Saadane Afif

Post-conceptual artist Saâdane Afif’s practice explores the relationship between the original and the reproduction, often presenting several variations of each work. The creation of his works typically unfolds over the course of an exhibition with the aid of many solicited contributors. For example, since 2004 he has invited artists, writers, designers, and musicians to create lyrics inspired by his ready-made sculptures, posters, and neons, which he then exhibits as wall texts to accompany the works. He has also commissioned musicians to write songs based on these writings, which have been played at galleries, broadcasted on the radio, released on CDs, and performed in a subway station. Afif’s ongoing “hobby artwork”

The Fountain Archives

is a growing collection of torn pages featuring reproductions of Duchamp’s

Fountain

. Striving to attain 1001 examples, Afif builds a corpus of varying histories about the most legendary piece of Modern art, a contemporary illustration of how myths are written.

Solo exhibitions of Afif’s work have been presented by institutions such as MMK Frankfurt, Witte de With in Rotterdam, Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, and Goethe-Institut Curatorial Residencies Ludlow 38 in New York. He participated in group exhibitions at Centre Pompidou in Paris, Kunsthalle Vienna, Sprengel Museum in Hanover, and Musée d’Art Moderne de la ville de Paris, among others. His work was included in Documenta 12 in 2007 and the 56th International Exhibition of the Venice Bienniale in 2015. The artist won the Prix Marcel Duchamp in 2009.