Collective Marie Skeie & Motaz Habbash

Motaz al Habbash (*1982 in Gaza/Palestine) and Marie Skeie (*1980 in Stavanger/Norway) are an artist duo who have collaborated on cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural projects for over a decade. Their first joint project explored the topic of identity through artistic passports as part of the exhibition and social project Borders – cross or return. Since then, their collaborative practice has consistently revolved around themes of belonging, identity and cultural negotiation.

Motaz al Habbash is a Palestinian artist and art producer working primarily with video and socially engaged, participatory formats. His practice focuses on creating spaces for encounters across cultures, institutions and communities. Recent projects include the film installation Stolen Well, shown at A. M. Qattan Foundation in Ramallah/State of Palestine, and the short film Who am I Between the Two?, currently in production. In 2022, he led a residency program for artists from conflict areas in collaboration with PRAKSIS Oslo and PRIO, and curated the art festival Here & Now in Bergen, featuring exhibitions, film, sound installations, workshops, poetry and animation.

Marie Skeie is an artist, researcher and curator based in Hardanger/Norway. Her work moves between artistic and craft-based practices, research and activism, with a focus on collective processes, public space and environmental knowledge. She studied at the Academy of Art and Design in Bergen/Norway, the National Academy of Art and Design in Oslo/Norway, and the University of Bergen. She is currently completing a PhD at the University of South-Eastern Norway. In her doctoral project Colours of Gaza, she brings her plant dyeing practice into a kindergarten setting in Gaza. Her artistic work is grounded in land crafting and material knowledge, often through plant dyeing and weaving, as in If we go back there is no colours and related works. She has initiated and contributed to long-term projects including Her og der (2017–ongoing), The Stitch Project (2012–ongoing) and Hand Memories (2022).

At Akademie Schloss Solitude, Motaz al Habbash and Marie Skeie are planning to develop Suspended Roots, a new social and participatory art project that builds on earlier collaborations. Through gatherings involving food, craft and conversation, the project will explore themes of identity, belonging and artistic potential for transformation. The duo will also continue their ongoing work on Her og der and Letters from Gaza. During the residency, Marie Skeie will lead workshops on plant-based dyeing as part of the Botanical Colour Laboratory, exploring the local landscape through artistic research. Motaz al Habbash will continue work on his film Who am I Between the Two?, focusing on questions of identity and home across cultural contexts.