Women And The State - [March 2023]

CURATORIAL SUMMARY

The talk about the political relationship of women with the state of Sudan is a rather extremely complex and multilayered topic. Approaching this project we knew that a study followed by a summary of focal points must be done. In this process I focused on collecting stories that retold the themes quite precisely. We moved on from the study into presenting a condensed version of it to our artists through a workshop. The aim in the workshop was to allow the artists to comprehend the various themes while building a personal relevance between themselves and the narrations. 

We constructed the visual version of the concept into a set of photographs. Some of which are scripted photographs while others are a selection accompanied by post production. We produced high quality prints of the photographs where no reason provided by the medium could prohibit the absorption of the visual. The visuals are accompanied by introductory elements that further enhance the emotion the artist chose to be focal. The elements in some of the pictures are poetry while in others it is audio. A section of the exhibition contains an installation that targets the transformation of discussed themes into physical and touchable objects that the audience engages with. Lastly, one of the most important parts of this project is the audio art, which consists of background recording taken from street marches, assemblies, and protests. They register real voices of women that demand political change, representation and presence. The recordings are accompanied by lyrical poetry creating an immersive experience.

The artists curated in this exhibition represent a range of generations and parallelled ways of expressing feminism and calling for equality. The four photographers are Suha Barakat, Hashim Nasor, Ula Osman, and Asia Mohammed. Joining the project with an installation piece is the digital and upcoming artist Nihal Kamal. The audio section of the exhibition is written, directed, and performed in english by Lameese Badr. The Arabic translation of the poem is performed by Fatima Khalid. The background audio is provided by Ula Osman.

In the experience of making the project and the artists’ scripting of the photograph or the experimentation of the various themes, I believe it expanded the way a conversation on the topic can proceed. The arts provide a new and playful way to break down a complex status. In this exhibition you will see how most of the artists used gender stereotyping elements and re-narrated them to express contrasting messages. 

I am very thankful to take part in this exhibition and for the opportunity to work with the wonderful team of International IDEA. I am also very thankful to the artists for accepting the invitation to work on this project. I hope that the exhibition triggers something new and insightful regarding the themes of the exhibition in the viewers of the collection.

Rahiem Shadad
Curator and creative director

FORWARD

Women and the State exhibition Picturing Political Power has based the comprehensive analysis on the connection between images, gender, and power, and comes as part of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance commitment to empowering women and building a state that achieves gender equity.

 Through this work IDEA aims to celebrate women’s resistance within the Sudanese state and highlights gender issues through art, building on the belief that art and culture play an important role in influencing positive social change.

This booklet presents all the works of the Women and the State exhibition, which discusses various aspects of the complex relationship between women and the Sudanese state, such as their representation and presence in the public space, the laws and policies that limit their participation, and the different forms of oppression and guardianship over women. The exhibition pays special attention to the role of women in peace-making processes and the visible and invisible barriers that women face in their political and professional roles. This booklet highlights female artists and their contributions as a source of inspiration and aesthetic expression. It celebrates all the minor and grand victories of Sudanese women throughout history and stresses the importance of both.

‘‘This work is dedicated to all the women who have chosen not to be spectators and observers of their reality, but decided to defend their rights to dignity, humanity, and justice.’’

Omnia Gorashe
Political Participation and Representation
International IDEA