CONTROL ANATOMY

by MAHMOUD ALHAJ

06 SEPTEMBER - 31 DECEMBER, 2024

ART OPENING : Friday, September 6th, 5-8pm
Art Reception : Friday, October 4th, 5-8pm
Art Reception : Friday, November 1st, 5-8pm
Art Reception : Friday, December 6th, 5-8pm

SZ Gallery Hours

Weekdays: 10am - 4:30pm
Weekends: by appointment
2441 76th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA
info@suzannezahr.com
+1 206.354.1567

SZ Gallery presents Control Anatomy, an exhibit curated in collaboration with the Zawyeh Gallery in Ramallah, Palestine. This solo exhibition by Palestinian artist Mahmoud Alhaj explores colonial violence and the architectural mechanisms of domination and control over Palestinian geography witnessed by Alhaj who was born in Gaza.

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Akin to a forensic investigator, Alhaj meticulously gathers traces of evidence left by colonial strategies that have distorted the landscape and delineated control and domination. Through his artwork, he layers photographs taken over the years and compares them to uncover changes over time. He discovers evidence in the wall, sewage dumps, military barracks, watchtowers, streets, roundabouts, and borders. Through the examination of the oppressive tools employed in the ongoing genocide and atrocities committed in the Gaza Strip, Alhaj reveals how the instruments of violence and control have shaped the day-to-day lives of those living in Gaza and subjugated Palestinians for decades.

Alhaj draws on various digital media techniques, including; collage, photography, printing and digital archives to create this collection of projects including: “402 of Gray,” “Violence 24/7,” and “Fragile” inspired by the state of quarantine following the spread of COVID-19. These projects rely on images that aim “to keep pace with the crazy flow of violent events” around the artist. He selects “images that have lost their luster in the eyes of viewers and faded into the back doors of internet search engines,” and images that have had repercussions on himself and those around him. He reintroduces these images within a contemporary artistic narrative, “dissecting low-quality images of human rights abuses, violence, and colonial strategies, both visually and conceptually, then reconstructs them through an intensive digital process, creating new digital works that provide unexpected results open to diverse interpretations. This involves integrating them with images and materials from other sources, such as Google Maps, aerial reconnaissance shots, and empty medicine pills sheets.”