This Month at ACCA: Kader Attia

Our very good friends, the talented cats over at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art are about to open the doors their brand new exhibition by the French/Algerian artist Kader Attia. The exhibition will be a major survey of the last decade of work that Attia has produced.

If you’re a little new to Kader Attia, lend me your ear:

Born in 1970, Attia grew up living between the North African nation of Algeria and the suburbian drum of Paris. A nice cultural spread for any budding artist. It was this diversity that gave Attia a starting point to begin developing his unique style by playing with the differing of culture. Early on, Attia toyed with the concept of repair in both the human condition and repair in nature. Attia has exhibited all over with residencies at the Northwestern University of Kaplan (USA), The Banff Centre (Canada) and at IASPIS (Sweden).

Now that you’re all around Kader Attia and his diverse background, it’s time to get excited about the new exhibition at the ACCA. Kicking off on October 2, Attia and ACCA, in partnership with the MCA (Sydney) and the Melbourne Festival this will be the first solo exhibition of the artist’s work in the Southern Hemisphere.

With themes ranging from absence to voids, injury and pain, the showcase will be host to some truly moving and contemporary pieces. For example, Ghost 2007 is an installation of empty aluminium -foil casts of seated Muslim women at prayer. Alongside this, Asesinos! Asesinos! 2014 shows over 100 doors standing in formation with megaphones attached, recreating the surge of humans in protest.

Kader Attia is only in for a little while, so you’ll want to work in a visit in the coming weeks to take in his vast body of work.

The exhibition is free and check out all the Artist Events on ACCA’s website at http://acca.melbourne

The exhibition is curated by Rachel Kent, Chief Curator of the MCA (Sydney).

words by ben stephens