Massinissa Selmani: Between Dream and Drawing
Comme le rĂȘve, le dessin (Dreaming and Drawing) is the title of an exhibition that was held at the Centre Pompidou in Paris almost twenty years ago. I have fragmentary memories of it: a number of wonderful drawings, a lot â a massive amount â of names of international artists (Alberto Giacometti, Sol LeWitt, Piet Mondrian, Robert Morris, Rosemarie Trockel, etc.), but above all this title, which was so literary and which, since then, has wended its way inside me and crops up from time to time.
It happened recently, when I was looking for a title for this text on the work of Massinissa Selmani. Dreaming and drawing are the two poles between which this artistâs practice mainly evolves. Selmani has the precision of an architect and the dreamlike verve of a surrealist: his stylised artworks emerge beneath a steady hand, rendering the most paradoxical of scenes credible. It is these elements, in fact, that make Selmaniâs work so recognisable; the fusion of mastery and inventiveness that leads him to develop these little sets that look like dioramas â finishes that couldâve been executed by an architect as surgical as he is eccentric.
The maniacal precision in the restitution of details seems to be that of a machine. The most finely tuned and intangible of mediums â drawing â is used by Selmani to construct sculptural, three-dimensional sets. With black-and-white pencil, he traces worlds; with colour, he highlights their incongruity. Black and white â always dominant â defines spaces and architectures (even their shadows, as Roger Malbert has noted[1]) where, here and there, coloured details make incursions that draw our attention: plant elements or urban furniture, animals, and portions of landscape onto which is projected, with no apparent explanation, a light that is both placid and destabilising.
This is another characteristic of Selmaniâs practice: the scenes are strangely calm, almost anaesthetised. There is no sensation of panic, although his visions are far from idyllic, if not downright tragic; and it is precisely in that way that we perceive a subtle sense of humour, a touch of black humour, which elicits a smile rather than a pout from the viewer, relieved perhaps that they are not the ones finding themselves in one of these highly ambiguous situations.
Selmani has demonstrated his drawing expertise in several series of works. Lâaube insondable(2018â2023), Amorce dans lâair lĂ©ger (2020), and A-t-on besoin des ombres pour se souvenir ? (2013â2015) are unquestionably among them. They are cycles of works on paper, all made over the last ten years: observing them, I had the impression of facing both disturbing and entertaining playgrounds; magical and detailed, these drawings resemble a dream with clear contours, a lucid and controlled dream that could turn into a nightmare from one moment to the next. I find this ambivalence is one of Massinissa Selmaniâs main strengths. The subjects and scenes that he traces belong to a âtwilight zoneâ in which moral laws are no longer in force and everything appears suspended. The artist does not explain to us how to be in the world, instead, he aims to underscore the absurdity of human behaviour and relationships, the ultimate futility of our actions.
During this process, naturally, the references are noble and multifarious. For Selmani, everything started with his familiarity with the drawings presented to readers in the pages of Algerian daily newspapers: a habit that established itself in the press of Selmaniâs native country from the 1990s onwards and that fuelled the artistâs imagination and obsessions. The study of surrealism also played a fundamental role, particularly certain key figures like Paul NougĂ©, the author of highly subversive photographic images. Also, the âlessonsâ learned from certain extraordinary architect-artists like Ludwig Mies van de Rohe or Lina Bo Bardi.
Selmani demonstrated that he knows how to casually pass from the âplanarityâ of drawings hung on the wall to the three-dimensionality of spatial installation. The artistâs repertoire features works that appear to be the enlargement or the fleshed-out translation of some minor details seen on paper, as in the case of Un beau poisson dans un bocal[ (2021), a road cone at the extremity of which is placed a pair of binoculars; or with the series Le tacite et lâindicible (2022), in which a block of stone was the load-bearing element onto which a safety barrier was grafted. I donât know which come first â the works on paper or those in three dimensions â but I sometimes get the impression that the installation part is a preparation for the drawing and not the reverse. At least, thatâs what I like to imagine.
Whatever the case, drawing is central for Selmani, as attests his participation in major exhibitions with works on paper, such as the Venice Biennale in 2015, curated by Okwui Enwezor, which represented a watershed moment of the artistâs international recognition. The use of this technique corresponds to a precise stand he is taking, dictated by the extreme freedom that the very low cost of this medium allows, but also the desire to counter the inalienable flow of digital images that unfold on our screens; compared with the latter, Selmaniâs drawings have a very different substance to them and offer an artistic representation of some of the dystopian dreams of our contemporary age.
For more information, see the article published in June 2023 in Burlington Contemporary: https://contemporary.burlington.org.uk/journal/journal/massinissa-selmani.
Massinissa Selmani : Entre rĂȘve et dessin
Comme le rĂȘve, le dessin est le titre dâune exposition qui sâest tenue au centre Pompidou Ă Paris il y a prĂšs de vingt ans. Jâen ai des souvenirs fragmentaires : quelques dessins merveilleux, beaucoup â Ă©normĂ©ment â de noms dâartistes internationaux (Alberto Giacometti, Sol LeWitt, Piet Mondrian, Robert Morris, Rosemarie TrockelâŠ), mais surtout ce titre si littĂ©raire qui, depuis, sâest insinuĂ© en moi et affleure de temps Ă autre.
Câest arrivĂ© rĂ©cemment, alors que je cherchais un titre pour ce texte sur lâĆuvre de Massinissa Selmani. RĂȘve et dessin sont en effet les deux pĂŽles entre lesquels, pour une bonne part, Ă©volue la pratique de cet artiste. Selmani a la prĂ©cision dâun architecte et la verve onirique dâun surrĂ©aliste : ses Ćuvres naissent dâun trait sĂ»r, graphique, qui rend crĂ©dibles les scĂšnes les plus paradoxales. Câest dâailleurs lâune des empreintes qui rend le travail de Selmani si reconnaissable, lâalliage de maĂźtrise et dâinventivitĂ© qui le mĂšne Ă Ă©laborer ces petits sets, semblables Ă des dioramas, Ă des rendus quâaurait rĂ©alisĂ©s un architecte aussi chirurgical quâexcentrique.
La prĂ©cision maniaque dans la restitution des dĂ©tails paraĂźt celle dâune machine. Le plus fin et impalpable des mĂ©diums â le dessin â est employĂ© par Selmani pour construire des dĂ©cors tridimensionnels, plastiques. Avec le noir et blanc du crayon, il trace des mondes, avec la couleur, il souligne leur incongruitĂ©. Le noir et blanc â toujours dominant â dĂ©limite des espaces et des architectures (et jusquâĂ leurs ombres, comme lâa remarquĂ© Roger Malbert1) oĂč font irruption, ici et lĂ , des dĂ©tails colorĂ©s qui attirent lâattention : des Ă©lĂ©ments vĂ©gĂ©taux ou de mobilier urbain, des animaux et des portions de paysage sur lesquels est projetĂ©e, sans explication apparente, une lumiĂšre tout Ă la fois placide et dĂ©stabilisante.
Câest lĂ une autre caractĂ©ristique de la pratique de Selmani : les scĂšnes sont Ă©trangement tranquilles, presque anesthĂ©siĂ©es. Pas de sensation de panique, bien que ses visions soient loin dâĂȘtre idylliques, quand elles ne sont pas tragiques ; et câest justement lĂ quâon perçoit un subtil sense of humor, teintĂ© de noir, qui arrache Ă lâobservateur moins un sourire quâune moue, de soulagement, peut-ĂȘtre, Ă ne pas se trouver dans lâune de ces situations si ambiguĂ«s.
Selmani a dĂ©montrĂ© son savoir-faire de dessinateur dans plusieurs sĂ©ries dâĆuvres. Lâaube insondable (2018-2023), Amorce dans lâair lĂ©ger (2020) et A-t-on besoin des ombres pour se souvenir ? (2013-2015) en font partie, sans conteste. Il sâagit de cycles de travaux sur papier, tous rĂ©alisĂ©s au cours des dix derniĂšres annĂ©es : en les observant, jâai lâimpression dâĂȘtre face Ă des terrains de jeux en mĂȘme temps troublants et ludiques ; féériques et dĂ©taillĂ©s, ces dessins ressemblent Ă un rĂȘve aux contours nets, un rĂȘve lucide et contrĂŽlĂ© qui pourrait se transformer en cauchemar dâun moment Ă lâautre. Je trouve que cette ambivalence est lâune des forces principales de Massinissa Selmani. Les sujets et les scĂšnes quâil trace appartiennent Ă une âtwilight zoneâ oĂč les lois morales ne sont plus en vigueur et tout paraĂźt suspendu. Lâartiste ne nous explique pas comment ĂȘtre au monde, il entend plutĂŽt souligner lâabsurditĂ© des comportements et des relations humaines, la vanitĂ© de nos actions.
Au cours de ce processus, naturellement, les rĂ©fĂ©rences sont nobles et multiples. Pour Selmani, tout naĂźt de sa familiaritĂ© avec les dessins qui Ă©taient proposĂ©s aux lecteurs dans les pages des quotidiens algĂ©riens : un usage qui sâest mis en place dans la presse du pays dâorigine de Selmani dĂšs les annĂ©es 1990 et qui a nourri son imaginaire et ses obsessions dâartiste. LâĂ©tude du surrĂ©alisme Ă©galement a
jouĂ© un rĂŽle fondamental, tout particuliĂšrement certaines figures clĂ©s comme Paul NougĂ©, auteur dâimages photographiques Ă haute teneur subversive. Ăgalement, la âleçonâ de certains architectes-dessinateurs extraordinaires comme Ludwig Mies van de Rohe ou Lina Bo Bardi.
Selmani a dĂ©montrĂ© quâil sait passer avec dĂ©sinvolture de la « planĂ©itĂ© » du dessin sur paroi Ă la tridimensionnalitĂ© de lâinstallation dans lâespace. Dans le rĂ©pertoire de lâartiste figurent des Ćuvres qui semblent lâagrandissement et la traduction en chair et en os de certains petits dĂ©tails vus sur papier, comme dans le cas de Un beau poisson dans un bocal (2021), un cĂŽne signalĂ©tique Ă lâextrĂ©mitĂ© duquel est placĂ©e une paire de jumelles ; ou avec la sĂ©rie Le tacite et lâindicible (2022), oĂč un bloc de pierre est lâĂ©lĂ©ment porteur sur lequel se greffe une barriĂšre de sĂ©curitĂ©. Je ne sais ce qui vient en premier â les Ćuvres sur papier ou les Ćuvres en trois dimensions â, mais jâai parfois lâimpression que la partie installation est une prĂ©paration au dessin et non lâinverse. Du moins jâaime Ă le penser.
Quoi quâil en soit, le dessin est central chez Selmani, comme en attestent ses participations Ă des expositions importantes avec des Ćuvres sur papier, comme Ă la Biennale de Venise en 2015, dirigĂ©e par Okwui Enwezor, qui a reprĂ©sentĂ© un tournant dans la reconnaissance internationale de lâartiste. Lâusage de cette technique correspond Ă une prise de position prĂ©cise, dictĂ©e par lâextrĂȘme libertĂ© que permet le coĂ»t trĂšs bas de ce mĂ©dium, mais aussi au dĂ©sir dâaller Ă contre-courant par rapport au flux insaisissable dâimages digitales qui dĂ©file sur nos Ă©crans ; comparĂ©s Ă ces derniĂšres, les dessins de Selmani ont une tout autre consistance et offrent une reprĂ©sentation plastique des rĂȘvasseries dystopiques de notre contemporanĂ©itĂ©.
1 Pour approfondir, voir lâarticle publiĂ© en juin 2023 sur la revue âBurlington Contemporaryâ : https://contemporary.burlington.org.uk/journal/journal/massinissa-selmani.
Born in 1980, Algiers, lives in Tours (France) and Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria). He studied computer science in Algeria and graduated from the Ăcole supĂ©rieure des beaux-arts in Tours (France).
By its simplicity as a tool, Selmani makes drawing a central medium of his practice. His work, in which the gravity of the subjects is carried by humor, the absurd and simplicity of means, often presents drawings that depict strange or absurd situations made of improbable assemblages tinged with a certain gravity, images taken from the printed press, short animations and sculptures.
In 2015, Massinissa Selmani received a special mention at the 56th Venice Biennale, curated by Okwui Onwezor. He was also the winner of the Art Collector Prize (France) and the SAM Art Projects Prize for Contemporary Art (France) in 2016. In 2023, He was shortlisted for the Marcel Duchamp Prize.
Selected solo and group exhibitions include the 56th Venice Biennale ; Centre Pompidou, Paris ; Palais de Tokyo, Paris ; Sharjah Biennial 13, UAE ; Modern Art Oxford, Oxford, UK ; IVAM Valencia, Spain ; ZachÄta National Gallery, Warsaw ; the 13th Biennale de Lyon, France ; Centre de CrĂ©ation Contemporaine Olivier DebrĂ© (CCC OD), Tours, France ; Museum of African Art, Belgrade, Serbia ; 11th Dakar Biennial, Senegal ; UGM Maribor, Slovenia, among others.
Collections include the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France ; MAC Lyon, France ; Samdani Art Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh ; Frac Centre Val de Loire, France ; Centre National des Arts Plastiques (CNAP), France and the British Museum, London, UK.
Massinissa Selmani est né en 1980 à Alger. Il vit en France et en Algérie.
La pratique de Massinissa Selmani sâarticule autour des formes dessinĂ©es oĂč la gravitĂ© des sujets est portĂ©e par l’humour, l’absurde et l’Ă©conomie de moyens. Elles prĂ©sentent souvent des dessins mettant en scĂšne des situations Ă©tranges ou absurdes faites d’assemblages improbables, d’images tirĂ©es de la presse Ă©crite, mais aussi de courtes animations et des compositions en volume Ă©voluant au fil des contextes des expositions. Ces formes mettent en avant la dimension documentaire du dessin, les processus narratifs qui en dĂ©coulent, crĂ©ant des Ćuvres Ă la frontiĂšre du rĂ©el et de l’irrĂ©el, du politique et du poĂ©tique, du comique et du tragique, caractĂ©ristiques de lâĆuvre de lâartiste.
En 2023, Massinissa Selmani a été nommé pour le prix Marcel Duchamp. En 2015, il a reçu une mention spéciale à la 56e Biennale de Venise. Il a également été lauréat du Prix Art[]Collector (FR) et du Prix SAM Art Projects (FR) en 2016.
Le travail de Massinissa Selmani a notamment Ă©tĂ© exposĂ© Ă la 56eme Biennale de Venise (IT), au centre Pompidou (FR), au Palais de Tokyo (FR), Ă la 11eme Biennale de Dakar (SEN), Ă la Biennale Sharjah (EAU), Ă l’IVAM, Valence (ESP), Ă lâUGM, Maribor (SVN), au Modern Art Oxford (UK), Ă la Biennale de Taipei 2023 (TWN). Son Ćuvre a rejoint plusieurs collections telles que le Centre Pompidou (FR), le British Museum (UK), le MAC de Lyon (FR) et le CNAP (FR), Samdani Foundation (BD), le Frac Centre Val de Loire (FR) et le Fonds dâArt contemporainâParis collections (FR).
Saverio Verini is curator of exhibitions, festivals, events related to contemporary art and culture.
He has collaborated with institutions such as La Galleria Nazionale, Rome, the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome, the Italian Cultural Institute in Paris, the Center for Contemporary Art - Luigi Pecci in Prato, the Macro Museum, Rome, the Rome Quadrienniale, the French Academy in Rome - Villa Medici, the American Academy in Rome, the Memmo Foundation, Rome, the Pastificio Cerere Foundation, Rome, the Ermanno Casoli Foundation, Fabriano, the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Umbertide, the ArtVerona fair.
Saverio Verini is currently director of the network of municipal museums in the town of Spoleto. He regularly collaborates with Artribune magazine and writes critical texts for solo and group exhibitions in museums, private galleries and other exhibition spaces.
In 2018 he published for PostmediaBooks the monograph Roberto Fassone. Quasi tutti i racconti; he is also the author of La stagione fatata (The Enchanted Season), published by Castelvecchi in 2022, an essay on the relationship between childhood and Italian contemporary art.
Saverio Verini est commissaire d’expositions, de festivals et d’Ă©vĂ©nements liĂ©s Ă l’art contemporain et Ă la culture.
Il a collaborĂ© avec des institutions telles que La Galleria Nazionale, Rome, l’Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome, l’Institut culturel italien Ă Paris, le Centre d’art contemporain - Luigi Pecci Ă Prato, le Macro Museum, Rome, la Quadriennale de Rome, l’AcadĂ©mie française de Rome - Villa MĂ©dicis, l’AcadĂ©mie amĂ©ricaine de Rome, la Fondation Memmo, Rome, la Fondation Pastificio Cerere, Rome, la Fondation Ermanno Casoli, Fabriano, la Fondation Civitella Ranieri, Umbertide, la foire ArtVerona.
Saverio Verini est actuellement directeur du rĂ©seau des musĂ©es municipaux de la ville de Spoleto. Il collabore rĂ©guliĂšrement avec le magazine Artribune et rĂ©dige des textes critiques pour des expositions individuelles et collectives dans des musĂ©es, des galeries privĂ©es et d’autres espaces d’exposition.
En 2018, il a publiĂ© chez PostmediaBooks la monographie consacrĂ©e Ă l’artiste Roberto Fassone Quasi tutti i racconti ; il est Ă©galement l’auteur de La stagione fatata (La saison enchantĂ©e), publiĂ© par Castelvecchi en 2022, un essai sur la relation entre l’enfance et l’art contemporain italien.
[Mimosa] Echard creates illogical connections, she mixes and blends until a contradiction, ambivalence or paradox is achieved. There is often a link with the interior and exterior of the human body and body fluids. The pink membrane, âLe camping, le sol dur, la nausĂ©e tous les matins, les rĂ©glesâ (2020), specially made for âFluid Desiresâ is related to this, but also heralds a new direction.
