Évidence. Drawing the Present

How can we capture the present and tell its story in an era where every day is marked by violence, global upheaval and the breakdown of political structures? This question is the point of departure for the exhibition “Evidence”, which brings together four international artists: Mounira Al Solh, Nino Bulling, Neïla Czermak Ichti and Mazen Kerbaj.

All four artists share a deep concern for history and the subject of time and narration, and have each found unique ways of telling the story of the present. Their work – by turns personal, subjective, informative or militant – reflects the common strategy of weaving connections between inner lives and the political sphere. This thread of the everyday gives shape to a form of evidence. Through their work, which blurs the boundaries between illustration and painting, illustration and embroidery, the artists demonstrate the potential of narrative drawing in transgressing gender categories.

In her work, Mounira Al Solh, who divides her time between Beirut and Amsterdam, explores the current political and social realities of Lebanon and Syria, as well as the countries’ history. She represented Lebanon at the Venice Biennale in 2024. For this exhibition, the artist has selected a series of works that echo recent events in the region, in which she highlights the transformative power of women in Arabic culture.

The work of Mazen Kerbaj, a musician, artist and comics author based in Berlin, takes shape in a direct response to political events, or under formal time constraints. This allows him to explore the limits of narration, between chance and intention, abstraction and figuration.

Nino Bulling, who also lives in Berlin, began their career with illustrated reports on contemporary political and social subjects, before shifting to a more personal, autofictional approach with firebugs. This comic explores fundamental categories such as gender, identity and nature in the context of climate change.

The drawings and paintings of Marseille-based Neïla Czermak Ichti recreate everyday, family scenes with loved ones. She probes them for all that is unseen and unsaid within them, exploring these dimensions through distortion techniques, borrowing from the genres of horror, science-fiction and comics.

Curator:  Anna Sailer, curator of the Musée Tomi Ungerer – Centre international de l’Illustration

Part of Strasbourg 2024 UNESCO World Book Capital and the Rencontres de l’Illustration in Strasbourg.