(In)Visibility of Violence

Omnipresent in the media and seemingly endless, warfare shapes our visual habits and dominates public perception. Beyond the starkly visible violence, such as the brutal destruction of buildings and cultural heritage, images of civilian casualties, or pictures of displaced persons and refugees, this exhibition also focuses on the often invisible dimensions of violence. Structural, psychological, and gender-based violence, particularly against women and minorities, as well as the resulting trauma and emotional suffering, frequently remain hidden. Ideological and religious hatred, passed down through generations and disproportionately affecting women, is often unseen or deliberately suppressed. Shame and societal stigma frequently protect perpetrators, while the consequences for those affected are profound and long-lasting.

(In)Visibility of Violence seeks to explore these unequal power structures and the visual regimes that shape the perception of violence: What societal, political, and media mechanisms make violence visible or invisible? How is violence documented, instrumentalized, or censored? What creative and artistic approaches can render violence perceptible? How do artists employ strategies such as alienation, censorship, documentation, or spectacularization to depict or obscure violence?

The exhibition is a collaboration with the Research Center “Transformations of Political Violence” (TraCe), which began in October 2024 with the dialogue panel “Depictions of Excessive Use of Force – Between Disturbance and Attraction” at Kunsthalle. The exhibition will be accompanied by a journal published jointly by the KUNSTHALLE GIESSEN and scholars from the TraCe Research Center.

With contributions by:
Mansoor Adayfi (1982, Yemen) was detained in Guantánamo for 14 years and, after his release in 2016, published accounts of daily life in the camp. He is the author of the memoir Don’t Forget Us Here: Lost and Found at Guantánamo. Today, he works as an artist and activist for prisoners’ rights and serves as the Guantánamo Project Coordinator at CAGE International.

Hiba Alansari (1983, Libya) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Berlin. Born in Libya and raised in Syria, her work explores political violence, trauma, and memory through sculptures, performances, and installations.

Moath al-Alwi (1977, Yemen) was detained at Guantánamo Bay from 2002 until January 2025. During his imprisonment, he created detailed ship models and reliefs from recycled materials such as wooden sticks, cardboard, and fabric, which serve as expressions of hope and resilience in the face of state violence.

Sami Al Haj (1969, Sudan) was a journalist and cameraman for Al Jazeera when he was detained in Guantánamo from 2002 to 2008 without charge. After his release he became head of the human rights program at Al Jazeera and has since worked for press freedom and prisoners’ rights.

Lucinda Devlin (1947, USA) is an American photographer known for her sober, detached color photographs documenting institutional spaces. Her series The Omega Suites depicts execution chambers in the United States. Devlin’s work is included in major museum collections such as MoMA and the Whitney Museum.

Johanna-Maria Fritz (1994, Germany) combines documentary and artistic approaches in a powerful way. As a photographer and journalist, she travels to conflict zones and areas of crisis to document the lives of affected individuals and communities.

Mohammed el Gharani (1986, Saudi Arabia) was arrested in Pakistan at age 14 and was one of the youngest detainees in Guantánamo. Following his release to Chad in 2009, he spoke out publicly against US detention policy.

Roopa Gogineni (USA) is a documentary filmmaker and photographer. Her work explores historical memory and life in East African conflict zones. Her short films highlight revolutionary protest movements in Sudan and are marked by close collaboration with local communities.

Johannah Herr (1987, USA) is an American artist who explores themes such as consumerism, capitalism, nationalism, imperialism, and state violence. Using textiles, installations, and mixed-media works, she critically questions societal structures.

Jonas Höschl (1995, Germany) is a German conceptual artist and photographer whose work investigates political themes through media such as printmaking, video, and installation. He has been awarded the Bavarian Art Promotion Prize.

Šejla Kamerić (1976, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Bosnian artist whose multidisciplinary work addresses war trauma, identity, and social justice. She is known for her work Bosnian Girl, which is based on her experiences during the Bosnian War.

Adnan Farhan Abdul Latif (1976–2012, Yemen) was a Yemeni citizen detained in Guantánamo for over ten years without charge. Despite multiple acquittals, he was not released and died under unclear circumstances in the camp.

Rabih Mroué (1967, Lebanon) is a Lebanese artist, director, and actor living in Berlin. His work combines theater, video, and performance to reflect on political and social issues. His piece The Pixelated Revolution was shown at dOCUMENTA (13) in 2012.

Kresiah Mukwazhi (1992, Zimbabwe) is a Zimbabwean artist whose practice engages with (post-)colonial and feminist themes and the visibility of women in patriarchal societies. She works with installations, performances, and textile art.

Jean‑Gabriel Périot (1974, France) is a film director and editor known for his experimental use of found footage and archive material. His works address violence, politics and collective memory in creative aesthetic and montage‑based ways.

Thomson & Craighead (Jon Thomson, 1969, and Alison Craighead, 1971, UK) are a British artist duo who have been working together since 1993. They use digital media, video, and internet art to explore contemporary issues such as surveillance and data culture.

Total Refusal (Austria) is a collective of artists, researchers and filmmakers active since 2018. The group repurposes mainstream video games to create pseudo‑Marxist, politically critical narratives in the form of video art, interventions, performances and short films.

Helena Uambembe (1994, South Africa) is a South African artist whose work engages with the history of the 32nd Battalion of the South African army, to which her father belonged. She works with textiles, printmaking, and performance to explore personal and collective memory.

Emmanuel Van der Auwera (1982, Belgium) is a Belgian artist working with video, sculpture, and printmaking. His work investigates the role of images in today’s media society and how visual media shape the construction of reality.