Unnarrated

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Exhibition Dates: 24th June - 17th July 2021

 

Curator: Mishelle Brito

Artists: ElZi Collective

 

Unnarrated is an installation by the ElZi Collective which uses fragmented moving image,  reflection and performance to dismantle western notions of knowing in relation to feminine  spirituality in North Africa. Unnarrated explores oral histories and notions deconstructing  what is beyond language and communication within the context of North African cultures.  

 

For this exhibition, ElZi Collective researched spirituality and mysticism in relation to the  influence of Islam in North Africa, particularly feminine spirituality. These practices or, some times even rituals, represent a strand of knowledge that has not been authentically docu mented in history books yet rather passed on orally through generations, which, at times,  destabilised the continuity of the narrative. The artists are particularly interested in the  notion of ‘external inaccessibility of knowledge’, an inaccessibility that has not been defined  by the Western template of knowledge, one that was shaped through post-colonial, collec tive social knowledge. This artistic interest subsequently scrutinises the diasporic approach  to understanding one’s identity while preserving cultural continuum. 

 

Exposing the different layers of collective knowledge and its authentic interpretations, Unnarrated aims to widen the understanding/perceptions of communication beyond Western  ideologies. while also initiating the space of redefining religion through studying its social  performance and perceptions within the North African context.

 

About the Artists 

ElZi Collective is an artistic duo that dances between the binaries of art, performance  and activism to create interdisciplinary work to respond to and challenge the world around  them. The collective is a collaboration between Jessica El Mal and Youcef Hadjazi, an  English-Moroccan and Algerian duo whose work together has been exhibited at Left Bank  Leeds and supported by The Whitworth Manchester. Individually, their projects span a multi tude of areas.  

 

Based in Manchester, El Mal uses digital techniques, aesthetics and interaction to address  global structures of power through critical research, multidisciplinary projects, and specula tive future imaginaries. Often centred around collaboration, co-curation and workshops. She  runs an art and nature group for migrant artists called ‘This Garden Group’ which includes  workshops in a range of natural spaces, a peer support group sending good morning  memes to each other and a public-facing program. Jessica’s most recent exhibition Grounds  for Concern exhibited at MAMA Rotterdam, challenging the authority of man-made bor ders through a digital installation and workshops, as well as a digital commission by FACT  Liverpool existing online at www.visionsofafuture.com.  

 

Predominantly based in London, Hadjazi is a queer creative practitioner whose artistic  practice spans across lens-based media and performance while exploring multidisciplinary  possibilities. His work tends to explore and, therefore, deconstruct the different interpreta tions of societal notions within the context of the Diasporic and queer identities, while pro pelling the perception of social behaviour as a colonial product. Hadjazi is currently working in collaborating with SomoS Art House in Berlin on a photographic performance project  that aims to capture the performed narrative of the living experiences among non-cis  individuals. Similarly, his recent project with Journeys and Homotopia Festivals initiated the  space for queer migrants to illustrate their journeys as queer individuals through a collabo rative zine. Prior to that, his commission with Manchester International Festival explored the  assimilation of transgenerational trauma in post-colonial nations, focusing on the Algerian  Civil War in the 1990s. 

 

For more information about the artists visit:  

Jessica El Mal www.elmalart.com | @elmalart 

Youcef Hadjazi https://www.youcef.co/ | @youcef.hadjazi 

 

Curator

Mishelle Brito is a London based artistic programmer and curator working to create dialogues relating to societal concerns in the Middle East through art, culture and creative based methods.

 

P21 Gallery

P21 is an independent London-based charitable trust established to promote contemporary Middle Eastern and Arab art and culture. 

 

About Amal 

Amal works with many partners to support creative endeavours that increase understanding of Britain’s Muslim communities among others and foster a stronger sense of belonging in the UK among our Muslim communities. Amal believes that engagement in arts and cultural activity broadens horizons and forges common ground within and between communities.

 

Press information

For further information, press images and interview opportunities, please contact reACT Programme Manager & Curator, Mishelle Brito at: reACT@p21.org.uk

 

 


 

Unnarrated is a reACT project in partnership with Amal (a Saïd Foundation programme), supported by HUB Collective, Arab British Centre and Arts Council England