Implemented by Candid Foundation gGmbH, an independent non- profit organization, and curated by Anahita Sadighi, the project brings together documentary and artistic photography addressing a range of human and social realities. The participating artists explore themes including conflict, displacement, memory, identity and resilience, while also drawing attention to everyday experiences and aspects of women’s lives that are often less visible.
Throughout the year, the ten participating photographers received tailored mentorship and production support to develop their individual projects. Among the works on display, Saba Kareem’sFading Identity examines the disappearance of Iraq’s palm trees as a result of successive wars and climate change, connecting environmental destruction with the erosion of a powerful symbol of Iraqi identity. Amera El Naal’sBrighter Than Sight: Guided by Memory explores blindness, memory and alternative forms of perception through photography, sound, video and family archives. Hiba Ahmed Saeed’sStanding with No Legs follows the life of a Yemeni woman who, after losing her physical ability, takes on the responsibility of providing for her family in a context shaped by conflict. Syrine Barouni’sWhat Remains, What Repeats turns to everyday life in Tunis, documenting women’s presence in public space through gestures, routines and traces of daily life.
"These works show resilience in the everyday," says Anahita Sadighi, curator of the exhibition. "It shows up in what continues in spite of everything. That it is women whose photographic gaze documents this reality speaks to how central female perspectives are to understanding conflict and resilience. It was important to me to create a space where these images aren't reduced to their political context, but can also be seen as independent, complex artistic positions in their own right."
Her Lens: Resilience & Reflection has travelled across the MENA region, with exhibitions and presentations in Tunisia, Jordan, Morocco and Lebanon. Each presentation has brought the project into a different local context, creating opportunities for audiences to encounter the work of women photographers and engage with questions of representation, photography and contemporary social realities.
The Berlin exhibition marks the culmination of this international journey, bringing the project to a European audience and concluding a series of exhibitions that have connected photographers, cultural practitioners and audiences across the region.
Artists
Amal Moutaouakil, Amira Elnaal, Heba Saeed, Lamees Koujan, Mariam Janini,Ola Mohamed, Rola Khayyat, Saba Kareem, Syrine Barouni, Yaqeen Alyamani
