Beyond Repair – Sa’ad Choeb

BEYOND REPAIR / حدّ الخلل

Following his recent presentation of His Eyelid Taught Ghazal at the University of Cambridge, Syrian artist Sa’ad Choeb presents Beyond Repair /حدّ الخلل as part of Shubbak’s year-round programme at The Arab British Centre in London for one night only.

Beyond Repair /حدّ الخلل is a multimedia installation by Sa'ad Choeb exploring the entanglement of personal, political, and ecological histories. Commissioned by Shubbak Festival and presented at the Arab British Centre in London, the work considers "return" as a materially indeterminate site to recycle, question, mimic, and disconnect alongside more-than-human companions.

The word khalal - خَلَل in Arabic which is the current translation of the word glitch, has the root of خَل , it carries the meaning of fermentation, vibration, distortion, passing through, permeation, friendship and so much more. But also these limits, meanings, and desires can dissolve within this linguistic crack; tech/fermentation, intimate/vinager, screen/plant, and the borders of Syria too.

In this space, there are different sizes of damaged electronic screens that the artist replaced his usual canvas with. His paint strokes and collage elements become both a protest and a starting point of an ongoing and necessary conversion.

Taught by the mold that metamorphosed his paintings and drawings in several geographies from Beirut, to Sweida to London and beyond. And from water that took over his dearest large scale painting and initiated him into a process of deep reflection on catastrophes, and the relationship with elements at times that are seemingly beyond repair.