Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Walid Raad. It dates from 2017 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
" The image appears to be a document or announcement from the White House, possibly related to border security issues.
This image shows a digital print featuring a white sheet with a black border. The sheet contains text, including a date, "January 25, 2017," and the title "Executive Disorder: Border Insecurity." The text also mentions "The White House" and "Office of the Press Secretary." At the bottom of the page, there is a signature and the year "2017."
The image appears to be a document or announcement from the White House, possibly related to border security issues. The use of a digital print medium suggests a modern and contemporary approach to art.
To learn more about the artist behind this piece, explore the work of Walid Raad.
Overview
Untitled is one of nine digital prints created by Walid Raad in 2017, part of a portfolio held by The Museum of Modern Art. Raad, born in Lebanon in 1967 and based in New York, works across media to examine the construction of historical narratives, particularly in relation to Lebanon’s modern conflicts. This piece, like others in the series, mimics official documentation to question the authority and reliability of institutional records.
Subject & Meaning
The print presents a fabricated government document titled 'Executive Disorder: Border Insecurity,' bearing the imprint of the White House Office of the Press Secretary and dated January 25, 2017. By replicating the visual language of official communications, Raad interrogates how power shapes public perception through bureaucratic form. The work does not report an actual event but exposes the mechanisms by which authority is visually legitimized.
Technique & Style
Raad employs digital printing to produce a precise, sterile reproduction of bureaucratic paperwork. The composition is minimal: a white field bordered in black, with typed text aligned formally, mimicking institutional typography. The signature and year at the bottom reinforce the illusion of authenticity. This restrained aesthetic contrasts with the speculative content, heightening the tension between appearance and truth.
History & Provenance
The portfolio was produced in 2017 and entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly thereafter. It belongs to Raad’s broader project that evolved from The Atlas Group, a fictional archive he established in the 1990s to explore the gaps and distortions in Lebanon’s recorded history. This work continues that investigation, shifting focus to contemporary U.S. political rhetoric and its visual codification.
Context
Created during the early months of the Trump administration, the piece responds to heightened discourse around border policy and executive authority in the United States. Raad’s use of American institutional imagery reflects his broader interest in how political narratives are manufactured and disseminated. Though rooted in Lebanese history, his work increasingly engages with global patterns of state performance and documentation.
Legacy
Raad’s practice has influenced contemporary art’s engagement with archival fiction and institutional critique. By blurring the line between fact and fabrication, he invites viewers to reconsider the trust placed in official records. Untitled contributes to an ongoing dialogue about the role of art in exposing the constructed nature of historical and political truth.
Artist & collection
Artist
Walid Raad (Ra'ad) (Arabic: وليد رعد) (born 1967 in Chbanieh, Lebanon) is a contemporary media artist.
