The exhibition “Algeria my love – Artists of the Algerian brotherhood 1953-2021” allows you to discover part of the IMA’s collection, which includes 600 works of modern and contemporary Algerian art, thanks in particular to donations from Claude and France Lemand in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Until July 31, 2022, through 38 works by 18 artists from three generations, the exhibition Algeria my love – Artists of the Algerian brotherhood 1953-2021 at the Institut du monde arabe (IMA) in Paris allows you to explore the full richness of Algerian creativity. Claude Lemand, curator of this exhibition, declares that it is “one of the largest in the Arab world“.
In an interview with Radio France, he explains why the subtitle Algerian brotherhood artistshas been added. “I have (desired) to be a spokesperson for those Algerian artists who started coming to Paris in 1951, 52, 53 (to study). This generation, which was called that of 1930 because they were all born around 1930, remained in the capital until 1962, the date of Algerian independence. Almost all have returned except mainly Benanteur (Abdallah who advocated peaceful resistance). They had this brotherly relationship with each other, regardless of where they came from. When they returned in 1963, there was a first exhibition (organized by the poet Jean Sénac) at the Museum of Fine Arts in Algiers which was called ‘Algerian painters’ to say that Algeria had young painters. There were about thirty artists and we didn’t make any distinction between this one is Arab, this one is Kabyle, Jewish, Christian or Muslim, neither this one comes from Spain, that one comes from France. They were above all artists born in Algeria. They exhibited together, fraternally and always had artistic and friendly relations. And the year after, in 1964, this same exhibition was made at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, with the same title and the same number of artists. It was a truly exceptional state of mind.“
Claude Lemand adds that through Algeria my love – Artists of the Algerian brotherhood 1953-2021“the most important thing is to remember how fruitful this fraternity is and how much culture can contribute to it. (This is) the main message of this exhibition.“
The texts that accompany the works presented below are by Anissa Bouayed (historian), Emilie Goudal (doctor in art history) and Claude Lemand.