The upcoming exhibition 'Algeria my love' at the Institut du monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris, will highlight an exceptional collection, unique in the Western world, of modern and contemporary art from Algeria and the diasporas -- all pieces part of the collection of the IMA. The exhibition will prove witness to the fraternity and solidarity which bound Algerian and French artists and intellectuals during the most difficult years of their common history -- a fraternity and solidarity which continue to this day.
'Algérie mon amour' will reveal all the richness of both the modern and contemporary Algerian art scene, both in the classic visual arts and in new media. It promises to bear witness, through a selection of representative works, to the great creativity of three generations of artists, despite the tragedies of their shared history.
The exhibition, which kicks off on March 18th, will cover a wide period, bringing together artists from different eras and generations. From the oldest, the non-figurative painter Louis Nallard, who was born in 1918, to the youngest, El Meya, also a painter, who is almost thirty-five years old.
Claude and France Lemand's passion for the work of Abdallah Benanteur (1931-2017), their interest in non-European worlds, have been the guiding light for the institution of a remarkable collection. An approach in harmony with the creation by France Lemand of an Institut du monde Arabe with a museum, in order to open the eyes of the international community to artists from the Arab world and its diasporas. The intersection of these two journeys, the Algerian collection within the IMA museum, also considerably increased by the Claude and France Lemand donations in 2018, 2019 and 2021, now includes an unprecedented 600 works of modern and contemporary art.
It is from this collection that the exhibition draws its inspiration, revealing beautiful pieces that promise to move the public with their richness and diversity.
Claude Lemond explained: 'Algeria my love' is a song of the pain of the colonized and martyred Algerian land and people, the song of the denied and uprooted Algerian culture and identity. It is also the song of freedom and hope, of the renewal of artistic and literary creativity and the announcement of a necessary and long-awaited rebirth. 'Algeria my love' is the expression of the love that all artists have for Algeria, artists from within and even more so those from outside, all these creators from the diaspora who can say, as Abdallah Benanteur said: 'Algeria is in me, only my feet have left it; my spirit constantly wanders among my own'."
Concurrently with the exhibition, there will be activities and lectures planned during its run. Every second Sunday, an artist whose work is part of the collection will be discussed with the curators, from 5 to 7 in the afternoon. Among them, Zoulikha Bouabdellah and Halida Boughriet who will appear in person, and a discussion on Baya, whose evocative 1974 work 'Musique' appears on the poster of the exhibition.
On the exhibition's opening weekend, there will also be a concert by Djmawi Africa, featuring a fusion of musicals styles from classical to metal, with a bit of reggae, chaâbi, Andalusian sounds and gnawi.
For more information and to book tickets, visit the IMA's website.
