Biography
Abdessamad El Montassir’s interdisciplinary work calls upon micro-stories made invisible by official discourse and explores their place and stake in contemporary societies. His artistic approach invites us to rethink history and cartographies through collective narratives and immaterial archives, thus highlighting the necessity to consider oral forms of knowledge and memories and question the traditional construction of history. His research focuses on a trilogy: the right to forget, fictional and visceral narratives, and the trauma of anticipation.
El Montassir’s work has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions, including A spoonful of sugar, Jeune Création, Romainville, France (2020); Del fotograma a las artes vivas, Art Madrid (2020); Leave No Stone Unturned, Le Cube, Rabat (2019); Comisariados, Europa mira al Este, PROYECTOR, Sala El Águila, Madrid (2019); De liens et d’exils, Villa Empain - Fondation Boghossian, Brussels (2018); Invisible, 13th Dak'Art (Biennale of Contemporary African Art, Dakar) (2018); Interspaces, Künstlerhaus, Klagenfurt, Austria (2018); Saout Africa(s), Every Time A Ear di Soun, documenta 14, SAVVY Contemporary, Berlin (2017); Notte di San Giovanni XXIII edizione, Ostuni, Italy (2017); Home, Mediterranea 18 Young Artists Biennale, Tirana, Albania (2017); and Special Flag, L’Atelier 21, Casablanca (2014).
He has received a number of grants and awards, including Creation Support Grants, Institut français du Maroc (2018, 2019, 2020); Excellence Award, École Normale Supérieure, Université Moulay Ismail, Meknès, Morocco (2016); and Production and Residence Grants, Ministère de la Culture, Morocco (2015, 2016).
El Montassir holds a bachelor’s degree in visual arts from the National Institute of Fine Arts, Tétouan, Morocco (2012), and a master’s degree in art history from Moulay Ismail University, Meknès, Morocco (2016). He held the position of artist researcher for the Art, Science and Society programme at the Institute for Advanced Study (IMéRA), Aix-Marseille Université, France (2017–2019).
Born in 1989 in Saidate, Morocco, El Montassir lives and works between Rabat, Boujdour and Marseille.
SAF participation:
Production Programme 2020