Meriem Bennani. Photo: Valentina Sommariva
Meriem Bennani
PROJECT
Exploring Moroccan internet subcultures and the politics of women’s bodies, Umbrella twist pays homage to the creativity and charisma of the women who engage in the Moroccan internet trend known as routini lyawmi (my daily routine). In these videos Moroccan women film themselves completing household chores – but with a subtle erotic undertone. Bennani’s animation depicts a witch who, fuelled by jealousy and the dark side of the internet, casts a spell that causes everyday objects to come to life and haunt the central character. The video is housed within a sculpture that resembles these objects, blending Bennani’s digital and physical worlds.
ABOUT
Meriem Bennani’s practice is focused on the circulation of information and culture online, particularly in her native Morocco. Her video installations and sculptures reference the aesthetics of reality television, documentary, animation and social media. Employing magical realism, absurdist humour and cultural cliches, she explores themes of cultural disparity, politics, censorship and gender. Bennani received her BFA from Cooper Union in New York, and her MFA at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Recent solo presentations include Lafayette Anticipations, Paris (France); Fondazione Prada, Milan (Italy); Fondation Kamel Lazaar, Tunis, (Tunisia); Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (US); The High Line, New York (US); The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, Chicago (US); Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham (UK); Kunstverein Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden (Germany); François Ghebaly, Los Angeles (US); Julia Stoschek Collection, Berlin (Germany); Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris (France); and MoMA PS1, Queens, New York (US). Her work was also featured in the 2019 Whitney Biennial, the 2018 Biennale of Moving Images, and the 2016 Shanghai Biennale.