the european biennial of contemporary art
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artists

Rabih Mroué

1967, Beirut, LB Lives in Beirut, LB

I, the Undersigned, 2007 Two-channel video installation, 3’ text on wall

TRENTO

Rabih Mroué, playwright, screenwriter and director, is among a new generation of Lebanese artists acquiring a reputation both at home and abroad for acutely observed and formally innovative artworks. He incorporates energetic criticism into his theatre, performance and delicate video imagery, and draws attention to political-economic contexts through semi-documentary forms and works in which truth is intermingled with fiction.
About his video for Manifesta 7, I, the Undersigned, he states: “Officially, the Lebanese Civil War ended in 1990, and until now, none of those responsible and who are still in positions of power have apologized to the Lebanese people for what they committed – with the exception of one, who is counted among those who lost the war. His apology was a short text published in a newspaper in 2002, which almost nobody took seriously. Regardless, it remains registered as the first official apology given. Like many Lebanese citizens, I have waited for apologies from many of those responsible, but nothing has appeared. This is why I decided to take this step and apologize for what I committed during the civil war. And to clarify, this is not a confession; there is a big difference between confession and apology, and I, personally, don’t care for confession.”


Location

TRENTO

ANSELM FRANKE/HILA PELEG: "THE SOUL (or, Much Trouble in the Transportation of Souls)"

PALAZZO DELLE POSTE, VIA S.S. TRINITA’ 27, I-38100 TRENTO, ITALY

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