Open Encounters | Abdullah Qureshi

Artist Abdullah Qureshi with Syowia Kyambi, Natasha Jozi, Gloria Zein, Tasnim Bagdadi, and Sara Khan.

Through painting, filmmaking, and cultural production, Toronto-based artist Abdullah Qureshi deals with personal and collective histories, traumatic pasts, and sexuality. Drawing on the autobiography, as well as curatorial and collaborative approaches, Qureshi's recent work examines formations of queer identity and resistance in Muslim migratory contexts.

The show takes both the artist's work and on-going research as a starting point for a visual dialogue with other artists, theorists and cultural producers that are invited to participate with their works. In a rather personal 1:1 setting, Abdullah will meet old and recent companions that he met on his way from Pakistan via Europe to Canada and discuss engaged collaborations, representation and collective memories. Artistic practice as a conversation around urgent social discourses and cultural phenomena.

The show at ARTCO Gallery was curated by Benjamin Merten and Simon Melchers. Their shared curatorial mindset is driven by an interest in cultural productions from all parts of the world and a profound belief in global and local responsibility.