20 Artists from the MENA
Curated by Diana Wiegersma
“Come Invest in Us. You’ll Strike Gold,” refers to the words spoken by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika after being elected for the first time in 1999. As much as this was an economic promise addressed to his country, it was also a seductive wink to foreign investors. Since then, entrepreneurs have indeed honored his invitation with the heavy support of various international governments.
Based on artist Djamel Kokene’s eponymous work, Come Invest in Us. You’ll Strike Gold – The Exhibition scrutinizes the scope of Western, as well as Arab, economic and financial interests at stake in the MENA region, interests that the recent popular uprisings and concurrent international political gamesmanship and strategic maneuvering have only made more blatant.
Artists featured in the exhibition
Adel Abidin (Irak)
Haig Aivazian (Lebanon)
Kader Attia (Algeria)
Fayçal Baghriche (Algeria)
Taysir Batniji (Palestine)
Shahram Entekhabi (Iran)
Ninar Esber (Lebanon)
Karim Ghelloussi (Algeria)
Babak Golkar (Iran)
Babak Kazemi (Iran)
Bouchra Khalili (Morocco)
Majida Khattari (Morocco)
Djamel Kokene (Algeria)
Ahmed Mater (Saudi Arabia)
Leila Pazooki (Iran)
Sara Rahbar (Iran)
Baktash Sarang (Iran)
Sama Al Shaibi (Irak/ Palestine)
Oraib Toukan (Jordan)
Hajra Waheed (Saudi Arabia)