Monia Ben Hamouda, Blair, 2020; Installation view at Endless Nostalghia. Courtesy the artist, 101 numeri pari and Treti Galaxie. Photo: Flavio Pescatori.
Press release, April 2022
(DANSK VERSION NEDERST)
With the exhibition Hamra, Monia Ben Hamouda creates an intricate sculptural installation for ARIEL, where a series of laser-cut metal structures, coated with vibrantly red-coloured spices, appears as floating calligraphy. Through Arabic religious and cultural practices, Ben Hamouda's works explore topics such as sociocultural identity, rituals, "fatigue", trauma, anger, and politics.
The sculptural work is a continuation of Ben Hamouda’s ongoing series Aniconism as Figurative Urgency.
As the title suggests, the works explore aniconism, which in Islamic visual culture translates into the rejection of figurative representations of living beings or divine presence in favour of geometric shapes and calligraphy. The sculptures stand out in the air as calligraphic brushstrokes reminiscent of Islamic / Arabic characters, and yet they remain unreadable, while even assuming pseudo-animal-like touches. Figuration is present, yet absent in the installation. The sculptural form was made from a destroyed sketch of the drawing of a cow. All lines that once formed the body of an animal are now completely different – almost reaching abstraction. The title Hamra, meaning red in Arabic, connects to an investigation of inflicted trauma and means of ushering in healing and empathy. The surface of the four-part metal structure, the walls and floor are alternately coated with powdered spices; chilli pepper and paprika, tracing the imagery of the sculpture while also creating a strong sense of each layer being inextricably linked together with the next. All elements are part of the same piece, part of the same sculpture, they are interconnected and rely on one another. Through weaving the lexicon of family traumas – those that in a heterocolonial patriarchy are passed down unequally, and have to do with geography, geopolitics, language and vocabulary, misapprehensions and violence – Ben Hamouda is interested in how art holds and retains certain energy, how figuration and abstraction reverberate against one another to create emotional static.
In the most physical sense Ben Hamouda connects the piece with the colour red. The medicinal, ceremonial, culinary, and ritualistic properties of the applied spices have been used for protection for thousands of years. Above all the piece connects to the energy related to red; our roots, the material needs, our security, as with the place where you eat, work and live from. However, in Hamra it is also the colour of flags, cultures, wars, pride, power, anger, and sudden strength. And curses.
In the belief that humans are inextricably linked to their genetic family tree and the psycho-mental universe of their ancestors, Ben Hamouda reflects on her own roots. It concerns the trauma of language, and the trauma of migration processes. Of leaving family behind, and forgetting mother tongues. With Hamra, Ben Hamouda shows us how deeply we are all marked by and influenced by the heritage of our ancestors. In the encounter between contrasting elements, she reveals the peculiar persistence and complex symbolism of human emotions.
Monia Ben Hamouda was born in 1991 in Milan to an Italian mother and a Tunesian father. She lives and works between al-Qayrawan and Milan, where she earned her BA in Visual Arts - Sculpture - from Brera Academy of Fine Arts. Her practice centres around exploring the human condition and cultural heritage, especially its oppressing and traumatic characters. Solo exhibitions include: Two suns upon Shatt al Jarid, Pols space, Valencia (2021); Love Data, Alios 16ème Biennale d’Art Contemporain, Théâtre Cravey Pavilion, La Teste-de-Bûch (2019); Extended protection, Alle[1]goric Defence, Gallery CC, Malmö (2019); Miranda, pane project, Milan (2017). In 2020 she received a Special Mention for the Ducato Prize.
ARI. Readings 14# Hamra
Sunday April 24th from 3-5pm (CET)
The Women’s Building
Free admission
Sign-up: arielfeminisms@gmail.com
For this event, the exhibiting visual artist, Monia Ben Hamouda will introduce the exhibition project by engaging a set of texts that inform and situate her practice. Hamouda has most generously taken it upon herself to translate a tale from Tunesian literature that will be contextualised and made available in English. The literature will be made available at the reading. It will not be necessary to read in advance.
LITERATURE:
Destruction of the Father / Reconstruction of the Father Writings and Interviews, 1923–1997 Louise Bourgeois Edited by Marie-Laure Bernadac and Hans-Ulrich Obrist 1998, The MIT Pre.
Märchen der Berber curated by Uwe Topper 1986, by Eugen Diederichs Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Köln.
Psychomagic: The Transformative Power of Shamanic Psychotherapy Alejandro Yodorowsky 2010, Inner Traditions, Rochester, Vermont, USA.
Please join us for a glass of wine at the opening Friday April 22, 5-7pm at The Women’s Building, Niels Hemmingsens Gade 8-10. 1153, Kbh K.
Opening: Friday April 22, 5-7 pm.
Exhibtion period: April 22 – June 5, 2022.
Detail from Aniconism as Figurative Urgency (Hamra), 2022. Courtesy Monia Ben Hamouda, ChertLüdde.
Med udstillingen Hamra skaber Monia Ben Hamouda en sindrig, skulpturel installation til ARIEL, hvor en række laserskårne metalstrukturer, belagt med pulserende rødfarvede krydderier, fremstår som svævende kalligrafi. Gennem arabisk, religiøs og kulturel praksis udforsker Ben Hamoudas værker emner som sociokulturel identitet, ritualer, "fatigue", traumer, vrede og politik.
Det skulpturelle værk ligger i forlængelse af Ben Hamoudas serie Aniconism as Figurative Urgency.
Som seriens titel antyder, udforsker værkerne anikonismen, som i islamisk visuel kultur udmønter sig i en afvisning af figurative repræsentationer af levende væsener eller guddommelig afbildning til fordel for geometriske former og kalligrafi. Skulpturerne står skarpt i luften som kalligrafiske penselstrøg, der minder om islamiske/arabiske tegn, og alligevel forbliver de ulæselige, imens de endda antager pseudo-dyrelignende præg. Figurationen er til stede og så alligevel fraværende i installationen. Den skulpturelle form blev lavet ud fra en ødelagt skitse af tegningen af en ko. Alle linjer, der engang dannede kroppen af et dyr, er nu helt anderledes og næsten ren abstraktion. Titlen Hamra, der betyder ‘rød’ på arabisk, knytter sig til en undersøgelse af påførte traumer og metoder for helende og empatisk adfærd. Både overfladen af den firedelte metalstruktur samt gulv og vægge er skiftevis belagt med pulveriserede krydderier; chili peber og paprika. Krydderierne ansporer skulpturens billedsprog, der samtidig skaber en stærk følelse af, at hvert lag er uløseligt forbundet med det næste. Alle elementer er en del af det samme hele, en del af den samme skulptur, de hænger sammen og er indbyrdes afhængige af hinanden. Gennem en leksikal sammenfletning af familietraumer – dem, der i et heterokolonialt patriarkat medfølger og videregives ulige og som har at gøre med geografi, geopolitik, sprog og ordforråd, fejllæsninger og vold – er Ben Hamouda interesseret i, hvordan kunsten holder og bevarer en vis energi, hvordan figuration og abstraktion giver genlyd mod hinanden for at skabe en art statisk følelsesmæssig bevægelse.
I den mest fysiske forstand forbinder Ben Hamouda værket med farven rød. I anvendelsen af de røde krydderier antydes medicinske, ceremonielle, kulinariske og ritualistiske egenskaber, der er blevet brugt til beskyttelse i tusinder af år. Frem for alt forbindes værket med energien relateret til ‘rød’; vores rødder, materielle behov, vores tryghed, som i dét sted, hvor du spiser, arbejder og bor. Men i Hamra er ‘rød’ også farven på flag, kulturer, krige, stolthed, magt, vrede og pludselig styrke. Og forbandelser.
I troen på, at mennesker er uløseligt forbundet med deres genetiske stamtræ og deres forfædres psyko-mentale univers, reflekterer Ben Hamouda over sine egne rødder. Det handler om sprogets traumer og migrationsprocessernes traumer. At efterlade familie og glemme modersmål. Med Hamra viser Ben Hamouda os, hvor dybt vi alle er præget af og påvirket af vores forfædres arv. I mødet mellem kontrasterende elementer afslører hun de menneskelige følelsers ejendommelige vedholdenhed og komplekse symbolik.
Monia Ben Hamouda er født i Milano i 1991 af en italiensk mor og tunesisk far og bor og arbejder mellem Milano, hvor hun modtog en BA i Billedkunst - Skulptur - fra Brera Academy of Fine Arts, og al-Qayrawan. Hendes praksis kredser om den menneskelige tilstand og kulturelle arv, især dens undertrykkende og traumatiserende karakter. Ben Hamouda har bl.a. udstillet på Pols space, Valencia (2021), Alios 16eme Biennale d’Art Contemporain, Theatre Cravey Pavilion, La Teste-de-Buch (2019) og Gallery CC, Malmø (2019). I 2020 modtog hun Special Mention Ducato -prisen.
ARI. Readings 14# Hamra
Søndag den 24. april kl. 15-17 (CET)
Kvindernes Bygningen
Gratis adgang
Til denne begivenhed vil den udstillende billedkunstner Monia Ben Hamouda introducere udstillingsprojektet ved at præsentere et sæt tekster, der informerer hendes praksis. Hamouda har meget generøst påtaget sig at oversætte en fortælling fra tunesisk litteratur, der vil blive kontekstualiseret og gjort tilgængelig på engelsk. Litteraturen vil blive gjort tilgængelig ved læsningen. Det vil ikke være nødvendigt at læse på forhånd.
LITTERATUR:
Destruction of the Father / Reconstruction of the Father Writings and Interviews, 1923–1997 Louise Bourgeois Edited by Marie-Laure Bernadac and Hans-Ulrich Obrist 1998, The MIT Press.
Märchen der Berber curated by Uwe Topper 1986, by Eugen Diederichs Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Köln.
Psychomagic: The Transformative Power of Shamanic Psychotherapy, Alejandro Yodorowsky 2010, Inner Traditions, Rochester, Vermont, USA.
Fernisering: Fredag d. 22. april, kl 17-19.
Udstillingsperiode: 22. april - 5. juni, 2022.
We thank / Vi takker: Bikubenfonden, Statens Kunstfond, København Kommune, Rådet for Visuel Kunst, Chertlüdde, MARI KANTER arkitekter, Decor Farver, faustlight, Flügger farver, STARK & Kvindernes Bygning.