Arts & International Affairs: 2.3: Autumn/Winter 2017 | Page 69

EXODUS: A MIRROR OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF ART BIENNIALS
and 4 th biennial, I was the curator representing Algeria in the Magmart International
Videoart Festival. The members of the jury are all members of the Association of Visual
Arts, Civ-Oeil, and they have participated actively in the preparation of the 4 th biennial.
In the role of co-curator, I consulted many professionals in the field of contemporary art
concerning the choices for the 4 th biennial (outside of the jury itself), and with Sadek
Rahim we made a final selection taking into consideration the context of contemporary
Algerian artists, integrating the works of some young emerging artists, who were includ-
ed at the end with the selected artists.
Murray: What particularly surprised you about the submissions this year?
Ali Chaouche: This year, many artists surprised us with the context of their works:
Figure 6: Photo credit Djamel Benchenine.
Installation Exodus Cigarette by Djamel Benchenine
Benchenine Djamel with his installation Exodus Cigarette: this recent
graduate of the Fine Arts School of Oran made a connection with the
younger generation of artists searching for liberty and discovery, he
started by making graffiti on the walls of Oran (he draws, paints and
writes poetry to express himself and communicate a message) ... with
this installation, he delivers to us a strong and expressive message of ex-
odus in relation to cigarettes (youth smoke Kif or hashish for their spe-
cific exodus) ... through these drawings on cigarette papers, he tells us of
the daily life of all youth who are forgotten in the shadows of the exodus
of the cigarette. Benchenine cites three stages of the drug trip for young
people: first trip toward God (with the worst and the best ... to medi-
tate), second is a trip across Europe (immigration or exile), third a trip
through the cigarette papers (his drawings on these little translucent pa-
pers, but it is also a trip into recklessness from the effects of hashish used
to forget all of life’s daily problems).
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