Residency

Ismaïl Bahri is primarily a videographer. He sometimes uses drawing, sculpture or installation. He positions himself as an observer, setting up a device to capture gestures and empirical experiences, paying attention to what ‘happens’. His work focuses on the meaning that emerges at the periphery of the gaze, in the presence of the surrounding world that arises and reveals its presence.

Bahri's work has been exhibited at numerous institutions, including the Jeu de Paume and the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France ; La Criée, Rennes, France ; La Verrière, Brussels, Belgium ; Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe, Germany ; Le Forum, Tokyo, Japan and the Beirut Art Center, Beirut, Lebanon. His films have been selected for festivals such as TIFF, Toronto, Canada, NYFF, New York, USA, IFFR, Rotterdam, Netherlands, FID, Marseille, France and Kunstenfenfestivaldesarts, Brussels, Belgium. Ismaïl Bahri was a resident at the Villa Médicis - Académie de France in Rome in 2023 - 2024. Born in 1978 in Tunisia, he lives and works between Paris, France and Tunis, Tunisia.

This residency will revolve around periods of exploration and observation. It does not follow the logic of a specific or pre-written project, but rather an attempt to listen to what happens.