Mounir Fatmi is an internationally acclaimed Moroccan visual artist and director. He was born in 1970 in Tangier, Morocco, and is currently based in Paris.
Fatmi’s work deals with contemporary issues, such as the politics of identity, displacement, and technology. His artwork is often characterized by a minimalist aesthetic and a combination of media such as video, photography, sculpture, and installation. He is known for his installation pieces, which often involve the manipulation of everyday objects, such as TV sets and computers.
Fatmi has exhibited his work in numerous international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. His work is held in several major public and private collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Deutsche Bank Collection, and the British Museum in London.
In 2003, Fatmi directed his first short film, “The Night of Counting the Years.” The film, which is based on a true story, follows a group of Egyptian Nubians who are forced to leave their homeland in the 1960s. The film was shown in numerous festivals and won several awards, including the Grand Prize at the International Short Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Since then, Fatmi has directed several other films, such as “Habibi,” a short film about a young Moroccan girl who is forced to marry a much older man, and “The Forgotten Space,” a documentary about the globalized maritime trade system.
In addition to his filmmaking work, Fatmi is also a professor at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His work has been featured in several books, such as “Mounir Fatmi: A Retrospective” and “Mounir Fatmi: Works from 2004-2014.”
Mounir Fatmi is an influential figure in the contemporary art world. His work has been recognized internationally for its innovative and thought-provoking approach. He continues to challenge the boundaries of art and create work that is both timely and timeless.