British-Algerian artist Lydia Ourahmane’s latest exhibition in Venice feels as if it has emerged directly from the heart of the Floating City. Her works, inspired by her year-long residency in Venice, embrace the city’s unique character and history. From a pier constructed for a former quarantine island to a sculpture crafted from 1.3 tonnes of hotel bed linen, her coin-operated show is a testament to her conceptual approach.
Ourahmane, known for her itinerant lifestyle and her ability to create art that “follows the grain of the world,” has developed an exhibition that is deeply intertwined with Venice itself. Unlike artists who bring their work to the city for the Biennale, Ourahmane’s exhibition is a product of her immersive experience. She emphasizes the need for her art to be reabsorbed into the world, a principle evident in her previous projects, such as a gold dental implant and curtains belonging to Ghislaine Maxwell.
This year’s focus includes the construction of a pier, a symbolic link to the city’s past and its relationship with the water. Ourahmane’s approach challenges conventional exhibition practices, offering a unique and thought-provoking artistic statement that resonates with the soul of Venice.
English Translation
The mesmerising, strictly Venetian works of British-Algerian artist Lydia Ourahmane feel as though they have sprung directly from the Floating City itself. Her exhibition, inspired by her year spent living in Venice, embraces the city’s unique character and history. From a pier built for a former quarantine island to a sculpture made from 1.3 tonnes of hotel bed linen, her coin-operated show is a testament to her conceptual approach.
Ourahmane, known for her itinerant lifestyle and her ability to create art that “follows the grain of the world,” has developed an exhibition that is deeply intertwined with Venice. Instead of bringing her art to the city for the Biennale, Ourahmane’s show has emerged from her immersive experience. She emphasizes the need for her art to be reabsorbed into the world, a principle evident in her previous projects, such as a gold dental implant and a pair of Ghislaine Maxwell’s old curtains.
This year’s undertakings include, among other things, the construction of a pier, a symbolic connection to the city’s past and its relationship with the water. Ourahmane’s approach challenges conventional exhibition practices, offering a unique and thought-provoking artistic statement that resonates with the soul of Venice.