The Bell Gallery at Brown University proudly presents Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom, an innovative exhibition by acclaimed artists Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme. This showcase, co-curated by Kate Kraczon and Thea Quiray Tagle, PhD, represents the exhibition's sole appearance in the United States and will be on display in Providence, Rhode Island, until May 31.
Inspired by interviews with former political prisoners in Palestine, Prisoners of Love delves into the roles of poetry, music, and various artistic expressions as vital instruments for collective survival, resistance, and remembrance within oppressive systems of incarceration. Abbas and Abou-Rahme aim to create a "vast counter-archive" that captures the essence of Palestinian life and political struggles, challenging the limitations of conventional archives.
The exhibition features immersive sound and video installations that project dynamic visuals onto materials such as concrete, fabric, and weathered steel, reflecting the architecture of prisons and confinement. A highlight of the installation is the poem "Enemy of the Sun" (1970) by renowned Palestinian poet Samih Al-Qasim. This poignant piece, found handwritten in the cell of revolutionary George Jackson after his tragic death in San Quentin Prison, has become a symbol of solidarity between political prisoners in Palestine and the United States.
Commissioned by Kraczon in 2020, with Tagle joining in 2023, this exhibition builds on the artists' deep-rooted collaboration with Kraczon, who previously facilitated their first U.S. exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania in 2015.
Since 2020, Abbas and Abou-Rahme have actively engaged with Brown University's academic community, collaborating with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies and conducting archival research at the John Hay Library's Voices of Mass Incarceration in the United States project. In Spring 2025, they will co-teach a research-based course that encourages students to explore family archives and community histories related to mass incarceration, further enriching the dialogue initiated by the exhibition.
At The Bell, Prisoners of Love transcends the traditional exhibition format, evolving into a vibrant space for collective research, memory, and political creativity.
