11 Nov –
14 Jan 2024
Exhibition: Amidst the Sand Wall
Framer Framed presents the exhibition Amidst the Sand Wall by the artist 739. The artist illuminates the current conflict in the Western Sahara, navigating through the landscapes, various political standpoints, peoples and their nation states. Amidst the Sand Wall offers visitors further context to the current state of the Western Sahara.
In this auxiliary exhibition in dialogue with Performing Colonial Toxicity, visitors descend into the enduring Western Sahara conflict. This territory, which was a Spanish colony until 1975, has since been a battleground for territorial claims and self-determination aspirations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front. Over the course of more than four decades, we have witnessed a ceaseless flux of military clashes, the complicated choreographies of diplomatic negotiations, and fragile ceasefires. Yet, a resolution to this intricate web of political entanglements remains elusive, like an abandoned conversation, shrouded in omnipresent silence. This dispute has not only transformed political landscapes but has also led to the displacement of the Sahrawi population and the establishment of refugee camps in South Algeria, standing as a stark symbol of the human cost of this protracted struggle.
This exhibition illustrates multifaceted and complex narratives, spanning generations, and is interwoven with the artist’s Moroccan identity and upbringing. At the centre of this discourse is the Moroccan Western Sahara Wall, a monumental, 2,700-kilometre-long sand barrier, that is considered the largest minefield in the world. Beyond its physical nature, it symbolises the living narrative of an ongoing struggle etched into the sand and history. The presence of this wall has profoundly shaped the artist’s perspective, leaving an indelible mark on understanding the representation of such marked geographical boundaries.
How can a divisive barrier become a means of dialogue?
Amidst the Sand Wall is intended to be a platform on which the complexity of history can coalesce. It is an acknowledgement of the intricate terrain we navigate, where conversations may have stalled or emerge entangled. Through visual exploration and representation in this space, the artist strives for a unity that fosters exchange and cultures, recognising that lasting progress comes from refusing silence.
Artist
739 is a visual artist and information designer from Morocco and based in the Netherlands. His work explores socio-political issues from an auto-ethnographic and psycho-geographic perspective. By investigating the intricate interplay between culture, body and space, he explores how social and cultural landscapes affect individual identities. 739’s design process takes shape by deconstructing everyday practices, prevailing narratives and cultural objects, only to rebuild, reclaim and recontextualise them, revealing concealed narratives.
Framer Framed is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; Amsterdam Fund for the Arts; the Municipality of Amsterdam; and VriendenLoterij Fonds.
Conflict / Colonial history /
Exhibitions
