Today more than ever, in view of recent history, borders crossing the Arab world are
topical. They take forms other than the solely territorial and require new readings
of its mapping. The borders are legal, subject to the territorial imbalances, as well
as influenced by socio-economic disparities, with differentiated policies or complex
dualities (Maghreb/ Mashreq). Everyday the news shows the territory in its territorial
dimension, battered by wars and conflicts, the political, economic or cultural uprisings
in one country affecting its neighbours due to strong historical affiliations.Recent developments in these countries have shown that the land issue has become
a repository of identity and an exercise for the right to public space. Thus the
occupation, appropriation or re-appropriation of spaces becomes a major issue for
change because it represents the image of the human relationship to living space. We
can see that this issue is at the heart of the news and the subject of various claims
in several countries.When artists approach the subject of territory, they make a complex approach in
order to refine our understanding of major contemporary problems. As a result,
most of the proposed works in the exhibition ‘Arab Territories’ are very close to the
news. Art invites us to think territorially, economically and politically, and pushes us
to ask questions in order to get answers. By inviting reflection, art not only provides
a complex and subjective message, but also a critical eye.What perspective does art from the Arab World provide for these territories? Given
the geographical and linguistic variety of these different paths and stories, which
images are proposed? What links exist between the geographical boundaries and the
artistic realm? What trajectories, affiliations and lives are sketched by the imagination?
In addressing these pressing questions, ‘Arab Territories’ demonstrates how artists
today, in different places and styles, continue to nurture their works with a living
sense of the ‘Arab world,’ highlighting the boundaries of a moving map, supporting- in many ways – the issues of territorial representation.
Nadira Laggoune is a curator and art critic who lives and works in Algiers. Her
primary focus is on giving visibility to new generations that are emerging in
the field of contemporary art in Algeria and the Maghreb. She recently curated
the exhibition ‘Arab Territories’ as part of the programme for Constantine –
capital of Arab Culture 2015 that ran from 7 November - 31 December 2015 at
the Palais de la culture Mohamed Laïd Al-Khalifa in Constantine, Algeria.ARAB TERRITORIES / NADIRA LAGGOUNE 6/6 ARTAFRICA
POSITIONING PIECE