The artistic research practice of DAAR (Decolonizing Architecture Art Research), founded by Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti, operates at the intersection of architecture, art, pedagogy and politics. For over two decades, their collaborative work, both theoretical and practically engaged, has reimagined spaces of exile, displacement and resistance, transforming art exhibitions into active platforms for civic engagement, education and political imagination.

DAAR questions dominant narratives of heritage and nationhood, advocating instead for decolonial futures rooted in lived experience. Their work consistently connects to local struggles with global questions of justice and demonstrates how architecture and art can propose and inhabit alternative narratives and spaces. 

*The text was written as part of the exhibition we refuse_d is produced by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, on the occasion of their 15th anniversary, and presented in partnership with M HKA. Curated by Nadia Radwan and Vasıf Kortun.