SZ Gallery - Mercer Island, WA
06 September - 31 December 2024

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. The exhibit opens Friday, Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. during the Mercer Island First Friday Art Walk.

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: “Violence 24/7,” “402 of Gray,” 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.”

Suzanne Zahr, a Palestinian-Lebanese-American Architect and owner of SZ Gallery is providing an outpost for Palestinian voices in the United States, and the first to represent Mahmoud Alhaj in the The Pacific Northwest for The Zawyeh Gallery.

“I continue to feature Palestinian Artists to amplify their distinct and diverse voices, putting their humanity on display through an artist's lens. It's important that I showcase the Palestinian experience authentically, in order to dispel dangerous stereotypes and dehumanizing propaganda. My hope is for viewers to not only take refuge in the beauty, resilience and strength of the work, but to also offer prompts for empathetic and meaningful conversations about the art and culture of Palestine.”

“Mahmoud Alhaj's stunning collection struck me both personally and professionally. As an Architect, I'm fascinated by his meticulous research and visualizations, demonstrating ways the built environment is designed to control, subjugate and oppress an entire population. I am taken back by the historic use of Architecture and Civil Planning as tools of violence, witnessing its degrading impact on the daily lives of Palestinians in Gaza and throughout the Occupied Territories. This engineered control over basic human rights is in stark contrast to our ethical duties 'to protect the public's health, safety and welfare', as design professionals. I commend Mahmoud Alhaj for his rigorous techniques and arresting artistry, expressed in each masterful work of art presented within this exhibit, 'Control Anatomy.'”

Suzanne invites the community to view this unique collection in the spirit of empathy and curiosity, drawing their own artful interpretations.

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ABOUT THE ARTIST: Mahmoud Alhaj (1990) is a visual artist and teacher. Alhaj holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Al-Aqsa University in Gaza, has taught visual arts at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society since 2017, and recently completed a residency at Cité International des Arts in Paris.

Alhaj has produced six projects using photography, digital art, and videos exhibited widely in Palestine, Europe, and the United States. His short experimental film ”The Right to See” was screened at the 35th Festival Les Instants Video in Marseille in 2022, and at the Cairo Video Festival in 2021 alongside a duo exhibition with Rob Voerman at Plaatsmaken studio in the Netherlands. Mahmoud’s first solo show entitled “402 Of Gray” was held in Gaza, while his second solo show “Violence 24/7” was held at Uxval Gochez Gallery in Barcelona in 2024.

Alhaj has participated in many collective exhibitions including; “Fenced Off” by ICRC in 2022, “ART NOW” at Gallery One in 2021, “Art in Isolation” at the Middle East Institute in Washington in 2020.

ABOUT THE GALLERY: SZ Gallery is the public-facing art gallery of SZ Build, an architecture and design firm that brings together Architecture, Interior Design, Construction, Art and Furnishings under one roof, located at 2441 76th Ave SE #160 in downtown Mercer Island.

Admission is free. Open Monday - Friday, 10am to 5pm

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from Zawyeh Gallery and/or Mahmoud Alhaj, Artist.