Khalil Rabah's 1990s works resonate in New York exhibition exploring land and time

Khalil Rabah's exhibition, I Want To Be With You, at Brief Histories in New York showcases primarily 1990s works, created prior to significant global events such as 9/11 and the rise of the internet. The Ramallah-based artist's early videos, prints, and sculptures now resonate with today’s quest for simplicity and ritualistic ties to the land. Notable pieces include the 1998 video I Want To Be With You, depicting the crushing of olives, and sculptures like Inside Out (2002), which features a suit on a wardrobe, and Incubation (1995), showcasing threads in olive oil. The exhibition, which runs until 16 November, includes only one post-millennial piece with signs of aging. Rabah's later project at the Palestinian Museum of Natural History and Humankind, which critiques institutional narratives, is noted as not yet conceived during the creation of these works.