Mounira Al Solh - Oh Pigeon, Don’t Sleep, Don’t Sleep

Born in Beirut in 1978 and currently based between Beirut and Amsterdam, Mounira Al Solh’s artistic practice spans video, installations, painting, drawing, textiles, text, and performance. Her work delves into complex social and political landscapes, focusing on feminist themes, micro-historical narratives, and the effects of conflict and migration. Al Solh’s approach combines social engagement with a unique blend of political critique and poetic escapism. Rather than following a documentary style, her pieces lean into fictional and at times fantastical realms, using oral histories, interdisciplinary collaborations, and language play to explore intimate stories, especially those of women. These works examine themes of resistance, displacement, loss, and memory with sensitivity and empathy, creating an emotionally resonant body of work that invites viewers to reflect on contemporary challenges faced by marginalized communities.

Entitled Y’a Hamam Yalla Ma Tnam, Ma Tnam (“Oh Pigeon, Don’t Sleep, Don’t Sleep”), a line from a very popular lullaby in Lebanon and Syria, the exhibition brings together works that have never been shown all at once, creating a unique narrative that explores Al Solh’s deep engagement with micro-histories and political agency. The central axis of the exhibition is provided by Nami Nami Noooom, Yalla Tnaaam (""Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, Let’s Sleep""), a powerful, large-scale installation anchoring the show’s emotional and narrative flow. This work is deeply personal, drawing from Al Solh's childhood during the Lebanese Civil War. As a child coping with sleepless nights amidst the relentless din of bombs going off throughout the city, the artist would create holes in her pyjamas as a distraction from the sounds of war. Her mother once encouraged her to stitch around these holes, transforming the activity into a calming ritual rather than simply mending the clothes. This meditative practice became a lifeline, allowing her to find brief moments of peace amid the ongoing chaos.

The Middle East’s prolonged conflicts have escalated recently into a profound human tragedy, creating a wound that spans generations and disrupts millions of lives. This relentless cycle of violence has led to unimaginable losses, with countless lives snuffed out, families torn apart, and entire communities living under the constant shadow of fear and grief. Amid the ruins, people grapple with deep trauma that will continue to affect future generations. Mounira Al Solh, deeply impacted by these conflicts, channels her experiences through art, inviting reflection on the need for peace, empathy, and a commitment to justice that honors the rights and dignity of all involved. Through her work, she takes up the urgent call to end suffering and the resolve to foster a future rooted in respectfulness and shared humanity.

The exhibition was produced by the Serralves Museum and curated by João Mourão and Luís Silva, with coordination by Giovana Gabriel.