From Dak'Art, Caroline Rossiter in the Africa Report:
In Lost Springs, an installation by Moroccan artist Mounir Fatmi, the flags of the 22 states of the Arab League hang at half-mast on the wall. Below the Tunisian and Egyptian flags sit two brooms, representing the demise of the two countries' presidents, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak. It is a subtle gesture. At a glance, the brooms could be mistaken for flagpoles. The flag/broom juxtaposition is a leitmotif in Fatmi's work, implying a metaphorical cleaning up. In the case of the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, it suggests new beginnings and the sweeping away of old values. The domestic infiltrates the official sphere, as people demand their rights. Like much of Fatmi's work, Lost Springs is aesthetically minimal but laden with meaning.
Image courtesy of Mounir Fatmi
This year Fatmi is one of 42 artists to participate in Dak'Art 2012, the biennale of contemporary African art, held in Dakar's Musée Théodore Monod between 11 May and 10 June. Dak'Art is celebrating its 10th edition this year, and its theme 'Contemporary Creation and Social Dynamics' is designed to showcase the dialogue between contemporary artists and a social environment in constant movement. "There are forces today that are shaking the world, and call for new positions, new responsibilities both individual and collective," says Ousseynou Wade, general secretary of the biennale. "In that process, intellectuals and artists have a role."...[continue reading]
