Refresh interweaves political commentary with personal narrative and collaborative works and seeks to engage visitors in a dialogue about identity, political events, and cultural memory.

The exhibition’s title plays on the digital act of refreshing a social media feed to see new content, mirroring the artist’s social media-centric practice as well as the exhibition’s changing nature. Having the works situated in public spaces echoes the artist’s principle of making his work free and accessible to all, a hallmark of his online presence.

A band of red colour is dispersed along walls at Kunstnernes Hus: in the restaurant and across hallways and interstitial spaces. The red band demarcates the spaces across which Refresh will unfold. Over two months, new works will appear in the restaurant and gradually be moved onto other surfaces. As such, visitors will experience a growing body of work that expands and evolves with each visit, challenging the static nature of traditional exhibitions and reflecting the unpredictability and immediacy of social media feeds. With this approach to exhibition making, visitors are encouraged to repeat visits and deeper engagement.

In a moment where political and artistic freedoms are increasingly at risk, Albaih's artistic practice is rooted in the belief in the power of art to foster dialogue, inspire change, and connect communities across geographies. Refresh is intended as an experiment in making the institution a platform for critical discourse and cultural exchange, inviting audiences to see the world through fresh perspectives.

In conjunction with Refresh, there will be clothing items designed by the artist available in the shop.

On Wednesday, April 2, 2025 we screen two Sudanese films at our cinema: Heroic Bodies by Sara Suliman and Bahar by Albaih. The program is a collaboration between Khalid Albaih, Kunstnernes Hus Cinema and the Arab Film Days.

The exhibition is curated by Sarah Lookofsky. It is generously sponsored by Fritt Ord, and part of a broader collaboration with the foundation. Thanks to Alcro for sponsoring the wall paint.

Installation views: Tor S. Ulstein/Kunstdok. From the opening: Mathilde Velvin. Artist portrait: Fondazione Brescia Musei