Solo by French-Moroccan Artist Latifa Echakhch at Bielefelder Kunstverein |
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| Written by Antonio Bessemer |
| Tuesday, 08 September 2009 01:45 |
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In her installations, videos, sculptural objects, interventions, and happenings, which refer to particular locations, the artist often engages with stereotypes and linguistic codes as well as social mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. Latifa Echakhch integrates everyday objects and materials, works on them, shifting them into a different context and transferring them from one culture into another. These objects, Moroccan tea glasses, sugar, worthless carbon paper, for instance, but also legal or political documents, are highly important in the way Echakhch’s practices her art. They frequently open up a dimension of social politics by making the observer aware of our treatment of (art) history, focusing on the West, with globalisation, political events, with our handling of national symbols as well as the different aesthetic concepts between the cultures.  The solo exhibition at the Bielefelder Kunstverein entitled
»Partitas« - a reference to the suite as a form of musical composition - focuses
on an approach within Latifa Echakhch’s oeuvre, where she engages with the
development of the ornament and of abstraction in different contexts. Here, the
artist for the first time goes more deeply into an interest which has already
been a motif in numerous of her works. Four groups of works were created for
this exhibition and concentrate less on topics of social politics but rather
more on an engagement with lines and geometric forms. In this, it is not only
the art-historic or creative dimensions that are relevant, but also the
ideological and narrative potential inherent in ornament and abstraction. Her
spatial installations, objects and paintings appear minimal and, making use of
various media and materials, they seek to emphasise cultural common ground as
well as cultural differences. Since 2005, Latifa Echakhch has participated in several significant group exhibitions and Biennials. Most recently, her works were shown in the context of »Manifesta 7«, Trento and South Tyrol (2008), »Shifting Identities«, Kunsthaus Zürich (2008), »Global Feminisms«, Brooklyn Museum, New York (2007) and at the »3. Tirana Biennale« (2005). The most recent solo exhibitions were mounted in Paris (»Pendant que les champs brûlent«, Galerie Kamel Mennour), London (»Speakers’ Corner«, Tate Modern, Level 2 Gallery, 2008) and Grenoble (»Il m’a fallu tant de chemins pour parvenir jusqu’à toi«, Le Magasin, 2007). Almost concurrently with the exhibition in the Bielefelder Kunstverein, Latifa Echakhch will realise a project for the Kunsthalle Fridericianum in Kassel. Her first monograph will appear in 2010 as a cooperative project with further art institutions. Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~ |
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