Emergenc(y): Afghan Lives Beyond the Forever War centers the artistry and voices of Afghans whose work examines the human impact of U.S. occupation, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Afghans throughout the world, and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The exhibition chronicles, not only the struggle to search for refuge and a sense of permanence, place, and belonging, but also shows how Afghans in the diaspora and within Afghanistan are using art as a tool to reclaim humanity and to critique how imperial power operates to treat civilians as afterthoughts and geopolitical pawns in military and policy operations.
Curated by Gazelle Samizay & Katayoun Bahrami.
Showrun: February 22 - March 21
Opening Reception: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Sponsored by UC Berkeley’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Department of Middle Eastern Language and Cultures, Mary C. Stoddard Lecture Fund in the History of Art Department, Othering & Belonging Institute, Townsend Center for the Humanities, South Asia Art Initiative at the Institute for South Asia Studies, Department of Anthropology, Department of Ethnic Studies, Department of Gender & Women's Studies; Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU, ARTogether, Afghans For A Better Tomorrow.