Argania at Les Rencontres d'Arles

The project Argania: Lack of information is my family history is part of the group exhibition ‘On the Vastness of our Identities’ by the Institute Contemporary, curated by Verdiana Albano at the Rencontres d'Arles 2024, at the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation.

I had to choose a single thing that has developed even further in me in connection with living with different cultures, it would be the ability to be able to move within cultures and locations with relative ease. - Monika Ribeiro

The borders of identities appear to be fluid when one grows up in an environment with various cultures. ‘On the Vastness of our Identities’ deals with the differences and similarities that Delali Ayivi, Monika Ribeiro, Verdiana Albano, Ange-Frédéric Koffi and MAryam Touzani encountered in their works and reflections in search of the meaning and the freedom for the self-determination of their own identity as Afro-Europeans.

They challenge and question the existing narratives and postcolonial structures to redefine their position in a global society. To achieve this, they balance nature and what has been created, history and future promise, borders and connections, stereotypes and perspectives to question their view and understanding of our multifaceted world.

In fragmentary approaches and documentary reports on the travelled countries, biological origins, established structures, geographical borders, customs, ideologies, and aesthetic matters, the artists challenge concepts of belonging and reorientation. A common thread seems to run through their works that captures the complexity of creating new possibilities and underlines new perspectives in the merger of cultures. ‘On the Vastness of our Identities’ brings together depictions of our time whose goal is not to see the world as individual nations, but as a common humanity whose experiences can teach one how to broaden one's horizon.

Documentation of the exhibition is made by Verdiana Albano.

MAryam Touzani is part of »Guest Room: Nadine Henrich & William Camargo«.

Check out her Artist Feature Argania: Lack of information is my family history.