Dotted Peace, 2000 by Hassan Hajjaj. © Hassan Hajjaj courtesy of the artist and New Art Exchange
Hassan Hajjaj: The Path is a touring exhibition by New Art Exchange, Nottingham, curated by Ekow Eshun.
With an exuberant melee of colours, patterns, appropriated brand logos and found objects, Hassan Hajjaj: The Path is a timely exploration of global culture across continents through the unique lens of acclaimed Moroccan-British photographer.
Assembled by renowned curator, writer and broadcaster Ekow Eshun for New Art Exchange, this exhibition of photography and video confronts Hajjaj’s dual-identity, referencing his personal journey from his birthplace in Larache, Morocco, to London and beyond, and his experience working around the world.
Hassan Hajjaj: The Path incorporates three major photographic series: the first, Dakka Marrakchia, sees women pose like fashion models on the streets and rooftops of Marrakech while dressed in camouflage pattern abayas and Louis Vuitton print face veils, the portraits offering a deliberate refutation of stereotypes of Islamic women as subjugated and disempowered.
In My Rockstars Hajjaj turns his focus to British personalities, concentrating primarily on figures such as jazz musician Kamaal Williams. As always, his subjects hail from a range of racial and ethnic backgrounds creating, in composite, a portrait of Britain at its most dynamically diverse.
A small selection of reproduced images from Between represent Hajjaj’s focus on landscape, place and sensibility, rather than portraiture. Reflecting the artist’s travels in Africa and the Middle East, the photographs reveal Hajjaj in a new light, as a photographer concerned with the intimacies of everyday life as well as the performed presentation of the self.
Explored within the context of Arnolfini’s dual local and international outlook, Hajjaj’s focus encourages conversations both across city and continents, where cultural identity is seen as fluid and multiple – welcome to Hassan’s world!
Two Worlds Collide:
Arnolfini approached writer, poet and musician, Sophia Harari, to respond to Hassan Hajjaj: The Path. Read her poem here and see it displayed in the foyer at Arnolfini.
The gallery is open Thursday to Sunday, 12pm to 5pm each week. We ask everyone coming into Arnolfini to wear face coverings.
Introductions to the exhibition and Audio Descriptions of each piece in Hassan Hajjaj: The Path are available here.
As music has been integral to Hassan’s work, he’s kindly put together a playlist for us and you to enjoy here.
A Gallery Guide is available to pick up while you’re here, or download here Hassan Hajjaj: The Path Gallery Guide
Families are very welcome at Arnolfini and we have put together a Family Guide with fun activities to do either in the gallery or later at home. Pick up a copy when you visit or download here Hassan Hajjaj: The Path Arnolfini Family Guide
We’d love to see your images, please tag @ArnolfiniArts into any social media, #HassanHajjaj.
We also have Recipe Cards and Food Memories for you to share with us and among your friends and family.
We have run a series of We Are Family Summer Workshops to complement Hassan’s work. Downloadable versions of the activities are available below:
Music has always been at the heart of Hassan’s work. Check out his playlist here…
Hassan Hajjaj
Hassan Hajjaj moved to London in the 70s and has since lived and worked between Morocco and the UK. Heavily influenced by the club, hip-hop, and reggae scenes of London as well as by his North African heritage, his artistic practice reveals his capacity to bridge both cultures, as well as the interweaving worlds of art, music and fashion. Showing for the first time in Bristol, the city’s rich musical heritage and complex social and cultural history provides an additional layer of context to Hajjaj’s work, explored through the exhibition’s different bodies of work and associated programme.
Hassan Hajjaj: The Path is a touring exhibition by New Art Exchange, Nottingham, curated by Ekow Eshun.
Hassan Hajjaj: The Path is a project strand of NAE’s international Here, There & Everywhere programme which has been supported by Arts Council, England’s, Ambitions for Excellence funds.
Hear Work of the Week, chosen by the artist Hassan Hajjaj, who looks at an album cover —Doctor Alimantado’s 1978 debut The Best Dressed Chicken in Town — and discusses how it influenced his own photography with The Art Newspaper’s Ben Luke here.
