Welcome to an artist talk at Kunstnerforbundet with artists Jad El Khoury and Mari Meen Halsøy, moderated by senior curator at KORO, Drew Snyder.
When: Thursday, June 26 at 18:00
Where: Kunstnerforbundet, Vindussalen
Languages: English and Norwegian
The conversation will explore El Khoury and Meen Halsøy’s artistic practices, their use of textile materials and urban space, and the role of art in processing collective trauma and shaping public memory. The event is part of the June Exhibition "Her i vår nødvendighet" (Here in Our Necessity).
(Les om arrangementet på norsk her:
https://kunstnerforbundet.no/arrangementer/artist-talk-jad-el-khoury-and-mari-meen-halsoy-drew-snyder)
Jad El Khoury
The balconies of Beirut are a landmark in the cityscape, known for their colourful awnings. These have undergone a dramatic transformation—what once served as protective fabric, both symbolically and practically, has been torn apart. In the Window Room, Jad El Khoury presents five works sewn from damaged awnings. These works are part of the Soft Shields project, which he developed after the 2020 Beirut port explosion. During an artistic fieldwork, El Khoury has collected residents’ stories, testimonies, and experiences from the event. He offered new awnings to affected homes in Beirut. Balcony awnings are a recurring medium in El Khoury’s practice. As part of the first generation born after the Lebanese Civil War, he transforms the city’s unintended monuments into choreographed installations.
Mari Meen Halsøy
In her project WOUNDS, Mari Meen Halsøy uses tapestry to heal the wounds of war in Beirut’s urban landscape. Her weavings cover the scars of buildings and express human intimacy and care. In light of Israel’s warfare in Gaza and its consequences for Lebanon, the project is more relevant than ever.
Halsøy is a visual artist educated at the National Academy of Fine Art in Oslo. During her studies at the Faculty of Art, Design and Drama, Oslo University College, she studied tapestry under the professorship and mentorship of Unn Sønju, who shows three tapestry works in the June Exhibition. Halsøy works across various media, including photography, tapestry, performance, video, sound, installation, and scenography. Her works are often site-specific, and she collaborates with other artists and researchers in interdisciplinary projects.
Drew Snyder
As a senior curator at KORO – Public Art Norway, Drew Snyder is part of the curatorial groups developing the public art programs for Norway’s new Government Quarter and the new Museum of the Viking Age, as well as working with collaborative artistic research projects relating to Norway and Sápmi’s Truth and Reconciliation process, among other initiatives. Prior to KORO he was program manager at Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) and has worked internationally as an independent curator. He holds a PhD in art history, theory and criticism from the University of California San Diego.
The June Exhibition "Her i vår nødvendighet" (Here in Our Necessity) features works by artists Freja Burgess, Camilla Edström Ödemark, Jad El Khoury, Sigrid Espelien, Torbjørn Kvasbø, Erlend Leirdal, Konrad Mehus, Unn Sønju, Kjell Varvin, and Ella Aandal.
The exhibition is curated by Ingunn S. Almedal.
The exhibition is open until Sunday June 29, 2025.
The June Exhibition 2025 is Kunstnerforbundet’s contribution to NK50, the 50th anniversary of Norske Kunsthåndverkere. The exhibition is supported by NK50, Norske Kunsthåndverkere, and Fritt Ord.
Also check out other Arts events in Oslo, Exhibitions in Oslo, Performances in Oslo.
