Moments of Freedom: Revolutionary Art from China, South Africa and Tunisia, an art exhibit curated by Ikram Lakhdhar ’13 as part of her honors thesis project, will be on display from April 1 to May 15 and will feature a wide range of artwork in response to the Chinese Cultural Revolution, South Africa’s apartheid and the Tunisian Revolution that triggered the Arab Spring. The exhibition will feature more than fifty pieces from internationally acclaimed artists such as William Kentridge, Senzo Shabangu, Diane Victor, Zhang Hongtu, Rajaa Ghari and Deborah Bell in various media — photography, paintings and rare propaganda posters, among others. It will also include work from comtemporary Tunisian photographers Wassim Grimen, Omar Sfayhi and Youssef Ben Ammar. According to Lakhdhar, the exhibition seeks to examine, analyze and expose several compelling revolutions of the past two centuries.
“The exhibition shows that revolutionary visual language in relation to political turmoil and social injustices contribute to the transformation of the perception of national identity, becoming a social instrument in defining or questioning the limits of ideological power,” Lakhdhar said, adding, “The exhibition aims to deconstruct the history of global injustices, question the power of ideology, challenge the authority of the image and promote freedom of expression.”
A panel discussion and opening reception will take place Thursday April 4 in the Chu Room. Panelists include Government Professor Alex Hybel, Chinese Professor Yibing Huang, Columbia University Arts Administration Program Coordinator Steven Dubin, New York-based artist Zhang Hongtu and Tunisian-American multimedia artist Rajaa Gharbi.
Lakhdhar said, “The panel as a cultural event aims to emphasize the significant role of an interdisciplinary education at Connecticut College by challenging both the panelists and the audience to think critically about the power of ideology and the relationship between art and politics in the contemporary global world.”
