Walid Raad
preface
23 May–14 September 2014
Carré d’Art–Musée d’art contemporain
Place de la Maison Carrée
30000 Nîmes
France
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10am–6pm
T + 33 (0) 4 66 76 35 70
F + 33 (0) 4 66 76 35 85
info [at] carreartmusee.com
Walid Raad’s first major exhibition in a French museum covers two of his long-term projects: The Atlas Group (1989–2004) and Scratching on Things I could Disavow (2007–ongoing).
The Atlas Group (1989–2004) was a project Raad initiated in 1989—or so his title suggests—and concentrated on the political, social, psychological and aesthetic dimensions of the wars in Lebanon. The Atlas Group (1989–2004) comprises an archive of found and created visual, recorded and written documents Raad attributed to historical and imaginary characters. The Atlas Group (1989–2004) is also an enquiry into the documentary process itself, into the kinds of facts that can constitute historical narratives.
Since 2007, Walid Raad has been developing another project titled Scratching on things I could disavow. His project in part engages the emergence of new art economies and museums in the Arab world, the increase in the visibility of Arab artists, patrons and collectors, as well as the marked interest expressed by Western countries and institutions in setting up annexes of major western museums (Louvre and Guggenheim) in the Middle East. Moreover and by leaning on Jalal Toufic’s writings, and more specifically his concept of the “the withdrawal of tradition past a surpassing disaster,” Raad also considers the short and long-term material and immaterial effects of the various wars that have consumed the Middle East over the past few decades. Raad’s works address these less visible and traumatic effects, and their profound impact on tradition.
Exhibition coproduced with Museo Madre, Napoli. Exhibition from 11 October 2014 to 19 January 2015.
Exhibition is co-curated by Jean-Marc Prevost (Director, Carré d’Art, Nimes), Andrea Viliani & Alessandro Rabottini (Museo Madre, Napoli).
For the exhibition, Walid Raad thought of an artist’s book that brings one of his texts as well as several series of images, some of which will be presented at Carré d’Art. Book published with Black Dog Publishing.
