Thana Faroq
Magnum Foundation invites you to an intimate gathering with photographer Thana Faroq in honor of her new book, How Shall We Greet the Sun, which explores the personal stories and complex emotional lives of a small group of young women refugees living in the Netherlands, including Thana. Thana will be joined in conversation with Elisabeth Sherman, Senior Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the International Center of Photography (ICP).
Monday, June 10, 2024 | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM ET
Doors open at 6:00 PM
In-person
59 East 4th St, 7W | New York, NY 10003
Featuring tea and snacks, a collective reading, and group conversation, the event will reflect on the shared and individual journeys of these women, casting an eye toward both tangible and metaphorical futures. Many of them are at a point in life where they are navigating the formation of new identities—shaped by new cultural contexts, power dynamics, memories, and nostalgia for the past. Through this project, Thana Faroq offers a visual and textual exploration of how the identities of this generation of women migrants in the Netherlands are continuously built and reshaped by their current circumstances and the homes they left behind.
“We are in a kind of archaeological restoration program, where we try to build and construct a new life over the ruins of our past losses. Our homes are under construction. Our bodies are under construction. Our finances are under construction. Our identity is under construction.”
The event will feature a limited number of copies of books for purchase. You can purchase the book online here.
About the presenters:
Thana Faroq is a Yemeni photographer, writer, and educator, currently based in the Netherlands. Her artistic practice is primarily focused on capturing the aftermath of pivotal events, especially in the context of migration. Faroq’s work is deeply rooted in themes of women's resilience, adaptability, and the search for belonging. Through her lens, she provides a poignant exploration of post-disaster homes — spaces that are rich tapestries of loss, hope, memories, and the enduring spirit of those who rebuild and move forward.
Faroq’s work serves as a visual autobiography, resonating with topics of memory, migration, and intergenerational trauma. She intertwines text and image, using words not just as a supplementary narrative but as standalone imagery. This approach allows her to explore the profound changes that have shaped her life and sense of belonging, both in her native Yemen and in her adopted home in the Netherlands. Faroq’s recently published her new book How Shall We Greet the Sun which was listed as one of the most beautiful and impressive books of 2023 by NRC Netherlands. Accolades in Faroq’s career include the Open Society Foundations Fellowship Grant in 2018, support from the Arab Documentary Photography Program backed by the Prince Claus Fund, Magnum Foundation, and Arab Fund for Arts and Culture in 2019, recognition as ‘One to Watch’ by the British Journal of Photography in 2020, and the PhotoWien Photo Book Award in 2021 for her book, I Don’t Recognize Me in the Shadows. http://thanafaroq.com/
Elisabeth Sherman is the Senior Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the International Center of Photography (ICP). At ICP, she has curated exhibitions including Yto Barrada: Part-Time Abstractionist, which is currently on view, as well as ICP at 50: From the Collection, 1845–2019, David Seidner: Fragments, 1977-99 and Muriel Hasbun: Tracing Terruño, the first NYC survey of multidisciplinary artist Muriel Hasbun. Sherman joined ICP from the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she curated and co-curated numerous exhibitions including Dawoud Bey: An American Project (2019–2022), Making Knowing: Craft in Art, 1950 -2019 and the Whitney’s presentation of Zoe Leonard: Survey.
Magnum Foundation is in an elevator building and has a restroom that is wheelchair accessible and gender-neutral. For access requests or questions, please contact events@magnumfoundation.org. As a small team, we will better be able to respond to requests made at least one week in advance.
Masks are currently appreciated, but not required. We may provide additional instructions ahead of the event.
Magnum Foundation events are made possible by the Henry Nias Foundation and our Circle of Friends. Additional support for this event was provided by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
