ARTension: Straight forward with
... Kader Attia!

In the first part of this series we will like to discuss with the artist, Kader Attia, about the extent to which art can serve as an environment or create a condition to come to terms with or process history in the present.
In his installations and photography Kader Attia deals, inter alia, with the economic, political and cultural aspects of architecture in different contexts; be it in state building or in the legacy of the colonial era. The artist gains inspiration from travelling and coupled with researches on art theory and history, he lays a foundation for the development of his works

Some points of interest in this discussion are:
Which questions does he pursue in the development process of his works related to the heritage of the colonial era?
To what extent is it possible, with the help of artistic positions, to instigate a reflection or even create awareness for historical contexts?

Kader Attia was born in 1970 in Saint-Dennis (France). He lives and works in Berlin and Algiers. Having taken part in many international exhibitions and biennials, Attia’s works have obtained, on an international scale, a wide critical acclaim. Currently, his installation piece with scrapped sheet-roofs, Kasbah, can be seen in the Sydney biennial, as well as other works in the Dreamlands exhibition in the Centre Pompidou, Paris. Together with the curator Laurie Ann Farell, he just received the Abraaj Capital Art Prize 2010 of the Art Dubai for his work History of a Myth: The Small Dome of the Rock. Kader Attia is represented by the Christian Nagel gallery in Berlin.

ARTension

Artension is an open platform for a critical discourse on and between artistic, scientific and other socially relevant positions. We invite guests to present their projects and discuss their subjects of interest in a public debate. We create a space for direct and intense engagement with concrete ideas, as well as a possibility for a first-hand experience, which can be meaningful for the audience.