FACT AND FICTION

What is it we are actually looking at? In his practice, the Lebanese artist Walid Raad explores how shifting perspectives generate different narratives about the world – all equally real.

Walid Raad focuses especially on how different kinds of violence affect our bodies, senses, cultures and traditions. His photographs, videos, sculptures, texts and installations are based on historical events and uncover seemingly improbable, bizarre and strange situations and documents.

Walid Raad’s oeuvre was presented at Moderna Museet in 2020. In the work "Postface to the ninth edition: On Marwan Kassab Bachi (1934–2016)", which Moderna Museet acquired, Raad makes the following assertion:

“Marwan Kassab Bachi, one of the most prolific Arab painters, has never been exhibited at Moderna Museet. Yet, several of his drawings and paintings were found on the back of framed works in the museum’s storage. It remains unclear whether these were drawn by Marwan himself or by a friend, admirer, backer, critic or defamer.”

Does this story match other experiences? Why does Raad announce this claim? And why are the paintings shown against wallpaper, instead of on the usual white museum walls?

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