"A PRISON, A PRISONER, AND A PRISON GUARD"

“A Prison, a Prisoner, and a Prison Guard” is a multimedia exploration of the impact of prisons on countries and communities across the MENA region through the lens of “prison art.” The exhibition delves into the dynamic interplay between incarceration and creative expression to make sense of carceral systems. By presenting prison artifacts and art from various countries in the MENA region including Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen this exhibit unfolds as a “journey” into the prison system and demonstrates the ways in which art can be a tool of expression and reconciliation for survivors, detainees’ families, and society at large. It promotes drawing parallels between the prison experience in the region and worldwide, highlights the intentionality of carceral systems, and expands the conversation to include prison impacted communities. Viewers are invited to navigate the cross-generational, human experiences of imprisonment often obscured behind prison walls and within individuals.