Fault Lines is a solo presentation of recent works by Lebanese artist Ramzi Mallat, curated by Kirsty
Flockhart. The presentation takes place at P21 Gallery, 21-27 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD .
P21 Gallery is a London-based charitable trust promoting contemporary Arab art and culture, committed to creating visibility for Arab artists worldwide.
P21 Gallery architectural spaces were designed to provide a platform for cultural discourse through exhibitions and multimedia installations supported by a programme of conferences, workshops, lectures and film screenings. A specialised café is open to the general public.
The gallery reACT residency programme offers invaluable opportunities for younger generation artists to contribute their talents and artwork to help build and strengthen cultural ties and to facilitate dialogues between the East and West.
Ramzi Mallat (b. 1996, Lebanon) is a multidisciplinary artist based between London and Beirut. He holds a BA in Fine Art from Lancaster University and a MA in Sculpture from the Royal College of Art, London.
Mallat has been appointed a Trustee for the IMOS Foundation in the United Kingdom and was selected as one of Forbes Middle East 30 Under 30 Honorees in 2022. Mallat has also had solo exhibitions at the UNESCO Palace and the Cervantes Institute in Beirut, Lebanon. His short film has been officially selected by the Scarab Film Festival in Dubai, UAE; the Story International Student Film Festival in Cork, Ireland; and the Lebanese Independent Film Festival in Beirut, Lebanon.
Kirsty Flockhart is the curator of this presentation.She is an artist, curator and researcher based in London. She holds a BA in Visual Arts at the University of Sydney, an MA in Art and Politics at Goldsmiths College and recently graduated from Curating Contemporary Art at the Royal College of Art in 2022.
Her previous work includes directing live arts events in Mexico City titled;Eros Noches; 2018-2019, Co-curating the exhibition and programme;Grace Ndiritu: An Absolute River; at LUX Moving Image in London 2022. She also featured in Iniva;Drift - A Post-National Digital Pavilion; for the 2022 Venice Biennial. Currently, Kirsty is managing the arts programme Polar Portals ; 2023 with Polar Impact at the Royal Museums Greenwich and The Alan Turing Institute.
The exhibition title makes reference to the geological and cultural divisions that inform the artist practice. Living and working between London and Beirut, Mallat explores the socio-political impact of globalisation on notions of identity and self. He hopes to broaden cross-cultural awareness with works that blend familiar and unfamiliar aspects of culture and question the idea of the respective Other.
The artist taps into personal and collective memories through objects and symbols, which range from alluring references to Levantine pastries and coffee culture to stark depictions of political monuments and ambiguous Arabic calligraphy. Titles like Shock & Awe or Not Your Martyr add a layer of provocation to encourage a multifaceted discourse on the wider concept of fault lines. Recent developments in the region further heighten the poignancy of his 2022 video documentary Sobhiye, which highlights the impact of historical and political events on the lives of ordinary citizens.
