(Re)Viewing the Syrian War

From November 28 to December 4, Concordia’s Curating and Public Scholarship Lab (CaPSL), hosts (Re)Viewing the Syrian War, an exhibition that examines Western misconceptions about the Syrian civil war, with a focus on life before the war, the complexity of the conflict, and the experiences of Syrian citizens, as well as the war’s ‘false end.’

At the heart of this exhibition is one Syrian’s experiences, both as a refugee and humanitarian aid worker in Syria, and, now, adjusting to life in Canada.

Along the way, Abood Hamad learned that North American media coverage of the war didn’t always give a full and accurate depiction of the reality on the ground, something he says has led to distorted perceptions of the war, and of Syrians.

We caught up with Hamad in advance of the exhibition’s opening.

Tell us about your involvement with this project.

AH: I am a former member of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent who arrived in Montreal from Syria in 2017. After applying to a call for exhibition proposals a year ago, I am now working at the Curating and Public Scholarship Lab as one of two curatorial residents as part of their 2019 Curatorial Residency Program. As part of the residency project, I have worked as a curator in collaboration with the Beyond Museum Walls research group in order to develop and organize this project.

Why is this exhibition important?

AH: I think that often, western news reports on the Syrian war from a removed perspective. To get a better picture of the situation in Syria, I think it is important for Canadians to find ways of listening directly to Syrians who are living through and surviving the war. Having this exhibition and being able to tell stories about my own personal experiences presents an opportunity for Canadians to do this.

In addition to attending the exhibition, there will be an event on December 4, from 6 to 7 p.m. titled, 2 Years in Canada: a conversation about a Syrian-Canadian friendship. This will be a discussion about the realities of moving to Canada and the relationships I have formed here that have supported me into the present day.

What do you hope people take away from this exhibition?

AH: A central aim of the exhibition is to correct common misconceptions, that in my experience, I found many Canadians have about Syria. I find these misconceptions often come up when I speak with people around topics of Syrian history, religion, weather — and when I speak to people about daily life in Syria during the war.

Often western media does not report on how Syrians have adapted and continued despite the terrible impact the war has had on their lives. The exhibition will give an insight into the above mentioned, and will give visitors personal insight into the work I did with the Red Crescent between 2010 and 2016.

In addition, the exhibition will give visitors an idea about the situation of children in Syria, whom in my opinion are some of the most greatly affected by the war, and will offer visitors both a way to reflect on and give help to this issue.

To learn more about the exhibition, visit the event page.