In a bold move that evokes collective memory and confronts despair, Syrian art reclaimed its role as a platform for pressing humanitarian issues through a unique cultural event titled, “Three Days of Art and Memory,” which kicked off at the Damascus National Museum under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture.
A Brush Embodying Pain and Hope
The first day featured the opening of the exhibition “For Those Who Were Not Remembered… and Will Not Be Forgotten,” by artist and activist Rania al-Najdi, an interior designer who participated in the Syrian revolution since 2011 and was arrested three times. Najdi transformed the museum’s authentic Damascene hall into a moving contemplative space by hanging dozens of kites from the ceiling, creating a scene symbolizing lost freedom and evoking the spirits of those detained and forcibly disappeared by the former regime.
Najdi stated, “I lived through the experience of detention… I know very well the suffering of detainees and their families who feel abandoned and alone.” She added, “Through this exhibition, we want to send them a message that they are not alone, that we will continue to remember their stories and names, and demand true justice.”
Voices Raising the Banner of Justice
The event was the result of the joint efforts of activists who have personally experienced Assad-era crimes. Wafa Ali Mustafa, whose father disappeared in the detention centers of the former regime in 2013, emphasized that the exhibition is a new attempt to raise the voices of the families of the detainees, “The issue is not just the issue of their families, but a national and humanitarian issue that affects all Syrians.” She continued, “We are a group of friends and activists working for justice and freedom, and we seek to gather efforts and voices to support this cause.”
Sinan al-Rashi, a survivor of the detention centers of the former regime after more than 14 years, who was arrested in 2011, also participated in the event. Rashi said, “Despite our release from detention, our wounds are still open… The most important thing we are working on is supporting the families of the disappeared, who are the focus of our lives and our hope for the future.”
The “Three Days of Art and Memory” event confirms that creativity remains a powerful weapon in the face of oppression and forgetfulness. Through the universal language of art Syrians have succeeded in once again highlighting the issue of detainees and the forcibly disappeared, transforming the Damascus National Museum into a platform for living memory and enduring hope. The message is clear: justice is the only way to achieve peace, and the memory of the victims will live on until that day.
