Rad Hourani is an interdisciplinary artist employing the mediums of sculpture, paint, photography, costume, architecture, curation, performance, text, sound, and video. His hybrid artistic approach is guided by the questioning of established hierarchies, assuming a decompartmentalization between disciplines. His art practice surrounds a theme of challenging the normative methods of human conformity conditioned by the contexts of social geopolitical, religious, sexual and economic systems. In the course of his life, Rad Hourani continuously observes the numerous ways in which the automatism of society categorizes humans with borders, and the violence that is born of these divisions.
From an early age, Rad observes the meaning behind how the world is constructed into fragmentation. As a child, he analyzed the various forms of oppression perpetrated by the labeling of identity, be it through gender or class. His childhood memories of noticing these supremacies later lends to his familiarity in pushing the boundaries of societal binaries. Rad constantly dealt with the question “where are you really from?” being born in Jordan to a Syrian Orthodox Christian mother and a Jordanian-Canadian Catholic father, and growing up in Canada in his teen years. As an adult, he continued to feel a sense of non-belonging, as he lived in several cities, such as Paris and New York, which shaped his observations based on a global perspective.
He sees the tangible limitations caused by categorizations, which influences the trajectory of his theory of neutralization, expressed through his unrestricted works of art. Rad’s critique on the discriminatory basis of nationalism, racism, sexism, ageism, ableism and authoritarianism places his projects within a framework based on neutrality, as a tool for uniting all. Rad perceives humanity as a synonymous ecosystem of cultures, with sources of creativity through music, food, dance and art. He differentiates the nature of spirituality from patriarchal doctrines with the purpose of economic gain. His inquiry has led him to realize that if we continue marginalizing with labeled codes, we will further privilege those who govern us and divide to concur.
The artist’s philosophical baseline maintains that all individuals are multi-faceted and unique. His position validates humans equally as participants in the collective sphere, where are all living species are synchronized. Rad’s manifestations asks questions about existence and our modes of operation. His vision confronts institutional formalism and aesthetics, in laying the foundation for portraying a neutral archetype of the psyche. His ongoing ideation concedes to the power of visual consumption to open conversations and share knowledge that celebrates a non-conformist perception of belonging. Furthermore, with no post-secondary academic background, the learning is inherently beyond systematized construction and expansive in nature.
Rad continues to challenge the categorical preconceptions of his own identity as seen by society. As a classified BIPOC, Queer and Dyslexic artist, the multiplicity of his research creates many-sided conversations that comes from a non-hierarchical perspective. His anthropological studies involve lengthy research throughout his processes to inspires reflection, advocating for the revival of crucial debates and open dialogues on issues of inclusion and inequality.
Delving into these explorations demonstrates the structures based on the connotations associated with a subject, including various media, regarding its history, and its evolution. The work honours art’s ability to activate the human senses, which is projected as a connecting link between concepts. Rad looks at the genetics of categorization and how they are generated. His purpose aim to return to the basis of these precepts in order to achieve awareness of our preconceptions and generalizations. For Rad this is an act of radically de-compartmentalizing narratives, to allow us to envision an existence free from limitations and conditioning.
Rad Hourani’s work has been exhibited around the world, most notably at the Jardins du Palais-Royal in Paris (2009), the Centre Pompidou in Paris (2012), Tate Modern in London (2013), the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (2017), the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Noguchi Museum in New York (both in 2019).
GENDERLESS RACELESS AGELESS NATIONLESS LIMITLESS
S E L E C T E D D A T E S
JUNE 2021 - PFORZHEIM / GERMANY - A.K.T; - "THE THIRD GENDER” EXHIBITION
OCTOBER 2019 - MIDDLETOWN / USA - EZRA & CECILE GALLERY - "INACTION” EXHIBITION
SEPTEMBER 2019 - NEW YORK / USA - NOGUCHI MUSEUM "CONTRACT AND RELEASE” EXHIBITION
MAY 2019 - BORDEAUX / FRANCE - MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS "JE NE PEUX PAS RESTER SILENCEUSE” PERFORMANCE IN THE PERMANENT EXHIBITION
MARCH 2019 - SEOUL / SOUTH KOREA - SAVINA MUSEUM - "NA NA LAND : IT'S MY WORLD” EXHIBITION
MARCH 2019 - BOSTON / USA - FINE ARTS MUSEUM - "GENDER BENDING” EXHIBITION
JUNE 2017 - BILBAO / SPAIN - GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM - "UNISEX” INSTALLATION IN “DRESSING IDEAS IN FILMS” EXHIBITION
OCTOBER 2016 - SAN JOSE / USA - SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART - “BEAUTY" COOPER HEWITT EXHIBITION
JULY 2016 - BERLIN / GERMANY - L40 GALLERY - “EYE" EXHIBITION
FEBRUARY 2016 - NEW YORK / USA - THE COOPER HEWITT DESIGN MUSEUM - “BEAUTY" EXHIBITION
FEBRUARY 2016 - TIBLISI / GEORGIA - PHOTO FESTIVAL - “PORTRAITS" EXHIBITION
NOVEMBER 2015 - MONTRÉAL / CANADA - ARSENAL CONTEMPORARY ART - “NEUTRALITY" EXHIBITION
SEPTEMBER 2015 - HERNING / DENMARK - MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART - “RESISTANCE" EXHIBITION
JANUARY 2015 - PARIS / FRANCE - CANADIAN CULTURAL CENTRE - "UCART#14" EXHIBITION
NOVEMBER 2014 - BEIJING / CHINA - ARTCO GALLERY - “ANATOMY" EXHIBITION
JUNE 2014 - EINDHOVEN / NETHERLANDS - MU ART CENTER - “GENDERBLENDER” EXHIBITION
MARCH 2014 - DUBAI / UAE - ART WEEK - “5YRSOFUNISEX” EXHIBITION
NOVEMBER 2013 - MONTRÉAL / CANADA - CENTRE PHI - "SEAMLESS" EXHIBITION
APRIL 2013 - LONDON / UK - TATE MODERN - "METAPROJECTION” PERFORMANCE + INSTALLATION
NOVEMBER 2012 - NEW YORK / USA - FIT MUSEUM - "GENDERLESS PROCESS" LECTURE WITH HISTORIAN VALERIE STEELE
NOVEMBER 2012 - PARIS / FRANCE - LA CHAMBRE SYNDICALE DE LA HAUTE COUTURE - “UNISEX COUTURE” - Rad Hourani was approached by The “Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture” in Paris, to become an “invited member”, with the endorsement of Sidney Toledano at “Christian Dior Couture”. Embodying an innovative spirit since 2005, Rad Hourani then became the first to both create and introduce a gender neutral collection in the history of “Haute Couture”, in January of 2013.
NOVEMBER 2012 - PARIS / FRANCE - CENTRE POMPIDOU - "VF“ FILM INSTALLATION
JUNE 2012 - HONG KONG / CHINA - IT GALLERY - “EARTH" EXHIBITION
OCTOBER 2011 - SOEUL / SOUTH KOREA - PUBLIC - “UNISEX” PERFORMANCE
OCTOBER 2011 - PARIS / FRANCE - MANNERHEIM GALLERY - "TRANSFORMABLE UC#8” EXHIBITION
JUNE 2011 - ARNHEM / NETHERLANDS - ARNHEM BIENNALE - “UNFRAMED” INSTALLATION
FEBRUARY 2010 - NEW YORK / USA - YVON LAMBERT GALLERY - "UC#5” SHOW PERFORMANCE
JUNE 2009 - PARIS / FRANCE - JARDIN DU PALAIS-ROYAL - “TRANCLASSIC" EXHIBITION
OCTOBER 2007 - PARIS / FRANCE - DOMINIQUE FIAT GALLERY - “GENDER NEUTRAL - UC#0” - A performance via the medium of runway to introduce the first entirely Gender Neutral Ready To Wear collection in history of fashion. Rad Hourani invented the first gender neutral patterns in 2007, in addition to a new sizing system specific to a complete unisex wardrobe. In conceiving his revolutionary concept of ready to wear collections, the works of art aim to initiate a non-binary dialogue through the medium of costume.
"I STARTED CREATING WITH A SENSE OF CURIOSITY AND INNOCENCE DRIVEN BY MY 'NO-BACKGROUND' BACKGROUND. NO SCHOOL. NO TELLY. NO BOUNDARIES. NO FORMATTING. I LIKE THE IDEA OF A WORLD THAT WE COULD LIVE AND SHAPE BY OURSELVES, ONLY BY OBSERVING. EACH OUR OWN. MY AESTHETICS HAVE ERUPTED FROM THIS WORLD OF MINE. THEY ARE GENDERLESS, AGELESS AND LIMITLESS. THEY COME FROM NO NATION, NO RACE, NO RELIGION, YET THEY COULD BE HOME ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. THEY EXUDE THE ESSENCE OF TIMELESSNESS FOR ANTI-CONFORMIST INDIVIDUALS." - Rad Hourani
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