Nida Sinnokrot

Visual description: Two monitors with contrasting news channels are connected to the same outlet through a shared plug. Each broadcast is played on one monitor in color without sound.

Wall Text: In 2001, shortly after 9/11 and the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, Nida Sinnokrot created the first iteration of Al-Jaz/CNN—it was then a simultaneous live feed from the two international news stations CNN, which is U.S.-owned and caters to the English-speaking world, and Al Jazeera, Qatari-owned, catering to the Arab-speaking world. As the “war on terror” unfolded on CNN, reporting looked different on Al Jazeera—in addition, sometimes the broadcasts bring odd moments as advertisements for cars and foodstuffs of happy families which run parallel to footage from bombing and shelling. Against the backdrop of the U.S. troops' relatively recent exit from Afghanistan, and a botched war, it is relevant to return to this 2001 documentation. The live broadcast runs on a loop in the gallery for the first time since it was first on view in 2001.

About

Nida Sinnokrot (b. 1971) grew up in Algeria and currently lives and works in Boston and Jerusalem. His films and installation works have been shown in numerous international exhibitions, including including KIOSK, Ghent (2018); Witte de With, Rotterdam (2015); Darat al Funun, Amman (2014); Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart (2014); the travelling exhibition Tea with Nefertiti, Mathaf, Doha; Institut du monde arabe, Paris; Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Spain and Staatliches Museum Ägypticher Kunst, Munich (2012-2014); Bozar Museum, Brussels (2008) and Kunsthalle Exnergasse, Vienna (2004). Palestinian Blues, his first film, has won numerous awards in international film. Nida Sinnokrot also participated in the 57th Venice Biennial (2017), the 13th Sharjah Biennial (2017) and the 10th Tapei Biennial (2016). He is currently Assistant Professor in MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology (ACT) and co-founder of Sakiya – Art | Science | Agriculture.