Microreview: Prisoners of Love

1 Basel Ruanne
The video was made under the constant threat of violence, oppression and censorship.
2 Basel Ruanne
Poetic (song)lines are interwoven with images of Palestine
3 Basel Ruanne
Video installation showing the purple thistle, a native plant to Palestine
4 Basel Ruanne
Panels with black and white drawings by Tawfik Abou-Rahme, the father of Ruanne
5 Basel Ruanne
The back panels of the drawings show the research and connections worldwide, lifting the Palestinian cause to a broader context
6 Basel Ruanne
The ongoing study of global and intergenerational political resistance against oppression and colonialism
7 Basel Ruanne
The research is accessible to the visitor at the Organ, a tactile space one floor below
Date
2026 June
Subtitle
THE KOKRA FAMILY reviews Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom by Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme on view at Kunstinstituut Melly until 27 Sept 2026.
Type
microreview
Author / Publisher
THE KOKRA FAMILY for NewsLibrary
Guest Editor

Nienke Terpsma

Author Info

THE KOKRA FAMILY is a queer collective, researching the concept of family in all its manifestations. We believe in the 'deep family', kinship can occur anywhere, there are more ties than just blood ties, there are possibilities beyond what is law.

@kokrafamily

@linekramer

@marjolijnkok

Also published here

Newsletter No. 79

@sarn_switzerland

Reviewed Publication

Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom by Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme on view at Kunstinstituut Melly until 27 Sept 2026.

Imagine the worst, and then make art. Palestinian artist couple Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme know the worst, they live it. It didn’t rob them of their creativity, it powers it. Their work 'Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom' is highly engaged/political and, what's more, it is unapologetically beautiful. Being in their immersive installation makes you aware of all the contradictions you can imagine within a human life. The soundscape, loud, adds to a feeling of unease vs. enjoyment. It makes you go through all possible emotions. But the thing is: there is beauty in all of it, and that’s where the amazement settles in your mind. That’s where you feel the power of good art: 'Prisoners of Love' speaks about horror while easing our souls with beauty. We leave this amazing space with our hearts full of hope.

Image credits: THE KOKRA FAMILY