Ahmad Al Rayyan

About this place

Ahmad Al Rayyan explores experiences of forced migration, exile and bureaucracy in his work. His paintings are created using screen printing, from geometric patterns layered many times over that recall Arabic ornamentation. On closer inspection, you see individual features of documents, such as train tickets – everyday objects that make contrasts like freedom and restriction, mobility and stasis visible. Al Rayyan’s works refer to experiences as a stateless person: to the forced expulsion from the country of origin caused by conflict and the subsequent admission process in the Swiss legal system.