This dramatic artwork showcases a striking contrast of light and shadow. The predominant warm, fiery hues create a sense of intensity and urgency, while the silhouetted figures suggest a mysterious narrative. The angular, abstract composition, punctuated by geometric shapes and patterns, evokes a sense of tension and unease. The artwork appears to comment on the fleeting nature of ideal conditions, perhaps alluding to the precarious circumstances faced by those seeking illegal relocation, as indicated by the text overlay. The artist's intention seems to be to provoke contemplation on the human experience of displacement and the ephemeral nature of hope. ...
Meriem Bennani’s work occupies the abstracted, speculative dimension of science fiction. Bennani became interested in the concept and feasibility of teleportation, as well as its relationship with issues of migration, during 2016. She considers how teleportation looks within the lens of geopolitics and, if bodies were able to teleport for one day, where would they go? How would this process be policed, and if teleporters were intercepted by law enforcement, where would they be held captive? In her films, Bennani mythologises and digitally renders an island in the Atlantic that would act as a ‘temporary’ holding area for captives. She fictionalises and weaves together a picture of the island’s ecology, visually realising the birth of a new culture that has emerged from the melting pot of diasporas held on the island. Bennani critically engages with the trauma and dystopia of border-crossing by creating and developing an elaborate and prescient analogy.
Written by Goldsmiths CCA ...
Since 2009, François Ghebaly has presented an innovative, eclectic program of Los Angeles-based and international artists. With a history of identifying and championing diverse voices and emerging talent, the gallery’s roster has grown to include 27 artists and 2 artist estates, ranging from early career, such as Sharif Farrag and Ludovic Nkoth, to mid-career, like Christine Sun Kim, Meriem Bennani, Kelly Akashi, Farah Al Qasimi, and Genesis Belanger, to well established, including Sayre Gomez, Kathleen Ryan, Neïl Beloufa and Candice Lin as well as underground legends, like Patrick Jackson and Mike Kuchar. The gallery advances the reach of its artists’ visions by publishing exhibition catalogues and producing artist editions. Located since 2013 in a 12,000 square foot warehouse space in Downtown Los Angeles, the gallery is a mainstay of the burgeoning Arts District community, and recently expanded to New York's Lower East Side. François Ghebaly’s program demonstrates a commitment to challenging work across all media and to fostering the progressive, boundary-pushing practices of its artists. ...
