Damascus, SANA-At the National Museum in Damascus, where history intertwines with the silence of stone, the exhibition “Detainees and the Disappeared” has been inaugurated. Organized by the Creative Memory of the Syrian Revolution platform, the exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Culture and the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums.
Running until June 6, the exhibition revisits one of the most painful chapters of Syrian memory. Over 14 years of continuous effort, artist Sanaa Yazji, director of the platform, has dedicated herself to documenting the suffering of Syrians through art—transforming documentation into a form of justice-seeking.
The exhibition is structured into ten chapters, tracing the revolution’s timeline and culminating in the artwork “The Fall of the Deposed.” It moves chronologically from 2011, marking the first arrests, through 2012, exploring art in detention, 2013, the chemical attack on Ghouta and its devastating aftermath, 2014–2015, the Caesar files, 2016–2017, human slaughterhouses, 2018, lists of the dead, 2019–2020, trials seeking justice, and finally 2024–2025, symbolizing the dictator’s downfall.
During the opening, the Gardenia Choir performed a selection of iconic songs deeply ingrained in memory.
Minister of Culture Mohammad Yassin Saleh, present at the event, stated: “We inaugurate this exhibition alongside the issuance of the presidential decree establishing the National Commission for the Missing. Culture can only be built upon truth, and dignity is safeguarded only by granting the disappeared their rightful recognition. Truth must not be hidden as its victims were hidden. Our responsibility today is to do everything in our power to uncover it.”
The minister also announced an award in honor of those who helped preserve the Damascus National Museum, acknowledging their invaluable role.
Dr. Rima Khawam, Secretary of the National Museum, spoke about the significance of hosting this exhibition in a space that chronicles human history. She highlighted its importance in providing room for the contemporary Syrian memory—documenting pain, resilience, and loss—positioning “Detainees and the Disappeared” as part of a broader narrative of truth and justice.
Expressing optimism about the exhibition’s role in reconnecting with detainees, Anne-Sophie, chargé d’affaires at the German embassy in Syria, remarked: “The fact that we are here, hosting this exhibition, and openly discussing the past, present, and future is a significant moment. It signals that shared reflection is expanding and that memory is being reclaimed.”
Reem Safi/Manar Salameh
