Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar has mounted a presentation of seven works by Palestinian artist Samia Halaby that were originally slated for a canceled survey at Indiana University’s Eskenazi Museum of Art in December 2023. The university cited “safety reasons” for the cancellation, which Halaby criticized as occurring amid the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. The works are displayed in the first gallery of the exhibition “we refuse_d,” curated by Vasif Kortun, which also includes pieces by other artists whose shows were canceled, such as Jumana Manna. Halaby’s paintings span 1980 to 2024 and include the previously unseen “Worldwide Intifadah” (1989) and “Massacre of the Innocents in Gaza” (2024).
This exhibition matters because it directly addresses the politicization of art in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, highlighting how institutional decisions can suppress Palestinian voices. Halaby’s work has recently gained increased attention from museums and the market, with her digital art currently on view at MoMA in New York. The recreation of the canceled show in Qatar underscores ongoing debates about academic freedom, censorship, and the role of art in political expression, while also affirming Halaby’s significance as a pioneering abstract painter and activist.