philomena & art & architecture platform | Wien
21. März - 25. Mai 2022
Die Ausstellug findet im Rahmen von Foto Wien (European Month of Photography) statt.
Résistance Naturelle
Abdessamad el Montassir
Die forschungsbasierten Arbeiten von Abdessamad El Montassir erzeugen reflexive Prozesse. Dabei arbeitet der Künstler vor allem mit dem Wissen um nicht-menschliche Identitäten, d.h. mit den Traumata von Pflanzen oder Steinen, die als Zeugen historischer, nicht dokumentierter Ereignisse fungieren. Er tut dies, um neue Denkansätze für unser soziales Umfeld zu schaffen. Der geografische Ausgangspunkt seiner Forschungen ist sein Herkunftsland Marokko, genauer gesagt die Sahara im Süden Marokkos, ein politisch stark umstrittenes Gebiet. In der Fotoausstellung Résistance Naturelle bei philomena+ wird Al Amakine vorgestellt. Anhand von Kartografien, die durch die Archivierung von Pflanzen, Poesie und Steinformationen entstanden sind, erzählt der Künstler alternative Erzählungen, so genannte Mikrogeschichten, die von der offiziellen Geschichte überschattet oder sogar ausgelöscht wurden. In seinem Film geht der Künstler Ereignissen nach, die die Landschaft der Sahara, der Wüste im Süden Marokkos, tiefgreifend verändert haben. Der Filmemacher sah sich mit einer stillen Umgebung konfrontiert, die von ihrer komplexen sozio-politischen Geschichte heimgesucht wird. Als Alternative beschloss er, sich auf das organische Leben in der Wüste zu konzentrieren, um die Amnesie der Menschen zu dekonstruieren.
Abdessamad El Montassir, geboren 1989 in Boujdour, Marokko, lebt heute in Marseille, Frankreich. Nach seinem Abschluss am Institut National des Beaux-Arts in Tetouan/Marokko absolvierte Abdessamad El Montassir einen MA in künstlerischer und ästhetischer Erziehung an der École Normale Supérieure in Meknès/Marokko. Er hat an mehreren nationalen und internationalen Ausstellungen teilgenommen, darunter Invisible, kuratiert von Alya Sebti und präsentiert auf der 13. Biennale für zeitgenössische afrikanische Kunst in Dakar/Senegal und in der ifa-Galerie Berlin/Deutschland (2018), De liens et d'exils in La Villa Empain - Fondation Boghossian in Brüssel/Belgien (2018), Al Amakine im Rahmen der 11ème Rencontres de Bamako/Mali (2017), Attokoussy in der Hinterland Galerie in Wien/Österreich und in Le Cube - independent art room in Rabat/Marokko (2017). Abdessamad El Montassir ist derzeit auch Stipendiat des Schlosses Solitude in Stuttgart.
Abdessamad El Montassir’s research-based works produce reflexive processes. In so doing, the artist works primarily with the knowledge of non-human identities, i.e. with the traumas of plants or stones, which function as witnesses to historical, non-documented events. He does this in order to generate new ways of thinking about our social environment. The geographical starting point for his research is his country of origin, Morocco, more specifically, the Sahara in southern Morocco, a territory much-disputed politically. The photo exhibition Résistance Naturelle at philomena+ will present Al Amakine. Using cartography created by archiving plants, poetry and stone formations, the artist tells alternative narratives, so-called micro-histories, which have been overshadowed or even erased by official history.The exhibition will also be accompanied by a screening of Abdessamad El Montassir’s most recent film project Galb’Echaouf. In his film, the artist investigates incidents that have profoundly altered the landscape of the Sahara, the desert in the southern part of Morocco. The filmmaker found himself facing a silent environment, haunted by its complex socio-political history. As an alternative, he decided to focus on the organic life that inhabits the desert, in an effort to deconstruct people’s amnesia.
Abdessamad El Montassir, born in 1989 in Boujdour, Morocco, Abdessamad El Montassir now lives in Marseille, France. After graduating from the Institut National des Beaux-Arts in Tetouan/Morocco, Abdessamad El Montassir completed an MA in artistic and aesthetic education at the École Normale Supérieure in Meknès/Morocco. He has participated in several national and international exhibitions, including Invisible, curated by Alya Sebti and presented at the 13th Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar/Senegal and at the ifa-Galerie Berlin/Germany (2018), De liens et d’exils at La Villa Empain – Fondation Boghossian in Brussels/Belgium (2018), Al Amakine in the context of the 11ème Rencontres de Bamako/Mali (2017), Attokoussy at the Hinterland Galerie in Vienna/Austria, and at Le Cube – independent art room in Rabat/Morocco (2017). Abdessamad El Montassir is presently also a fellow resident of the Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart.
Le opere di Abdessamad El Montassir, basate sulla ricerca, producono processi riflessivi. Così facendo, l'artista lavora principalmente con la conoscenza delle identità non umane, cioè con i traumi delle piante o delle pietre, che funzionano come testimoni di eventi storici non documentati. Lo fa per generare nuovi modi di pensare al nostro ambiente sociale. Il punto di partenza geografico della sua ricerca è il suo paese d'origine, il Marocco, più precisamente il Sahara nel sud del Marocco, un territorio molto conteso politicamente. La mostra fotografica Résistance Naturelle presso philomena+ presenterà Al Amakine. Utilizzando la cartografia creata archiviando piante, poesia e formazioni di pietra, l'artista racconta narrazioni alternative, le cosiddette microstorie, che sono state messe in ombra o addirittura cancellate dalla storia ufficiale.La mostra sarà inoltre accompagnata dalla proiezione del più recente progetto cinematografico di Abdessamad El Montassir, Galb'Echaouf. Nel suo film, l'artista indaga sugli incidenti che hanno profondamente alterato il paesaggio del Sahara, il deserto nella parte meridionale del Marocco. Il cineasta si è trovato di fronte a un ambiente silenzioso, ossessionato dalla sua complessa storia socio-politica. Come alternativa, ha deciso di concentrarsi sulla vita organica che abita il deserto, nel tentativo di decostruire l'amnesia della gente.
Abdessamad El Montassir, nato nel 1989 a Boujdour, Marocco, Abdessamad El Montassir vive oggi a Marsiglia, Francia. Dopo essersi diplomato all'Institut National des Beaux-Arts di Tetouan/Marocco, Abdessamad El Montassir ha completato un MA in educazione artistica ed estetica all'École Normale Supérieure di Meknès/Marocco. Ha partecipato a diverse mostre nazionali e internazionali, tra cui Invisible, curata da Alya Sebti e presentata alla 13a Biennale di arte africana contemporanea di Dakar/Senegal e alla ifa-Galerie di Berlino/Germania (2018), De liens et d'exils a La Villa Empain - Fondation Boghossian a Bruxelles/Belgio (2018), Al Amakine nel contesto degli 11ème Rencontres de Bamako/Mali (2017), Attokoussy alla Hinterland Galerie di Vienna/Austria, e a Le Cube - independent art room di Rabat/Marocco (2017). Abdessamad El Montassir è attualmente anche borsista dello Schloss Solitude di Stoccarda.
Abdessamad El Montassir’s research-based works produce reflexive processes. In so doing, the artist works primarily with the knowledge of non-human identities, i.e. with the traumas of plants or stones, which function as witnesses to historical, non-documented events. He does this in order to generate new ways of thinking about our social environment. The geographical starting point for his research is his country of origin, Morocco, more specifically, the Sahara in southern Morocco, a territory much-disputed politically. The photo exhibition Résistance Naturelle at philomena+ will present Al Amakine. Using cartography created by archiving plants, poetry and stone formations, the artist tells alternative narratives, so-called micro-histories, which have been overshadowed or even erased by official history.The exhibition will also be accompanied by a screening of Abdessamad El Montassir’s most recent film project Galb’Echaouf. In his film, the artist investigates incidents that have profoundly altered the landscape of the Sahara, the desert in the southern part of Morocco. The filmmaker found himself facing a silent environment, haunted by its complex socio-political history. As an alternative, he decided to focus on the organic life that inhabits the desert, in an effort to deconstruct people’s amnesia.
Abdessamad El Montassir, born in 1989 in Boujdour, Morocco, Abdessamad El Montassir now lives in Marseille, France. After graduating from the Institut National des Beaux-Arts in Tetouan/Morocco, Abdessamad El Montassir completed an MA in artistic and aesthetic education at the École Normale Supérieure in Meknès/Morocco. He has participated in several national and international exhibitions, including Invisible, curated by Alya Sebti and presented at the 13th Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar/Senegal and at the ifa-Galerie Berlin/Germany (2018), De liens et d’exils at La Villa Empain – Fondation Boghossian in Brussels/Belgium (2018), Al Amakine in the context of the 11ème Rencontres de Bamako/Mali (2017), Attokoussy at the Hinterland Galerie in Vienna/Austria, and at Le Cube – independent art room in Rabat/Morocco (2017). Abdessamad El Montassir is presently also a fellow resident of the Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart.
(Text: philomena+ art & architecture platform, Wien)