“Truth and Kinship” is shot in Tower Hamlets, Canary Wharf and Isle of Dogs. Steeped in history as one of the largest ports for trade in the UK this is a landscape determined by extreme wealth divides, aggressive property development and finance. Narrated by a disembodied, genderless voice that recounts memories speaking of pain, longing and desire we watch three young people from diverse backgrounds navigate this hostile space in their quest for social mobility. The main protagonist, a suited white male uses his privilege to explore his sexual identity, fetishising queerness at the expense of others. Limited by his homophobia he resumes a life of heteronormativity and access to capital having delved to far into queer subculture. The film considers the different daily realities the characters encounter in public space. Hierarchical and in a state of perpetual mutation “Truth and Kinship” questions how the city adapts to serve the capitalist male identity to the detriment of others.


Gaby Sahhar is a French-Palestinian artist based in London, working across ink painting, film and installation. Their work deconstructs the representation of queerness within public spheres to understand its wider impacts on queer consciousness and communities. Drawing on language and vulnerability as tools, they employ speculative storytelling to outline the ways in which cities serve the interests of patriarchal capitalist male identities at the expense of others. 


In 2020, their film Truth and Kinship was screened at BFI London Film Festival and DRAF, London. Their work has been exhibited at Moscow International Biennale for Young Art, Moscow; South London Gallery, Science Gallery, London; Almanac Projects, Turin; Arcadia Missa, London and Sweetwater, Berlin. They currently run the LGBTQI+ project space and artist support network, Queerdirect.


MIXED // VARIOUS // UNTITLED

curated by Mohamed Almusibli

04. 12. 2020. > 14. 02. 2021

 

Gaby Sahhar - Truth and Kinship, 2020

 

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