'Forum for world peace and other stories' is the third solo exhibition by Dina Danish at Stigter van Doesburg. She relates to the world like a socially conscious Alice in Wonderland:
“I am struck by the eventfulness of today’s state of the world: having been locked up, followed by a war, gas prices going up, the crowning of a king, the list is endless. I am witnessing extremely important historical events and feel the urge to document them. Or else I might forget. And so, I collect news imagery daily. The images sometimes depict trivial topics such as such as a Mondriaan painting found to be hung upside down for 75 years, but also politicians on top of their podiums, giving press conferences, signing protocol agreements, shaking hands, and posing for their election campaigns. What I find most appealing about this imagery is that it is a globally familiar one. The suits, the handshakes, and the backgrounds say the same thing worldwide: politicians have met up and agreed upon something that will likely change the course of our lives. Like medieval heraldic banners, the structure of the imagery remains the same, but the content changes slightly depending on which heraldic representation is represented.” (DD 2023)
These banners will be exhibited in the gallery, and the contrast between the ultimate craftsmanship and the ephemerality of a new photograph acts as an assault on time. The meticulous handling of ribbon, fabric and color lends the subjects an eternity value that the average news photograph lacks. She also suggests that in terms of depicting and representing political events, not much has changed. Dinah Danish ironizes both form and content and allows us to move in that which was, is and will be.
made possible with the kind support of the Mondriaan Fund, The Amsterdam Museum, Jakob Hodel, Maddy Caldwell and Ana Resende