Hello, my name is Michelle Yun. I’m the senior curator of Asian contemporary art at Asia Society Museum, associate director of the Asia Society Triennial, and cocurator of We Do Not Dream Alone.

Kevork Mourad’s lyrical monotypes and paintings depict intricate architectural worlds inspired by the rich landscape and culture he was surrounded by growing up in Qamishli, a town in northeastern Syria. Most often, his works serve as companions to live musical or theatrical performances through innovative use of computer technology that transposes the dynamism of the artist’s hand into live animation. The artist’s large-scale installations, exemplified here by Seeing Through Babel, are most often immersive, multi-layered constructions that evoke a visceral response in the viewer. By referencing the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel, which addresses our collective inability to effectively communicate, the artist creates a compelling continuum across chronological and geographical divides to appeal to our common humanity in the face of current sociopolitical inequities and persecution.

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