Khaled Barakeh

Khaled Barakeh

Conceptual artist, cultural activist, and creative facilitator

Khaled Barakeh is a Syrian-born Berlin-based multidisciplinary artist, activist, and creative facilitator. Trained as a painter at the Fine Arts Faculty in Damascus, Barakeh shifted his focus to conceptual art practices with his two Master’s degrees at Odense and Frankfurt. Barakeh uses his training and education to challenge structural injustice and voice out marginalized voices. His widely-exhibited works, including the internationally-toured 2020 'MUTE' installation, intervene critically on traditional representations of violence. Shortlisted for the 2023 Exile Visual Arts Award, Barakeh is a respected speaker and collaborator with international organizations such as Amnesty, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, and the Danish Refugee Council. Barakeh’s  Studio engagement is driven by what he has termed The Practice of Necessity, an ethos that dictates responses to the urgencies of ever-changing realities. That led him to found coculture, a non-profit organization rooted in the intersectionality between art, activism, and community building, to support exiled culture and cultural producers. His work has been exhibited internationally at museums, Biennales, and other institutions and venues.