Manaf Halbouni

Shifting Values features four electromechanical security bollards, like those used to protect embassies. symbolizing the tension between freedom and control, as well as the interplay of past and present. At its core is an acoustic element: visitors hear the chant “We are the people,” (Wir sind das Volk) presented in two contrasting historical contexts. When the bollards rise, the voices come from a 2015 PEGIDA demonstration in Dresden, where the phrase was used to express exclusion and division. When they lower, the recording shifts to the peaceful revolution in Leipzig in 1989, when the same words stood for freedom, unity, and democracy. The work builds on an earlier version: originally, the rising bollards triggered the U.S. national anthem, while the lowering played Mexico’s. highlighting tensions and border politics between the two countries. It has since been adapted for its current context in Lübeck, a city shaped by its former proximity to the inner-German border. One phrase, two meanings. The work asks how language and values shift over time and when a call for “the people” includes or excludes. #wir_sind_das_volk #contemporary_art #art #art_installation

All WE NEED IS LOVE It’s a challenging time for artists everywhere. Creating has never been more accessible, but making a living from it has rarely been harder. At the end of the day, #art survives because people believe in it. Because someone listens, watches, feels something and decides it matters. #Artists don’t just need exposure. They need support. Real support. So if you believe in someone’s work, show it. Share it. Invest in it. Stand behind it. To every artist out there: Keep going. Keep creating. Keep your head up. #Love is still the reason we do this and the reason it matters

„THE BROKEN DREAMS“ What is a home? Observing the real estate market makes you shake your head over the last few years. To have a house became a not affordable wish. Painting a house that I would like to live in became the motivation for this series that keeps growing. I am investigating the market by walking through the streets and watching properties and also dealing with my family’s past that has a history of losing properties. House Nr.29 Year: 2026 Size: 80x100cm #manafhalbouni #broken_dreams #art #painting #contemporaryart

Dream illegal - Kunst als Widerstand 1.Mai - 31.Juli 26 Interventionen im öffentlichen Raum Mit: @manafh @mads_lynnerup @bankleer @pengcollective @rocco_and_his_brothers #art #kunst #intervention #verbindungslinien #widerstand @bbk_bayern Mehr unter: Verbindungslinien/BBK aus Mitteln des Bayerischen Staatsministeriums für Wissenschaft und Kunst

Where could this be? „THE BROKEN DREAMS“ What is a home? Observing the real estate market makes you shake your head over the last few years. To have a house became a not affordable wish. Painting a house that I would like to live in became the motivation for this series that keeps growing. I am investigating the market by walking through the streets and watching properties and also dealing with my family’s past that has a history of losing properties. House Nr.28 Year: 2026 Size: 80x100cm #manafhalbouni #broken_dreams #art #painting #contemporaryart

On originality and respect in artistic practice @mohamed.elkhatib.officiel @le_grand_palais @centrepompidou Artists often arrive at similar ideas independently. That’s part of the nature of creative work, shared concerns, shared references and parallel thinking across different contexts. In 2015, I began a project titled “Nowhere is Home,” which explores forced migration, guest workers returning home during the summer with overloaded cars, and the broader dream of moving freely across borders. A central element of this installation has always been the act of physically driving these cars to exhibitions and back. Between 2015 and 2022, the project evolved through multiple iterations. I generally have no issue when another artist develops a similar idea in their own way. Independent approaches can lead to meaningful and diverse outcomes. However, there is a clear line between shared inspiration and direct imitation. When a work is not only conceptually similar but also replicates specific elements and modes of presentation, it stops being coincidence and becomes appropriation. To my colleague: having a similar idea and acting on it is valid. But extracting the car from the film context and presenting it in essentially the same way crosses that line. I ask for a basic level of respect and integrity in how we engage with each other’s work. #nowhereishome #manaf_halbouni #copycat #art #contemparyart

Episode 3 Last year in Damascus, I brought back my father’s old Omega watch, a piece he never wore. It was given to him in 1994 during a visit by Hafez al-Assad... engraved with his face. My father hid it away for years since no one was allayed to touch it. Now, I’m transforming it into an artwork, pairing it with a second watch and placing my piece “L IS FOR LOVE” inside. Turning something heavy into something human. Production costs ~500€, and I’d appreciate your support #contemporaryart #artproject #memory #damascus #middeleasternart

EPISODE 2 Introducing the project ZONES. In the workgroup “ZONES” I deal with active United Nations peacekeeping missions. There are 11 active missions, stand 2026 Some of them are demilitarized zones, others are de-facto states, some are in existing countries. Most of these conflicts started after colonial power moved out, leaving a chaos behind willingly or unwillingly. Through this work, I reflect on the history of these missions, why the United Nations was formed, and what role it plays today. It ultimately raises a question: what real leverage does the UN still have in the world? Specially in times where no one cares about international law anymore. #manafhalbouni #contemporyart #unitednation #art_and_conflict #art

Sorry I didn’t realize the video in my last post was cut. Here’s the full version Dear art friends, I’m starting a small video series where I’ll be sharing and reflecting on some of my past works. In future posts, I’ll also talk about current projects I’m working on, as well as thoughts and ideas that have been on my mind lately. I’d love to hear what you think and I’m happy to answer any questions in the comments.

Dear art friends, I’m starting a small video series where I’ll be sharing and reflecting on some of my past works. In future posts, I’ll also talk about current projects I’m working on, as well as thoughts and ideas that have been on my mind lately. I’d love to hear what you think—and I’m happy to answer any questions in the comments. P.S. Thank you @thekaderattia for the inspiring artist talk two weeks ago @hamburger_bahnhof #manafhalbouni #contemporary_art #art #fragments #christianity .

Manaf Halbouni @manafh : Broken Dreams Manaf Halbouni setzt sich in seiner Arbeit mit Heimat, Verlust, Erinnerung und Hoffnung auseinander. In der Serie Broken Dreams zeigt er bunt gemalte Häuser, die auf den ersten Blick vertraut wirken, gleichzeitig aber etwas Zerbrechliches und Traumhaftes in sich tragen. Sie stehen nicht für Luxus oder bloße Fantasie, sondern für das, was ein Haus eigentlich bedeutet: Schutz, Privatheit, Heimat und Geborgenheit. Vor dem Hintergrund von Krieg, Zerstörung und Verlust bekommen diese Bilder eine besondere Tiefe. Sowohl Syrien als auch Dresden tragen Erfahrungen von Verwüstung in sich. Was zerstört wurde, hinterlässt nicht nur Leere, sondern auch Erinnerungen, Sehnsüchte und die Hoffnung auf ein neues Zuhause. Halbounis Werke schaffen deshalb ein Gegenbild zur harten Realität. Sie zeigen, wie Fantasie, Farbe und ornamentale Details zu einem Ausdruck von innerer Heilung werden können. … zu sehen in der aktuellen Ausstellung „Liminalität. Räume im Übergang“ 08.02. – 10.05.26 in der Städtischen Galerie Villingen-Schwenningen. Manaf Halbouni explores themes of home, loss, memory, and hope in his work. In his Broken Dreams series, he presents brightly painted houses that appear familiar at first glance, yet carry a sense of fragility and dreamlike ambiguity. They do not represent luxury or mere fantasy, but rather what a home truly means: protection, privacy, belonging, and security. Against the backdrop of war, destruction, and loss, these images gain a particular depth. Both Syria and Dresden share histories marked by devastation. What has been destroyed leaves behind not only emptiness, but also memories, longings, and the hope for a new home. Halbouni’s works therefore create a counter-image to harsh reality. They show how imagination, color, and ornamental detail can become expressions of inner healing. … on view in the current exhibition „Liminality. Spaces in Transition“ 08.02. – 10.05.26, at the Städtische Galerie Villingen-Schwenningen. Foto: © Städtische Galerie Villingen-Schwenningen/Manaf Halbouni #ManafHalbouni #BrokenDreams #Ausstellung #Kunst #ZeitgenössischeKunst Heimat Erinnerung Hoffnung Dresden Damaskus

Big city dreams? THE BROKEN DREAMS“ What is a home? Observing the real estate market makes you shake your head over the last few years. To have a house became a not affordable wish. Painting a house that I would like to live in became the motivation for this series that keeps growing. I am investigating the market by walking through the streets and watching properties and also dealing with my family’s past that has a history of losing properties. House Nr.27 Year: 2026 Size: 100x120cm #manafhalbouni #broken_dreams #art #painting #contemporaryart