MQ Forecourt
ab Fr 01.09. bis Do 30.11.

‘What does it mean to wait? The world moves around you, the sun goes down, seasons come and go, and winter follows the fall with its dreamy grace. Rain falls softly and steadily, everything transitions slowly, but the motion of change never falters. Mother Earth herself turns in one direction and always onward; everywhere, except in your own life. As you wait, your mind does not stop thinking; you are angry and bitter, lonely and abandoned. You wake up in the morning and put a smile on your face the same way you put on your socks before heading out.’ — Thana Faroq

I Was Younger Yesterday (2020), a project by the Yemeni artist Thana Faroq reflects on the lives of Lyla, Rahmin, Hafsa, Chaman, and Ammar, each of which is marked by waiting. Faroq met all of them in the Netherlands, where they live in uncertainty, suspended between the recognition of their refugee status, waiting for the associated residence permit. Thana Faroq addresses this gruelling state of limbo, which can be countered by nothing but waiting.

Thana Faroq (*1990) is an award-winning Yemeni photographer, writer, and educator currently based in the Netherlands. She works with photography, texts, and moving images to explore the changes that have shaped her life and sense of belonging, in both Yemen and the Netherlands.

Photo: Thana Faroq, I Was Younger Yesterday, 2020 © Thana Faroq