Walid Raad

Feb 24 – May 30, 2016

West Gallery, ICA Boston

A pivotal figure in contemporary art, Walid Raad explores the ways in which we remember and make sense of history.

#WalidRaad

This exhibition will be the first comprehensive North American museum survey of the internationally recognized artist Walid Raad (b. 1967, Lebanon), whose work in photography, video, sculpture, and performance in the last 25 years investigates the distinctions between fact and fiction and the ways we represent, remember, and make sense of history. Dedicated to themes exploring the veracity of archives and photographic documents in the public realm, the role of memory and narrative within discourses of conflict, and the construction of histories of art in the Arab world, Raad’s work is informed by an upbringing in Lebanon during the civil war (1975–1990) and recent socio-economic and military policies that have shaped the Middle East in the past few decades. The exhibition will feature a selection of works produced in the past 25 years in photography, video, and sculpture. 

An integral part of the exhibition is Raad’s 55-minute presentation Walkthrough, a recording of which is available on the ICA Mobile Guide. The ICA strongly encourages visitors to access this powerful performance: Walkthrough offers a deeper understanding of the work on view, and a chance to hear directly from the artist. Raad will also be performing Walkthrough in the galleries several times throughout the run of the exhibition. 

Please note that access to portions of the exhibition Walid Raad will be restricted during Walkthrough performances for a total of 90 minutes per performance. Please plan your visit accordingly.

The exhibition is accompanied by an expansive scholarly publication and after its presentation at ICA/Boston, it will travel to Museo Jumex, Mexico City.

Credits

This exhibition is organized by The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

This exhibition is curated by Eva Respini, Barbara Lee Chief Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston with Katerina Stathopoulou, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Photography, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. 

The Boston presentation is coordinated by Jeffrey De Blois, Curatorial Assistant, Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. 

Support for the Boston presentation is generously provided by Jean-François and Nathalie Ducrest and The Envoy Hotel.