Walid Raad and the museum view after key retrospectives
18.06.2026 - 19:38:54 | ad-hoc-news.de
Walid Raad is one of the most influential artists addressing war, memory and archives in contemporary art. His long-term projects The Atlas Group and Scratching on Things I Could Disavow have fundamentally shaped how major museums stage histories of conflict and institutional power, as seen in retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid.
Museum narratives after Walid Raad
When the Museum of Modern Art in New York presented Raad's mid-career survey Walid Raad in 2015-2016, the exhibition foregrounded his use of fictional archives to probe the Lebanese civil wars and the politics of documentation. MoMA emphasized how his photographs, videos and installations question what counts as historical evidence.
The Reina Sofía in Madrid later staged Preface to the Third Edition in 2016-2017, which brought together works from The Atlas Group with newer material from Scratching on Things I Could Disavow. The museum highlighted Raad's focus on how the art world in the Middle East is reshaped by new cultural infrastructures and geopolitical capital.
Award history and institutional recognition
Raad received the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography in 2011, which recognized his pioneering use of photographic and archival strategies. The foundation underlined how his work complicates the boundary between documentary and fiction while remaining grounded in specific historical events.
In 2007 he was awarded the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize for The Atlas Group photographs, then shown at the Photographers' Gallery in London. Jurors pointed to his ability to stage complex political histories through apparently sober images, which continue to circulate widely in museum collections and exhibitions.
Background and news on Walid Raad
For further reporting on Walid Raad's exhibitions, awards and institutional appearances, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers additional context and market perspectives.
The core of Raad's practice
Raad's practice operates at the intersection of conceptual art, performance and documentary photography. The Atlas Group (1989-2004) consists of purported archival documents related to the Lebanese wars that Raad attributes to fictional characters, exposing how narratives are constructed.
Since 2007, Scratching on Things I Could Disavow has expanded this strategy toward the infrastructures of the Arab art world. Through performances, wall works and models, Raad addresses new museums and cultural districts in the Gulf, probing how financial and political forces shape artistic production.
Where the artist stands now
Walid Raad remains a central reference for museum curators and scholars working on conflict, archives and the politics of display, with his key projects continuing to circulate in major institutional collections and academic discourse.
Key facts on Walid Raad
- Artist: Walid Raad
- Medium / Genre: Conceptual photography, video, installation and performance
- Born: 1967, Chbanieh, Lebanon
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice primarily between New York and Beirut, alongside an academic position in the United States
- Active since: Early 1990s, with The Atlas Group initiated in 1989
- Key work groups: The Atlas Group, Scratching on Things I Could Disavow, Sweet Talk, Let's be honest, the weather helped
- Current/last exhibition: Major mid-career survey Walid Raad, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2015-2016; followed by Preface to the Third Edition, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, 2016-2017
- Major collections: Museum of Modern Art (New York), Tate (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Reina Sofía (Madrid), Hamburger Bahnhof (Berlin)
- Awards: Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography (2011), Deutsche Börse Photography Prize (2007)
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Walid Raad
What is distinctive about Walid Raad's approach to archives?
Raad constructs fictional archives, particularly in The Atlas Group, to show how documents and testimonies are always mediated, incomplete and politically charged, challenging conventional ideas of neutrality in historical records.
Which museums hold important works by Walid Raad?
Key works by Raad are held by institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate in London, Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Reina Sofía in Madrid, reflecting his strong institutional presence.
What themes does Walid Raad address in Scratching on Things I Could Disavow?
In Scratching on Things I Could Disavow, Raad examines the rapid expansion of art institutions and cultural districts in the Middle East, focusing on how economic, political and architectural developments affect art histories and artistic agency.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
