Inspired by Nizar Qabbani’s poem Balqis, this exhibition is about exile, war, and the irreversible changes brought on by displacement. Qabbani’s lines, mourning not only a loved one but also a homeland forever altered, resonate throughout the exhibition: “The sweetest homeland, One cannot bear, To live in such a homeland. One cannot bear, To die in such a homeland.” These words frame the paradox of memory: how longing and displacement coexist, how a place remains deeply loved yet unbearably transformed. The Unseen Presence expands on this idea, moving beyond mourning to explore the persistence of history in fractured realities, shifting identities, and evolving landscapes.
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