Born in Gaza in 1990, Mahmoud Alhaj holds a BA in journalism and has worked as an art teacher at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society since 2017. He has produced six projects using photography, digital art, and videos exhibited widely in Palestine, Europe, and the United States. In 2022, his short experimental film “The Right to See” was screened at the 35th Festival Les Instants Video in Marseille. In 2021, the film was screened at the Cairo Video Festival alongside a duo exhibition with Rob Voerman at Plaatsmaken studio in the Netherlands. His first solo show titled “402 Of Gray” was held in Gaza, while his second solo show “Violence 24/7” was held at Uxval Gochez Gallery in Barcelona in 2024. He has participated in many collective exhibitions such as “Fenced Off” by ICRC in 2022, “ART NOW” at Gallery One in 2021, “Art in Isolation” at the Middle East Institute in Washington in 2020, “Contemplative Contrasts” by A.M. Qattan Foundation, and “Orient 2.0″ at Pulchri Studio in the Netherlands in 2017. He was an artist in residence at the Royal Spanish Academy in Rome and the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague in 2021. He recently completed his residency at Cité International des Arts in Paris.
The strength of Alhaj’s latest projects lies in his foresight in studying violence technology, an issue of increasing importance in the Palestinian context as the genocide in Gaza intensifies using these technologies. His work stands out due to his meticulous attention to detail and his ability to transcend the limitations of digital techniques, resisting their easy allure. Instead, he takes a more deliberate approach, manipulating digital technology to serve his vision and ideas.
Mahmoud Alhaj has recently relocated from Gaza to Egypt, where he is now based.