Mounira Al Solh: A land as big as her skin

From 7 June, Bonnefanten is presenting the first extensive solo exhibition in the Netherlands by Mounira Al Solh (1978, Beirut).

• Opening: 6 June, from 17.30 to 20.00
• Followed by Bonnefanten Free Friday: free entry from 20.00 to 23.00
• On show: 7 June 2025 to 11 January 2026
• Curator: Roxy Jongewaard

In recent years, the star of this versatile Lebanese-Dutch artist has been rising fast in the international art world. In 2023, she was nominated for the Artes Mundi 10 prize and she won the ABN Amro Art Award. In 2024, she created works for the Lebanese pavilion at the Venice Biennale. In A land as big as her skin, Al Solh is combining those large-scale installations with new work made especially for this presentation.

From ancient myths to pop music

The work of Al Solh refuses to be pigeonholed. She moves with ease between small and personal incidents, collective memories and political developments. She brings together everyday life and ancient myths from the Mediterranean, thus proving that hope, culture and stories know no bounds. She also retains great freedom in her choice of materials and techniques, and makes paintings, sculptures, videos, performances and textile works. Yet in all her diverse projects, Al Solh has a recognisable and cohesive style. Her work is colourful and amusing, with a love of craftsmanship and material. It feels like music: it is rhythmical, whirling and melodious.

Lebanon and the Netherlands

Mounira Al Solh grew up in a war-torn Lebanon. This painful history and the continuing violence in the region are always reflected in her work. She advocates for equality, justice and nuanced representation. Her works are nearly always melancholic and hopeful at the same time, revolving around the theme of resilience. Al Solh’s work is often a reflection of a world that bears the deep marks of oppression and abuse of power. She explores themes like identity, trauma and inequality, which arise from factors like gender, origin and social class, or a combination of them.
Mounira Al Solh studied painting at the Lebanese University in Beirut. She then came to the Netherlands, where she studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten. Nowadays, she divides her time between Lebanon and the Netherlands. In her art, Al Solh combines both Lebanese and Dutch elements.

Publication Mounira Al Solh: A land as big as her skin

A lavishly illustrated artist’s publication named after the exhibition will be published at the end of 2025. It will contain reflections on Al Solh’s new work and discuss the artist’s current position in her practice.

The book will comprise several essays, gallery overviews of her exhibition at the Bonnefanten and new work made especially for this exhibition.

Premiere in Bonnefanten: Ammodo Docs: Dancing on the Ruins

Together with director Bibi Fadlalla, Ammodo Docs made the impressive short documentary Dancing on the Ruins about and with Mounira Al Solh. They follow Al Solh on her exploratory journey at the Venice Biennale, in Spain and in her studio. The documentary shows the creation of new work for the exhibition at the Bonnefanten. The film will premiere at the Bonnefanten on 6 June!
Ammodo Docs is a series of artistic short documentaries about original thinkers. Renowned filmmakers challenge you to view the world through the eyes of pioneering artists and scholars. More information: https://ammododocs.org/en/.

This exhibition has received support from:

The Province of Limburg, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, VriendenLoterij, Sharjah Art Foundation, Ammodo Art and Mondriaan Fund

Note for the press:

For more information, please contact Esther Wagemans through pressoffice@bonnefanten.nl or on +31 (0)6-28634294

Header: Mounira Al Solh, Silicone, Poppies and a Couple of Invisible Deffs, 2022, oil and collage on canvas, 230 x 206 cm. Collection Bonnefanten, acquired with the support of the VriendenLoterij. Photo Peter Cox