Kenan Khatib is a visual artist, whirling dervish, and PhD candidate in Fine Arts, at the University of Rennes 2. Born in Damascus, Syria, and based in France, he earned a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts (Arts plastiques) and a Master's degree in Creative Approaches in Public Spaces (CAPS) at the University of Rennes 2. His practice focuses on performance, video, visual and sound installations, and the whirling dervish dance.
From a young age, he has practiced the whirling dervish dance, a tradition passed down in his family from Aleppo and Turkey. Over time, this evolved into a professional artistic path involving collaborations and experimentation with ensembles such as the Hamza Shakkur Ensemble and the Tahleeleh Ensemble across Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Pakistan, Algeria, and Morocco. This experience has placed collaborative creation at the core of his work, which he continues to develop through artistic partnerships with diverse artists in France.
His background has inspired a deep reflection on the memory of a destroyed city and how to represent it within radically different geopolitical and cultural contexts. Through his projects, he explores how art can revitalize personal memory and contribute to collective memory, questioning the place of the individual in war, displacement, and the modern urban environment.
Education:
2025–present, PhD candidate, Rennes 2 University (EUR CAPS – PTAC), Rennes, France.
2025 Master’s degree CAPS – (Creative Approaches to Public Space), Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2023 Bachelor’s degree in arts plastiques, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2025–present, PhD candidate, Rennes 2 University (EUR CAPS – PTAC), Rennes, France.
2025 Master’s degree CAPS – (Creative Approaches to Public Space), Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2023 Bachelor’s degree in arts plastiques, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
Scientific Activities:
2026 Talk, "Art in the Context of Syrian Conflict and Exile after 2011: Image and Performance as Tools for Reconfiguring Individual Narratives and Collective Memory," ARVIMM Seminar, EHESS, Paris, France.
2025 Talk, "Building Collectively in Times of Conflict," Doctoral Seminar of the UR PTAC, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2026 Article, "Une carte sur la cartographie" (A Map about Mapping), collective publication What connects us?
2025 Article, "Cities, Memories, and Sound Spaces of Exile: An Interview with Burhan and Kenan Khatib," Burhan Khatib, Kenan Khatib, Élise Petit, and Charles Magron, Revue Filigrane n°30, 2025.
2026 Member of the editorial committee, collective publication What connects us?
2025–26 Member of the organizing committee, Doctoriales CAPS 2026, Rennes–La Roche du Theil, France.
2026 Heuristic Mapping Workshop, with Marion Renauld, Doctoriales CAPS 2026, La Roche du Theil, France.
2026 Talk, "Art in the Context of Syrian Conflict and Exile after 2011: Image and Performance as Tools for Reconfiguring Individual Narratives and Collective Memory," ARVIMM Seminar, EHESS, Paris, France.
2025 Talk, "Building Collectively in Times of Conflict," Doctoral Seminar of the UR PTAC, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2026 Article, "Une carte sur la cartographie" (A Map about Mapping), collective publication What connects us?
2025 Article, "Cities, Memories, and Sound Spaces of Exile: An Interview with Burhan and Kenan Khatib," Burhan Khatib, Kenan Khatib, Élise Petit, and Charles Magron, Revue Filigrane n°30, 2025.
2026 Member of the editorial committee, collective publication What connects us?
2025–26 Member of the organizing committee, Doctoriales CAPS 2026, Rennes–La Roche du Theil, France.
2026 Heuristic Mapping Workshop, with Marion Renauld, Doctoriales CAPS 2026, La Roche du Theil, France.
Exhibitions / Collective Projects:
2025, Une reconstruction prolongée, Tokonoma, Rennes, France.
2024 Bois Perrin vous invite, European Heritage Days, EUR CAPS, Rennes, France.
2024 Matière sensible, Centre d’art Bastille, as part of the 18ᵗʰ edition of the cultural festival of Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France.
2024 Bois Perrin dans le (m)arbre, EUR CAPS collective project students, Rennes, France.
2023–24 Artistic residency (Collectif Serge) at the Terrain d’Aventure of the association L’Allumette, supported by DRAC Bretagne and EUR CAPS, Rennes, France.
2023 Manifeste Miasonner, EUR CAPS collective project, Rennes, France.
2023 Trois jours à Groix, Bois Perrin, Rennes, France.
2023 Open Day (Journée portes ouvertes), Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2022–23 Performette, Waterproof Festival, Le Triangle, Rennes, France.
2025, Une reconstruction prolongée, Tokonoma, Rennes, France.
2024 Bois Perrin vous invite, European Heritage Days, EUR CAPS, Rennes, France.
2024 Matière sensible, Centre d’art Bastille, as part of the 18ᵗʰ edition of the cultural festival of Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France.
2024 Bois Perrin dans le (m)arbre, EUR CAPS collective project students, Rennes, France.
2023–24 Artistic residency (Collectif Serge) at the Terrain d’Aventure of the association L’Allumette, supported by DRAC Bretagne and EUR CAPS, Rennes, France.
2023 Manifeste Miasonner, EUR CAPS collective project, Rennes, France.
2023 Trois jours à Groix, Bois Perrin, Rennes, France.
2023 Open Day (Journée portes ouvertes), Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2022–23 Performette, Waterproof Festival, Le Triangle, Rennes, France.
Dervish performances (selection):
2026 Les Nuits de Fourvière, Musée des Confluences, "Prélude," Wasl, with Burhan Khatib, Lyon, France.
2025 Créations Musicales of the MAAAV Master’s program, with Burhan Khatib, Museum of Fine Arts, Lyon, France.
2024 Il est défendu d’entrer dans le jardin public sans fleurs à la main, Franck Chauvet and Muriel Taragano, Orangerie du Thabor, Rennes, France.
2017–18 Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Events, Istanbul, Turkey.
2015 Tripoli International Festival, Tahleeleh Ensemble, Tripoli, Lebanon.
2014 International Mystic Music Festival, Tahleeleh Ensemble, Lahore - Islamabad, Pakistan.
2014 Algeria Independence Day Festivals, Tahleeleh Ensemble, (Plusieurs villes) Algérie.
2012 Festival of Spiritual and Religious Music, Damascus, Syria
2010 Chefchaouen Sufi Song Festival, Tahleeleh Ensemble, Chefchaouen, Morocco.
2009 Damascus Citadel Festival, Hamza Shakkur Ensemble, Damascus, Syria
2026 Les Nuits de Fourvière, Musée des Confluences, "Prélude," Wasl, with Burhan Khatib, Lyon, France.
2025 Créations Musicales of the MAAAV Master’s program, with Burhan Khatib, Museum of Fine Arts, Lyon, France.
2024 Il est défendu d’entrer dans le jardin public sans fleurs à la main, Franck Chauvet and Muriel Taragano, Orangerie du Thabor, Rennes, France.
2017–18 Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Events, Istanbul, Turkey.
2015 Tripoli International Festival, Tahleeleh Ensemble, Tripoli, Lebanon.
2014 International Mystic Music Festival, Tahleeleh Ensemble, Lahore - Islamabad, Pakistan.
2014 Algeria Independence Day Festivals, Tahleeleh Ensemble, (Plusieurs villes) Algérie.
2012 Festival of Spiritual and Religious Music, Damascus, Syria
2010 Chefchaouen Sufi Song Festival, Tahleeleh Ensemble, Chefchaouen, Morocco.
2009 Damascus Citadel Festival, Hamza Shakkur Ensemble, Damascus, Syria
Workshops (Participation):
2024 Freshorama, Audiovisual Research Methodologies, EUR CAPS, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2024 Art et société, oralité et conte, with Myriame Martineau, EUR CAPS, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2024 Exposer un processus de création, TNB, EUR CAPS, Rennes 2 University, with Marie-Noëlle Semet and Sophie Lucet, as part of the show SKINLESS by Théo Mercier, Rennes, France.
2023 Momoshima Ponant, Rennes 2 University, Hiroshima City University, EUR CAPS, with Taro Furukata, Séverine Cauchy, Émeline Jaret, Yann Sérandour, and Anne Zeitz, Groix & Rennes, France.
2023 Travail artistique à plusieurs, Rennes 2 University, EUR CAPS, with Émeline Jaret and Laura Aufrère, Rennes, France.
2023 À la rue, EUR CAPS, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2022 Performance et genre with Hortense Belhôt, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2024 Freshorama, Audiovisual Research Methodologies, EUR CAPS, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2024 Art et société, oralité et conte, with Myriame Martineau, EUR CAPS, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2024 Exposer un processus de création, TNB, EUR CAPS, Rennes 2 University, with Marie-Noëlle Semet and Sophie Lucet, as part of the show SKINLESS by Théo Mercier, Rennes, France.
2023 Momoshima Ponant, Rennes 2 University, Hiroshima City University, EUR CAPS, with Taro Furukata, Séverine Cauchy, Émeline Jaret, Yann Sérandour, and Anne Zeitz, Groix & Rennes, France.
2023 Travail artistique à plusieurs, Rennes 2 University, EUR CAPS, with Émeline Jaret and Laura Aufrère, Rennes, France.
2023 À la rue, EUR CAPS, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2022 Performance et genre with Hortense Belhôt, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2025 Research internship, Cartographie sensible, Laboratoire Espaces et Sociétés (ESO – Rennes), Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France.
2023 Artistic assistant, film project: Question pour personnages actuels et futurs, Francis Raynaud, Rennes, France.