Syrian Film Collective Abounaddara Condemns Milan Triennale for Unauthorized Exhibition

The Syrian film collective Abounaddara has publicly criticized the Milan Triennale for displaying their work without permission. Despite declining an invitation to participate in the exhibition La Terra Inquieta (The Restless Earth) in November 2016, the collective discovered their films were being shown. Triennale organizers justified the use by stating the works were streamed directly from Abounaddara's Vimeo account, arguing the films were publicly available online. Abounaddara responded that this action exploits Syrian narratives to serve a Western perspective on the refugee crisis, calling it an abuse of rights. In protest, the collective announced plans to remove their films from online platforms. The incident highlights ongoing tensions around artistic consent and cultural representation. The films remained accessible on Vimeo at the time of the statement in July 2017.