Mathaf exhibition in Chile opens avenues for Arab-Latin American artistic dialogue

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art's exhibition, "Your Ghosts Are Mine: Expanded Cinemas, Amplified Voices," is opening new avenues for artistic dialogue between the Arab world and Latin America, according to director Zeina Arida. The first-time showing of the exhibition in Chile, at Centro Cultural La Moneda in Santiago, builds upon relationships established during Qatar Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture.

Arida explained that bringing the exhibition to Chile allows audiences with their own histories and perspectives to encounter and interpret the works, creating new readings of themes explored by the more than 40 participating artists and filmmakers. The exhibition delves into subjects such as displacement, exile, memory, borders, and belonging, which Arida believes create points of connection with Latin American audiences.

Chile's significance as the first Latin American host during the Year of Culture is emphasized, as it laid the foundation for lasting relationships. The exhibition, featuring artists and filmmakers from the Arab world, Africa, and Southeast Asia, employs a combination of visual art and cinema to create a space for diverse lived experiences to intersect.

Arida emphasized the importance of highlighting both the connections and differences among the works, as well as the long-term goal of fostering ongoing exchanges across institutions in Qatar, Chile, and beyond.