Ekki lengur / No Longer / لَمْ تَعُد

Ekki lengur / No Longer /   لَمْ تَعُد
Video, 2023

Commissioned by Skaftfell Art Center as part of an immersive installation. On view November-December 2023

The video No Longer was made in direct response to the retaliation by Israeli Defense Forces in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The work, which was part of a larger immersive installation, foretold the suffering and forced displacement of people. The video is being shown at the National Gallery of Iceland on the weekend of September 6, as part of the wider demonstration “Iceland Against Genocide” actions taking place.

The French-born, Egyptian artist El Ansari left her home in Cairo in the aftermath of the Arab Spring revolts that took place in the Middle East and North Africa at the end of the 2010s. She moved to Iceland, where she has worked as a translator from Arabic to English for the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration and the LGBTQ+ Organisation Samtökin78.

In both her work and art, El Ansari has been deeply engaged with issues of exile and displacement, human rights and dignity, and concepts of home and homeland.

In the video, the Sudanese poet, writer, and activist Moneim Rahama (presently exiled in France), reads “No Longer,” a poem about dispossession written on October 23, 2023. The voice recording is layered with a composed sound work by Adam Swítala. The video comprises a montage of images that El Ansari created in response to both her personal experiences and stories told by people facing forced displacement with whom she has worked closely.

The artist wishes to thank Moneim Rahama, Adam Świtała Piotr Pawlus, and Rania Berro for their collaboration. The work was made possible with a grant from Myndstef.

Note: The work will be on view at the Art Workshop on Fríkirkjuvegur, with free admission for visitors. The exhibition will be paused from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday while the Kids’ Club is taking place.

©Juanjo Ivaldi Zaldivar