Artist talk: Jad El Khoury and Mari Meen Halsøy in conversation with Drew Snyder

Welcome to an artist talk at Kunstnerforbundet with artists Jad El Khoury and Mari Meen Halsøy, moderated by senior curator at KORO, Drew Snyder. When: Thursday, June 26 at 18:00 Where: Kunstnerforbundet, Vindussalen Languages: English and Norwegian Free admission The conversation will explore El Khoury and Meen Halsøy’s artistic practices, their use of textile materials and urban space, and the role of art in processing collective trauma and shaping public memory. The event is part of the "June Exhibition. Here in Our Necessity". Jad El Khoury Balcony awnings are a recurring medium in El Khoury’s practice. As part of the first generation born after the Lebanese Civil War, he transforms the city’s unintended monuments into choreographed installations. Read more in the NRK interview with Jad El Khoury, «Gjør krig og kulehull om til kunst» (Turning war and bullet holes into art), in connection with the exhibition project and his studio residency at the Oslo City Hall. Mari Meen Halsøy In her project WOUNDS, Mari Meen Halsøy uses tapestry to heal the wounds of war in Beirut’s urban landscape. Her weavings cover the scars of buildings and express human intimacy and care. Her works are often site-specific, and she collaborates with other artists and researchers in interdisciplinary projects. Drew Snyder As a senior curator at KORO – Public Art Norway, Drew Snyder is part of the curatorial groups developing the public art programs for Norway’s new Government Quarter and the new Museum of the Viking Age, as well as working with collaborative artistic research projects relating to Norway and Sápmi’s Truth and Reconciliation process, among other initiatives. "The June Exhibition. Here in Our Necessity" features works by artists Freja Burgess, Camilla Edström Ödemark, Jad El Khoury, Sigrid Espelien, Torbjørn Kvasbø, Erlend Leirdal, Konrad Mehus, Unn Sønju, Kjell Varvin, and Ella Aandal. The exhibition is curated by Ingunn S. Almedal. The exhibition is open until Sunday June 29, 2025.