Walid Raad and the long arc of his data-fueled narratives
27.06.2026 - 23:12:06 | ad-hoc-news.de
Walid Raad has become one of the most influential artists to examine war, memory and information systems through conceptual art. His long-running projects, including The Atlas Group and Scratching on things I could disavow, connect archival research with performance, photography and installation.
Key series in Walid Raad’s practice
One of Raad’s foundational bodies of work is The Atlas Group, initiated in the late 1980s and elaborated through the 1990s and 2000s as a fictional collective devoted to researching the history of Lebanon’s civil wars.
In this series he produced photographs, videos, documents and lecture-performances that stage fabricated archives and testimonies, probing how narratives of conflict are constructed and authenticated.
From The Atlas Group to Scratching on things I could disavow
Since around 2007 Raad has developed the project Scratching on things I could disavow, which addresses the emergence of large-scale art museums and cultural initiatives in the Middle East, and their entanglement with finance, politics and image-making.
This work often combines wall texts, diagrams, photographic panels and choreographed talks, inviting viewers to reflect on how institutional infrastructures shape what is collected, exhibited and remembered.
All news and background on Walid Raad
For more reporting and context on Walid Raad’s exhibitions, projects and market, the internal search provides an overview of recent coverage and archival material.
The work core and methods
Raad’s practice spans photography, video, installation, performance and text, consistently engaging with questions of evidence, authorship and spectatorship.
He often performs as a lecturer in his own exhibitions, delivering scripted talks that blur academic presentation and theater, reinforcing the tension between trusted information and invented detail.
Where the artist stands now
Walid Raad continues to develop and present his major projects, expanding their narratives and formats while remaining a central figure in discussions about art, archives and conflict.
Walid Raad at a glance
- Artist: Walid Raad
- Medium / Genre: Conceptual art, photography, installation, performance
- Born: 1967, Chbanieh, Lebanon
- Place(s) of practice: Studio and teaching practice primarily in New York
- Active since: Late 1980s, with early development of The Atlas Group material
- Key work groups: The Atlas Group, Scratching on things I could disavow, We can make rain but no one came to ask, Miraculous beginnings
- Current/last exhibition: Recent institutional and gallery presentations have focused on Scratching on things I could disavow and selections from The Atlas Group
- Major collections: Works held in leading museum and institutional collections internationally
- Awards: Recognized with major fellowships and art awards over his career
- Next date: No publicly confirmed date within the immediate 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Walid Raad
What defines Walid Raad’s major work series?
His major series include The Atlas Group, which uses fictional archives to address the Lebanese civil wars, and Scratching on things I could disavow, which examines new art institutions and cultural economies in the Middle East.
How does Walid Raad use performance in his exhibitions?
Raad often delivers lecture-performances in the gallery, presenting visual material and documents while narrating complex stories that mix factual events with invented details, encouraging critical reflection on how history is told.
Which media does Walid Raad primarily work with?
He works across photography, video, installation, drawing, text and performance, selecting formats that align with his focus on archives, institutional structures and the politics of representation.
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.
