Her + Him

Akram Zaatari (Lebanese, b. 1966) is a filmmaker, photographer, archival artist, and curator who lives and works in Beirut, Lebanon. Author of more than 40 videos and video installations, Zaatari explores issues pertinent to post-war Lebanon and the way television mediates territorial conflicts and wars, and is particularly interested in the logic of religious and national resistance movements in the Middle East. Zaatari is co-founder of the Arab Image Foundation (Beirut, founded 1997), and his work is largely based on collecting, studying, and archiving the photographic history of the Arab world. 

Her + Him tells the story of Egyptian studio photographer Van Leo and a woman known only as “Nadia,” who entered Studio Van Leo in 1957 and asked to be photographed in the nude. The film explores the entire series of images, which documents “Nadia” undressing in 12 poses, and also includes an in-depth interview with Van Leo about conventions related to his work.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website