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Stick a euro in the slot for the lights! The mesmerising, strictly Venetian works of Lydia Ourahmane
From the pier built for a former quarantine island to the sculpture made from 1.3 tonnes of hotel bedlinen, the British-Algerian’s coin-operated show feels like it has sprung from The Floating City itself
TL;DR
- Lydia Ourahmane's exhibition in Venice is intrinsically linked to the city's identity and history.
- A key work is a pier built for Poveglia island, a former quarantine and asylum site, in collaboration with the local community.
- Another significant piece is a sculpture crafted from 1.3 tonnes of decommissioned Venetian hotel bedlinen.
- Ourahmane acquired a coin-operated machine from the church of San Giovanni Crisostomo to illuminate her exhibition, requiring visitors to insert a euro.
- Her practice emphasizes conceptual art that integrates with the world, drawing inspiration from personal history, migration, and cultural negotiation.
- The artist's upbringing in Algeria during civil war and her family's experiences have shaped her perspective on resilience and negotiation.