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Index / Activities / Films / “Anatomy of Control” and “The Right to See”: the technology of violence as seen by a Gazan artist
“Anatomy of Control” and “The Right to See”: the technology of violence as seen by a Gazan artist
January 21, 20257:00 p.m.
MADRID
Casa Árabe Auditorium (at Calle Alcalá, 62).
7:00 p.m.
Free entry after registering.
Register using this form.
Films with Spanish subtitles and a discussion in English with consecutive live translation.
With the cooperation of the TEJA network, Casa Árabe will be screening two short-subject films by Mahmoud Alhaj in Madrid on Tuesday, January 21, followed by a discussion with the Gazan artist. Sign up here to attend or watch the event live on YouTube.
Relentless, endless violence. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This life reality under Israeli occupation in Palestine, inevitable and suffocating, is the leitmotiv which lends force to the latest projects by Mahmoud Alhaj. His forward-looking approach to the study of the technology of violence addresses an issue of crucial importance in the current Palestinian context, as the genocide in Gaza intensifies using these technologies. His work stands out for its meticulous attention to detail and its ability to transcend the limitations of digital techniques, resisting their easy appeal. Instead, he takes a more deliberate approach and manipulates digital technology to serve his vision and ideas. "Anatomía del Control”(Control Anatomy, 17 min, 2023, Spanish subtitles) and “El derecho de ver” (The right to see, 7 min, 2022, subtítles in Spanish) are two clear examples of his work, which are being screened at Casa Árabe.
The Palestinian artist is in Spain thanks to the artist-in-residency program of the TEJA Network, a group of artist-in-residency programs which welcomes men and women creators in situations of vulnerability resulting from armed conflicts or emergency situations.
At the end of the screenings, the artist will talk about his work with Karim Hauser, coordinator of Casa Árabe’s Cultural Programs.
Mahmoud Alhaj
Born in Gaza in 1990, he holds a degree in Journalism and has worked as an art teacher at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society since 2017. He has produced several projects using photography, digital art and videos that were widely exhibited in Palestine, Europe and the United States. In 2022, his experimental short film “The Right to See” was screened at the thirty-fifth Les Instants Vidéo Festival in Marseille. In 2021, the film was screened at the Cairo Video Festival along with a duo exhibition with Rob Voerman at the Plaatsmaken studio in the Netherlands.
His first solo exhibition, titled “402 of Gray,” was held in Gaza, while his second solo exhibition, “Violence 24/7,” was held at Uxval Gochez Gallery in Barcelona in 2024. He has participated in many group exhibitions, including “Fenced Off” by the ICRC in 2022, “ART NOW” at Gallery One in 2021, “Art in Isolation” at the Middle East Institute in Washington in 2020, “Contemplative Contrasts” by A.M. Qattan Foundation, “Orient 2.0” at Pulchri Studio in the Netherlands in 2017, and “Tadafuq” at Casa Arabe in 2023. He was an artist-in-residence at the Royal Spanish Academy in Rome and at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague in 2021. He recently completed his residency at Cité International des Arts in Paris.
The Palestinian artist is in Spain thanks to the artist-in-residency program of the TEJA Network, a group of artist-in-residency programs which welcomes men and women creators in situations of vulnerability resulting from armed conflicts or emergency situations.
At the end of the screenings, the artist will talk about his work with Karim Hauser, coordinator of Casa Árabe’s Cultural Programs.
Mahmoud Alhaj
Born in Gaza in 1990, he holds a degree in Journalism and has worked as an art teacher at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society since 2017. He has produced several projects using photography, digital art and videos that were widely exhibited in Palestine, Europe and the United States. In 2022, his experimental short film “The Right to See” was screened at the thirty-fifth Les Instants Vidéo Festival in Marseille. In 2021, the film was screened at the Cairo Video Festival along with a duo exhibition with Rob Voerman at the Plaatsmaken studio in the Netherlands.
His first solo exhibition, titled “402 of Gray,” was held in Gaza, while his second solo exhibition, “Violence 24/7,” was held at Uxval Gochez Gallery in Barcelona in 2024. He has participated in many group exhibitions, including “Fenced Off” by the ICRC in 2022, “ART NOW” at Gallery One in 2021, “Art in Isolation” at the Middle East Institute in Washington in 2020, “Contemplative Contrasts” by A.M. Qattan Foundation, “Orient 2.0” at Pulchri Studio in the Netherlands in 2017, and “Tadafuq” at Casa Arabe in 2023. He was an artist-in-residence at the Royal Spanish Academy in Rome and at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague in 2021. He recently completed his residency at Cité International des Arts in Paris.
Image from the documentary.