships. David Wojnarowicz is portrayed in films with Marion Scemama denouncing the AIDS crisis. Radio Alhara's playlist by Learning Palestine Group and Hajer Ben Boubaker's podcast 'Barbès Blues' on North African migrant movements are also featured. A public program with Joe Namy and Farah Al Qasimi will include workshops and conversations. The exhibition will be followed by a chapter in Sharjah in spring 2024.