Catalogue > At random

J€SUS $AVES explores the archeology of Hollywood as well as Arab fetishism in cinema and the early film industry. It is a reflection on how Hollywood's influence can shape our perceptions of race, gender, and power. In Los Angeles, I initiated research and shot 16mm films. In the dunes near Guadalupe, California, midway between San Francisco and L.A., Cecil B. DeMille constructed the largest movie set in history for his silent film, The Ten Commandments. The set was called "The City of the Pharaoh". Following filming, DeMille ordered that the entire set be dismantled and secretly buried in the dunes. J€SUS $AVES uses this as a launching point to explore themes of cultural appropriation and belonging.

Siska was born in Beirut and resides primarily in Berlin. He holds a Master's degree in Film and Audiovisual Arts from the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts. A key figure in the early Beiruti graffiti scene, Siska has also produced and performed music as part of the Lebanese Hip Hop group Kitaa Beirut ???? ?????. A large part of his practice involves archiveology, examining sociopolitical narratives in relation to personal and collective memories. It is common for his work to take the form of extended cinema where he applies cinematic codes as well as film language in order to explore various visual narrative techniques. At the Haus der Statistics in Berlin in August-2021, he curated a series of conversations, films, readings, and live performances as the artistic director of redeem ????, a platform for ongoing conversations between voices from Beirut in Berlin. In 2024 he became the artistic director and curator of ADfD - Alternative Monument for Germany, an Augmented Reality Memorial commemorating migration in Berlin that included workshops and public talks at Spore Initiative. Additionally, Siska has collaborated on numerous performance and music productions, taking a midpoint between his career as a visual artist and performance artist. In 2022, he completed his residency and fellowship at Villa Aurora in Los Angeles. Siska's work has been internationally shown, including Martin Gropius Bau (Berlin), Halle 14 (Leipzig), Paris 104 (Paris), Beirut Exhibition Center (Beirut), Mosaic Rooms (London), Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) and Silent Green Kulturquartier among others...