The Institute of the Arab world and the European House of Photography are proud to present the second Biennale of the contemporary Arab world photography that was inaugurated on 13th September 2017. After the success of the first edition in 2015, the two institutions continue to explore contemporary photographic creation in this part of the world.
The Biennale of the contemporary Arab world photography is taking place simultaneously in eight places in Paris: IMA, MEP, Cité internationale des arts, Town Hall of the 4th district, Thierry Marlat Gallery, Photo Gallery 12, Clémentine de la Féronnière Gallery and Binome Gallery, defining a complex path through the look of contemporary photographers in the Arab world.
Every exhibition place presents at the same time the work of Arab creators, either living in their own country or «speaking» from the other shore, and the work of foreign artists, mostly Europeans, who also present the reality of Arab countries. A meeting of civilisations and an exchange of sensitivities is at the heart of this Biennale.
The 2017 Biennale, less extended that the first edition, has chosen to put focus on two Maghreb countries: Tunisia and Algeria.
Special tribute is paid to Leila Alaoui, who tragically disappeared while her portraits of Moroccans were being exposed at the first Biennale, in 2015.
One agenda for each space
- At the Institute of the Arab world, a collective exhibition is orchestrated by Olfa Feki, an independent exhibition curator in Tunisia. Her trained eye noticed the work of various Tunisians photographers and less known talents from the Arab countries. An exhibition that will blend poetic concepts and documentary work.
- At the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, the different themes and writings of Hicham Benohoud, Farida Hamak and Xenia Nikolskaya that were realised respectively in Algeria, Egypt and Morocco.
- At the Cité internationale des arts, a panorama of Algerian photography, uniting 20 artists under the supervision of Bruno Boudjelal, who was proposed by the City of Paris, the Algerian Agency for Culture (AARC) and the French Institute of Algeria.
- At the Town Hall of the 4th district a testimony of the photojournalist Michel Slomka on the fate of the Yezid Community in Irak, victim of the Islamic State djihadists.
- In participating galleries, photographs of Mustapha Azeroual and Sara Naim (Binome), Daniel Aron (Photo12), Marco Barbon (Clémentine de la Féronnière), Randa Mirza and Zad Moultaka (Thierry Marlat).
All the information about the Biennale site available online: biennalephotomondearabe.com