The Art of Resistance: Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme’s Exploration of Memory and Identity
# The Power of Digital Archiving in Artistic Resistance: *May Amnesia Never Kiss Us on the Mouth*
In December 2020, Palestinian artist duo Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme launched Part I of their compelling digital project, *May Amnesia Never Kiss Us on the Mouth*, as part of the Dia Art Foundation’s Artist Web Projects series. This immersive exhibition began as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, curating found footage from conflict-ridden regions such as Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria. The project, subtitled *Postscript: After Everything is Extracted*, was a meditation on grief, loss, and resilience in a time of immense hardship. Now, with its second installment launched in 2022, Abbas and Abou-Rahme expand their practice to further explore how memory, resistance, and digital preservation intersect.
## **Art as Witness: Documenting Conflict and Resistance**
*May Amnesia Never Kiss Us on the Mouth* operates as more than just an art project—it serves as an act of archiving resistance. The exhibition consists of nearly 170 found recordings featuring protests, spontaneous performances, and communal gatherings. While these videos depict deeply personal and political expressions—songs sung in Arabic amid bombed streets, poetry recited in the ruins of homes, defiant cries in crowded demonstrations—their presentation in a digital space ensures that they are not lost to algorithms and erasure.
The significance of these videos goes beyond the immediate experience of watching them. Abbas and Abou-Rahme have painstakingly preserved context for each clip, providing detailed explanations of locations, individuals, and historical backgrounds. This counters the fleeting nature of many digital artifacts, which often disappear from the internet due to content moderation, censorship, or the volatility of social media archives.
## **Breaking the Cycle of Digital Erasure**
Social media and online journalism often distort information and reduce complex narratives into bite-sized content that lacks depth and context. In contrast, *May Amnesia Never Kiss Us on the Mouth* revives videos that might have otherwise been lost forever. These images and sounds are no longer passive content consumed before being replaced by the next trending news topic. Instead, they are transformed into enduring testimonies.
This focus on digital permanence is particularly critical in an age where oppressive regimes increasingly manipulate media narratives. By safeguarding visual evidence and personal testimonies, Abbas and Abou-Rahme are engaging in digital resistance—ensuring that the lived experiences of people in occupied and war-torn regions remain accessible for future generations.
## **The Role of Music and Performance in Memorialization**
One of the most compelling aspects of *May Amnesia Never Kiss Us on the Mouth* is its emphasis on music as a form of resistance. Many of the archival clips feature people singing and performing in public and private spaces. These performances are not merely entertainment; they function as methods of collective mourning and defiance.
Song lyrics translated into English allow a global audience to grasp the depth of emotion conveyed in the recordings. These performances become a means of reclaiming identity, preserving culture, and expressing solidarity across borders. They challenge the notion that resistance must always take the form of direct confrontation—sometimes, maintaining cultural traditions in the face of erasure is itself a revolutionary act.
## **Why Archival Art Matters Now More Than Ever**
The themes of loss, displacement, and survival resonate strongly with today’s political realities. Governments and institutions worldwide are suppressing historical truths, banning books, and erasing inconvenient narratives. In this context, Abbas and Abou-Rahme’s work serves as an essential countermeasure against governmental and algorithmic memory loss. Their project underscores that remembering—and insisting on continuing to remember—is itself a political act.
Furthermore, as online platforms increasingly control the narratives that reach mainstream audiences, artists play a crucial role in reclaiming space for underrepresented voices. *May Amnesia Never Kiss Us on the Mouth* challenges the idea that digital projects are passive experiences; instead, it calls on viewers to engage critically with historical memory and contemporary struggles.
## **Conclusion: An Exhibition of Digital Resistance**
Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme’s *May Amnesia Never Kiss Us on the Mouth* proves that digital art can be more than an aesthetic experience—it can be a powerful form of activism. By preserving and presenting these moments of resistance, the project asserts itself against the forces of erasure that threaten the memory of marginalized communities.
Though watching a video on a screen may seem like a small act, the knowledge that these performances, protests, and personal expressions exist in the public record is invaluable. In an era where memory is constantly under siege, this project stands as a declaration: The resilience of those who resist will not be forgotten.
This long-term digital exhibition remains available through the Dia Art Foundation’s Artist Web Projects series, ensuring that everyday resistance continues to find its place in the collective consciousness.