Introduction
On 9 October 2025, Miraz Art Space opened the doors to a compelling solo exhibition by acclaimed Iraqi-Kurdish artist Avan Sdiq, titled “When/Where.” Curated by Shad Abdulkarim, the exhibition runs until 9 January 2026, transforming the gallery into a site of shifting perspectives where reality and illusion coexist.
About the Artist
Born in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, Avan Sdiq is an Iraqi-Kurdish multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, video, sculpture, and installation. Her work explores themes of memory, identity, belonging, and perception — drawing deeply from her Kurdish heritage and personal experiences of displacement and transformation.
Sdiq graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Sulaymaniyah and later pursued her artistic career internationally, exhibiting across Europe and the Middle East. Her art is characterized by its transparency, fluidity, and movement, reflecting the fragile boundaries between what is seen and what is remembered.
The Exhibition: “When/Where”
In “When/Where”, Avan Sdiq brings together a series of sculptures, videos, and paintings that invite viewers into an immersive exploration of time and space. Each piece unfolds as a layered composition that challenges the distinction between observation and participation.
Transparent surfaces, fluid forms, and oscillating sequences invite audiences to engage rather than simply observe. The exhibition blurs the line between the artwork and the viewer, creating a dialogue in which meaning evolves through movement, perception, and interaction.
Curatorial Vision
Curator Shad Abdulkarim highlights Sdiq’s ability to connect personal memory with universal experience, positioning her practice within broader questions of presence, language, and belonging.
“Avan’s work captures the tension between stillness and motion, between what is seen and what is remembered,” says Abdulkarim. “When/Where invites viewers to experience art not as an object, but as an encounter.”
This vision transforms the gallery space into a living, breathing environment — one that evolves with every visitor’s presence and movement.
Themes and Experience
At the heart of “When/Where” lies a profound meditation on time, perception, and being:
• Time and Memory: Layered translucent materials symbolize the fluid nature of memory — its overlaps, absences, and echoes.
• Space and Perception: Sdiq questions how physical and emotional spaces shape identity.
• Belonging and Language: Her works evoke a search for home and self in the spaces between cultures and words.
• Participation and Observation: The exhibition encourages viewers to move, shift angles, and participate — revealing new meanings with every perspective.
Miraz Art Space and Cultural Dialogue
Through “When/Where”, Miraz Art Space reaffirms its commitment to supporting contemporary voices from the Middle East and diaspora. The gallery continues to serve as a platform for cross-cultural dialogue, encouraging artistic experimentation and regional storytelling.
By presenting Sdiq’s exhibition, Miraz positions Kurdish contemporary art within an international discourse — amplifying themes that resonate far beyond geography.
Conclusion
“When/Where” by Avan Sdiq is a poetic and immersive reflection on how we experience time, space, and self. The exhibition transforms perception into participation, inviting visitors to not only look but to feel, move, and remember.
Running until 9 January 2026 at Miraz Art Space, it stands as a testament to the power of art to bridge distances — between memory and presence, the individual and the collective, the seen and the unseen.
