Undertow / Contre ; Courant
Artists: Lorenzo Pezzani, Charles Heller, Younes Ben Slimane, Majd Abdel Hamid, Mounira Al Solh, Catherine Cattaruzza, Imane Djamil, Badr El Hammami, Sirine Fattouh, Nabila Halim, Hiwa K., Bouchra Khalili, Sara Kontar, Randa Maroufi, Valentin Noujaïm, Sara Sadik, Firas Shehadeh, Nida Sinnokort, Rania Stephan, Lara Tabet, Akram Zaatari
Undertow refers to the current of water below the surface, moving in the opposite direction from the current we see at the surface. While the smoothest sail is usually with the flow, undertows, rip tides and rip currents represent possible dangers for the journey.
How to address the Mediterranean Sea and region without navigating the depths of the odysseys of human experiences? This route has forever been one of passage; a channel for expansion, colonization and exile. Its waters have witnessed the struggles of countless individuals forced to leave behind their homes in search of refuge from conflict, wars, persecution and economic hardship. As we navigate the complexities of guest-host relations, we critically question power, privilege and responsibility. The Mediterranean Sea is the largest open-air cemetery and the stories that intersect and intertwine along its coastline are those of survival and resilience.
Guests are invited in by a welcome song (Sirine Fattouh), to witness a multitude of crossing and waiting journeys (Bouchra Khalili, Imane Djamil, Randa Maroufi, Lorenzo Pezzani and Charles Heller), forms of exchanges between loved ones (Badr El Hammami, Nabila Halim), modes of diary and record keeping (Catherine Cattaruzza, Sara Kontar, Majd Abdel Hamid), evidence of power, commerce and historical cultural exchange in the Mediterranean Sea and beyond (Akram Zaatari, Nida Sinnokrot) as well as revelations from the sea itself (Lara Tabet).
Initially conceived for a container pavilion accompanying the itinerant museum-boat of the Art Explora Festival, Undertow was experienced by thousands of visitors across Tangier, Athens, and Barcelona between 2024-2026. The presentation at B7L9 in Tunis marks the first iteration of the exhibition within an institutional exhibition space. This transition allows the project to unfold differently, expanding its spatial, narrative, and temporal dimensions, while maintaining the conceptual and physical memory of the container. The exhibition retains a sense of guided movement, inviting visitors to follow a suggested path that echoes the constrained yet porous circulation of the original pavilion.
The exhibition features We Knew How Beautiful They Were, These Islands a film program titled after a work by Younes Ben Slimane featuring seven videos running in loop with contributions by Firas Shehade, Hiwa K., Mounira Al Solh, Rania Stephan, Sara Sadik, Valentin Noujaïm and Younes Ben Slimane.
Credits
This exhibition was commissioned and produced by the Art Explora Foundation as part of the Art Explora Festival, a free, travelling festival that sails the seas and oceans aboard its museum-boat to make art accessible to as many people as possible.
This exhibition travelled throughout the festival’s Mediterranean journey, calling at the following ports: Marseille (France), Barcelona (Spain), Tangier (Morocco), Durrës (Albania) and Athens (Greece).
Adaptation by B7L9
Curators: Amanda Abi Khalil, Danielle Makhoul
Assistant curator: Alexia Pierre
Partner: TAP (Temporary Art Platform)
In collaboration with: Arab Documentary Photography Program (ADPP), an initiative that provides support and mentorship to photographers from across the Arab region, established by The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture in partnership with Magnum Foundation and the Prince Claus Fund.