2018
In collaboration with Yeon Sung and Dominika Fojtikova
The cause of the project is the celebration of 50th anniversary of Amnesty Netherlands, for which 3d year students of The Royal Academy of Art were asked to select one of 12 unresolved cases of Amnesty International. The goal was to research and propose new ways of communicating/dealing with them which will be presented in a separate exhibition during celebration held in Amsterdam on April 2018.
Collaboratively, Yeon Sung, Dominika Fojtikova, and I chose to focus our project on the case of Raif Badawi — a figure whose imprisonment has drawn international attention far beyond the borders of Saudi Arabia. Badawi, the founder of an online forum titled Saudi Arabian Liberals, was arrested on 17 June 2012 and has since been detained in Briman Prison in Jeddah (at the date of project development, he was since released on March 11, 2022, after completing his 10-year sentence). His charges, which include violating the country’s information technology law and allegedly insulting religious figures, stemmed from his efforts to create a space for open political and social discourse.
However, after years of international appeals and widespread condemnation that have yielded little change, we began to question: What more can be done to raise awareness and push for meaningful transformation? We broadened our research to examine similar cases over the past decade, uncovering a complex pattern of censorship and repression. This wider perspective allowed us to better understand the systemic nature of self-censorship in Saudi Arabia. We also explored the impact of the Arab Spring, particularly its influence on digital expression and internet freedoms across the Gulf region. From this, two key research questions emerged: What forms of dissent are most threatening to the Saudi government beyond online activism? And which areas of Saudi society — particularly those with international ties — could serve as strategic points of leverage for change?
Our conclusion was shaped by a simple yet powerful premise: if appealing to humanitarian principles fails, economic interests may prove more persuasive. We identified a potent contradiction — many Western corporations that publicly advocate for human rights continue to maintain profitable relationships with Saudi Arabia, despite the country’s ongoing suppression of dissent. Our project seeks to expose this dissonance and provoke critical reflection on the ethics of such partnerships. Through a large-scale, participatory installation, we aim to give physical form to the digital “crimes” committed by Saudi activists — transforming abstract injustices into tangible, visceral experiences. By inviting audiences to physically engage with this material, we hope to foster a deeper, more immediate understanding of the stakes of free expression.
Ultimately, the project is an attempt to bridge two seemingly disparate realities — human rights violations and corporate complicity — and to highlight the influence they exert on one another.
En collaboration avec Yeon Sung et Dominika Fojtikova
Réalisé à l’occasion du 50e anniversaire d’Amnesty International Pays-Bas, ce projet s’inscrit dans une initiative de la Royal Academy of Art invitant les étudiants de troisième année à explorer l’un des douze dossiers non résolus suivis par l’organisation. Les propositions ont été présentées lors d’une exposition à Amsterdam en avril 2018.
Avec Yeon Sung et Dominika Fojtikova, nous avons choisi de nous intéresser au cas de Raif Badawi, blogueur saoudien emprisonné en 2012 pour avoir défendu la liberté d’expression et encouragé le débat politique et social. Il a depuis été libéré, en mars 2022, après dix ans de détention.
Face aux limites des campagnes de mobilisation internationale, nous avons élargi nos recherches aux mécanismes de censure et de répression en Arabie saoudite, ainsi qu’aux conséquences du Printemps arabe sur les libertés numériques dans la région. Notre réflexion s’est progressivement orientée vers les intérêts économiques comme leviers potentiels de changement, notamment à travers les relations commerciales entretenues par certaines entreprises occidentales avec le gouvernement saoudien, malgré leurs engagements publics en faveur des droits humains.
À travers une installation participative de grande envergure, le projet cherche à donner une forme tangible aux « crimes » numériques reprochés aux militants saoudiens, invitant le public à prendre conscience des enjeux de la liberté d’expression. Il met ainsi en lumière les liens entre violations des droits humains, intérêts économiques et responsabilité des entreprises.