Visibility is closely tied to questions of identity, dignity and the right to take part in public life. Through portraiture, textile art, animation and cinema, artists and cultural practitioners bring attention to experiences, places and stories that deserve recognition. From Afghanistan and Pakistan to Mauritius and Oman, this edition of the Daily Dispatch explores how artistic practices can claim space for different identities, challenge assumptions and contribute to wider conversations about the societies we live in.
Visibility as an encounter with empathy
In Silent Identity, Afghan artist Aliakbar Adeli turns to the human face to explore dignity, identity and the experience of being unseen. Part of his ongoing series Silent Faces, the work uses hyperrealistic charcoal portraiture to invite viewers to pause before a face and look beyond its surface. Through the detail and presence of each portrait, Adeli questions the labels and assumptions through which people are judged, categorised or overlooked. His work asks for a more attentive encounter with the identities and experiences of others.
A different kind of encounter takes place in Be a Voice of Change, a collaborative film by Mauritian textile artist Nathalie Leung Shing, with videographers and photographers Hiresh Sonoo and Sejas Mistry. The film centres on an artistic installation of a factory-uniform-inspired jacket, embellished with upcycled and hand-stitched polarised lenses, and submerged beneath the sea. When fishermen discover the garment, it becomes an unexpected presence in the marine environment, drawing attention to the growing problem of plastic pollution and the impact of human activity on ocean ecosystems. Bringing textile art and moving image together, the project uses an unusual encounter to prompt reflection on our relationship with the sea and our responsibility towards it. Learn more →
Making the everyday visible
From the sea to the streets of Ankara, Warisha Ahmed, an artist based in Karachi, approaches observation through animation. Walking Ankara: A Visual Narrative Animation draws on the method of close observation developed by French writer Georges Perec, attending to the ordinary details of everyday life around Kurtuluş Park. Rather than following a conventional narrative, the short animation looks at the small things that make up a place and the rhythms that might otherwise pass unnoticed. Through this attentive way of looking, the work turns a familiar urban environment into a visual narrative. Learn more →
Across these contributions, visibility becomes a form of engagement with the world around us. Each project brings a different experience, place or condition into public view, inviting audiences to question what is overlooked, whose stories are heard and what deserves our attention. Through artistic practice, these works make visibility part of a wider effort to participate in social and cultural change.
Stories crossing borders
On 2 November, Palestine Cinema Days Around the World, organised by Filmlab: Palestine, also reached Muscat, Oman. The international initiative brings Palestinian cinema to audiences across different countries, creating opportunities to encounter Palestinian stories and cultural perspectives through local screenings. Its presence in Oman forms part of a wider network of hosts and cultural spaces taking part in this year's edition, extending the circulation of Palestinian films and bringing audiences together across geographical borders. Learn more →
You can join in too
You can join in too. Put yourself on the map, share your art or list your November event. Free practical guides are available on the Global Artivism website. The Global Artivism Convening is taking place from 3 to 7 November. Hosting something this November? Put it on the map.
