BIO • CV

Born in 1980 in Algiers, Algeria.
Lives and works in Tours (France) and Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria).
→ Portfolio (FR)  – CV (Fr)
After studying computer science in Algeria, Massinissa Selmani graduated from the École supérieure des  beaux-arts in Tours, France.
His work has subsequently been hailed by a special mention of the jury at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015. In 2016, He received the Art [ ] Collector Prize (Paris) and the Sam Art Projects Prize for contemporary art (Paris).
Massinissa Selmani’s work aims to create drawn forms mingling a documentary approach with fictional constructions and animations, while taking as its point of departure contemporary political and social  issues from press cuttings. Through confrontation, juxtaposition and  even the superposition of actual elements, whose contexts have systematically been concealed, the artist creates enigmatic, ambiguous  scenes unlikely to happen in reality, , bearing witness to the absurdity of human behaviours and always balances these depictions within the realms of the comical and the tragic, or  architecture as an instrument of power. By arranging large white spaces and playing on effects of transparency and reserve, he  invites us to fill in the gaps, to question the way we remember and  write history, beyond any linear structure. In this way, he also raises  questions about the production process but also the circulation and  diffusion of media images, as well as the way they influence our  perception of historical and current events.
Massinissa Selmani has in particular exhibited at the Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Venice Biennale (Italy), the Dakar Biennial (Senegal), the Lyon Biennial (France), Art Basel (Basel), Zachęta National Gallery of Art (Poland), the Sharjah Biennial (UAE), IVAM Valencia (Spain), UGM Maribor (Slovenia), Frac Centre (France), the Modern Art Oxford (UK), the museum of African Art of Belgrade (Serbia), the Bandjoun station (Cameroon) among others. His work is part of public collections such as the Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou (Paris), the Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon and the Frac Centre (France).
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019
Le calme de l’idée fixe. Centre de création contemporaine Olivier Debré (CCC OD), Tours, France. Curated by Delphine Masson.
Choses fortuites. Château d’Oiron, France.
2018
Ce qui coule n’a pas de fin. SAM Art Projects Prize, Palais de Tokyo, Paris. Curated by Yoann Gourmel.
Poles Apart. Museum of African Art, Belgrade, Serbia. Curated by Ivana Vojt.
Episodes.  Itinéraires Graphiques du Pays de Lorient, École européenne supérieure d’art de Bretagne – Lorient, France.
2017
Les choses que vous faites m’entourent. Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, Paris
Même dans la pierre, il y a du sable. Galerie de l’Etrave, Thonon-Les-Bains, France. Curated by Philippe Piguet.
The pace of the outsides. Akinci Gallery, Amsterdam.
Le vent ne veut jamais rester dehors. Selma Feriani gallery, Tunis.
2016
Bleu comme une orange. Art [ ] Collector Prize, Patio Opéra, Paris. Curated by Catherine David.
L’horizon était là. Maison Salvan, Labège, France. Curated by Paul de Sorbier.
2015
Centre de création contemporaine Olivier Debré (CCC OD), Tours. France.
2013
L’usine ne fait pas les nuages. Talmart gallery, Paris.
L’Allure des choses. Mamia Bretesché gallery , Paris.
2011
L’Octroi, Tours, France.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
BIENNIALS
2019
Drawing Biennial 2019. The Drawing Room, London, UK
2017
Tamawuj. 13th Sharjah biennial, UAE. Curated by Christine Tohmé.
Marcher dans le rêve d’un autre. Biennale d’architecture d’Orléans. Frac Centre, France. Curated by Abdelkader Damani and Luca Galofaro.
Drawing Biennial 2017. The Drawing Room, London, UK.
2015
All the world’s futures. 56th Venice Biennale, Arsenal, Venice, Italy. Curated by Okwui Onwezor.
La vie moderne. 13th biennale de Lyon. Curated by Ralph Rugoff.
1st Triennale de Vendôme. France. Curated by Nadège Piton, Erik Noulette and Damien Sausset.
2014
Produire le commun. Dak’art biennale, Senegal. Curated by Elise Atangana, Smooth Ugochukwu NZEWI and Abdelkader Damani.
2011
Habiter la terre. International biennial of contemporary art, Melle, France. Curated by Dominique Truco.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019
Waiting for Omar Gatlato. The Wallach Art Gallery, New York. Curated by Natasha Marie Llorens
Dimension supplémentaire. Salle St-Martin, Souillac, France.
Incursioni D’arte Nella Civiltà. Fondazione Pierluigi e Natalina Remotti, Camogli, Italy
Beirut Art Fair. (Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, Paris)
Paréidolie. Salon international du dessin contemporain, Marseille. (Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou).
2018
Inhabiting the Mediterranean. Institut Valencià d’Art Modern (IVAM), Valencia, Spain. Curated by Pedro Azara
No Looking Back, Okay? Maribor Art Gallery, Slovenia. Curated by Simona Vidmar
A Slice through the World: Contemporary Artists’ Drawings. Modern Art Oxford, UK. Curated by Stephanie Straine and Kate Macfarlane.
Gold. Yutaka Kikutake Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.
Drawing Lab: Cinéma d’été. Drawing Lab, Paris.
2017
FIAC. Paris. (Selma Feriani Gallery).
Réparations. Frac Centre (Fr). Curated by Abdelkader Damani.
I want ! I want!: Art & Technology. Birmingham Museum and Art. Curated by Deborah smith.
Where the f*ck is my sock. Akinci Gallery, Amsterdam.
Mouvements. Salle des Pavillons, Lyon. In collaboration with Veduta, biennale de Lyon 2017.
The intimate ennemy. Pelagica studio and gallery, Milan. Curated by Pelagica.
Newwwar. It’s just a game?  Bandjoun station, Cameroon. Curated by Marion Zilio
All we need. group show. Private choice, Paris
Un monde in-tranquille. Abbaye Saint André – CAC Meymac. Fr.
Paréidolie. Salon international du dessin contemporain, Marseille. (Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou).
Dans mes mains. dans mes rêves même. Patio Opéra, Paris.
Art Paris. (Galerie 8+4 / Bernard Chauveau).
2016
Social Calligraphies. Zachęta National Gallery, Poland. Curated by Magda Kardasz.
Statement, Art Basel, Basel. (Selma Feriani Gallery).
5×2, Art [ ] Collector, Patio Opéra, Paris. Curated by Philippe Piguet
Stand Up!  Dak’art Off 2016, Senegal.
Drawing Now, Paris. (Selma Feriani Gallery)
Art Dubaï, UAE. (Selma Feriani Gallery)
Art Dubaï Projects 2016. Curated by Yasmina Reggad.
Zona Maco, Mexico DF. (Yam Gallery)
2015
Double take. Nature Morte Gallery, New Delhi. Curated by Diana C. Betancourt.
PARÉIDOLIE. Salon International du Dessin Contemporain à Marseille. (Karima Celestin gallery).
DDessin. Paris Contemporary Drawing Art Fair.
Dessine-moi une vidéo. Karima Celestin gallery, Marseille.
Carte blanche. Officine dell’immagine gallery, Milan, Italy. Curated by Silvia Cirelli.
1 :54. Contemporaray African art Fair. (Primo Marella Gallery).
2014
Singapore Art Fair. MENA Pavillon. Curated by Catherine David.
Singapore Art Fair. (Mamia Bretesché gallery).
Walk under the same sky. Yam Gallery, SMA, Mexico.
Intervening Space : From the ultimate to the world. The Mosaic Rooms, London. Curated by Yasmina Reggad and Ali MacGilp.
Dibujos; Geografìa Variables. Yam Gallery, Mexico.
DDessin. Paris Contemporary Drawing Fair, Atelier Richelieu, Paris. (Talmart gallery).
Du point à la ligne. Mamia Bretesché gallery , Paris.
Portrait Redux. Selma Feriani gallery, Tunis.
Subliminaloops. Les Arteliers de la sources, Orléans, France.
2013
Art Connections. Brasov, Roumania.
(One) hope map. Hallen Belfort, Brugge, Belgium. Curated by Michel DeWilde.
Group show, French institute, Annaba, Algeria.
2012
Festival Alternative. Belgrade, Serbia.
Group show, French institute, Oran, Algeria.
Limonaïa. Musée des beaux-arts de Tours, France. Curated by Marie-Claude Valentin and Ghislain Lauverjat.
Group show, French institute, Algiers, Algeria.
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris.
Place aux 14 janvier. Talmart Gallery, Paris.
Faire Face. Galerie contemporaine de la ville de Chinon. Curated by Dominique Marchès.
2011
Le jasmin l’emportera. Théâtre Jean Vilar, Vitry-Sur-Seine.
Visions nocturnes. Musée des beaux arts de Tours, France.
Petits formats. Tours, France.
EDUCATION
DNSEP, Ecole supérieure des beaux-arts de Tours. Tours, France
DNAP, Ecole supérieure des beaux-arts de Tours. Tours, France
AWARDS / GRANTS
2016
SAM Art Projects Prize. Paris.
Art [ ] Collector Prize, Paris.
2015
Special mention, 56th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy. Curated by Okwui Onwezor.
2013
Bourse d’aide à la création Drac centre, France.
COLLECTIONS
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
MAC Lyon, France.
Frac Centre, France.
Fondazione Pierluigi e Natalina Remotti, Camogli, Italy.
Josée and Marc Gensollen collection, Marseille, France.
Art [ ]Collector, Paris.
Samdani Art Foundation, Bangladesh.
Fonds d’Art contemporain – Paris collections.
Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP), France.
RESIDENCIES
Veduta Residency, 13th Biennale de Lyon, 2015.
Studio Perro Bravo, Mexico DF. Invited by Yam Gallery, SMA, Mexico.
L’Octroi, Tours (France), 2011. With the support of Mode D’emploi, Tours.
TALKS / CONFERENCES
2019
Centre de création contemporaine Olivier Debré (CCC OD), Tours, France.
5020 Gallery, Salzburg, Austria.
Les ateliers Sauvages, Algiers.
Esba TALM, Tours.
2018
Fondation Salomon, Annecy.
Panel conversation, Modern Art Oxford, UK.
Museum of African art of Belgrade, Serbia.
EHESS, Paris.
2017
French Institute, Belgrade. Talk with Ivana Vojt.
Galerie de l’étrave, Thonon-les-bains, France.
2016
Drawing Now Paris. Talk with Philippe Piguet.
Esba TALM, Tours.
2015
1:54 Forum, London.
Frac Champagne-Ardenne, France.
ESAD Orléans, France.
TEACHING
2019
Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts, Austria.
2014 – 2015
Esba TALM, Tours, France.
PUBLICATIONS (selection)
CATALOGS
2018
Ce qui coule n’a pas de fin. solo exhibition’s catalog. With the support of SAM Art Projects.
2017
Marcher dans le rêve d’un autre, biennale d’architecture d’Orléans.
Tamawuj. 13th Sharjah Biennial.
2016
Digital Monograph, Naima Editions, Paris.
Monograph, Art [ ]Collector Prize, Paris.
2015
13th biennale de Lyon,
56th Venice Biennale.
1st Triennale de Vendôme.
2014
Intervening Space : From the ultimate to the world, London. Texts by Yasmina Reggad and Ali MacGilp
2013
(One) Hope Map.
2012
Limonaïa, text by Jérôme Diacre.
2011
Habiter la terre, international biennial of contemporary art, Melle, France. Text by Dominique Truco
PRESS (selection)
2018
DIPTYK, April 2018 : L’insoutenable légèreté du trait.
Art Absolument, March 2018 : Massinissa Selmani, le bizarre, l’étrange et l’incongru.
Revue l’oeil, February 2018 : Massinissa Selmani – Énigme et histoire. Portrait by Philippe Piguet.
2017
Artforum, November 2017, Text by Riccardo Venturi
Telerama.fr: Massinissa Selmani, un coup de crayon subversif et déroutant. Text by Alexia Guggémos.
Le Monde: Massinissa Selmani, l’art de l’absurde. Text by Roxana Azimi.
Délibéré.fr: Massinissa Selmani makes it visible. Text by Nina Leger.
2016
Art Press N 432, Massinissa Selmani, between comedy and tragedy.
Revue l’oeil, Mars 2016, portrait by Philippe Piguet.
Revue Jef Kalk, 1000 villages, Massinissa Selmani.
2015
France Culture – Les carnets de la création, Massinissa Selmani
Le Monde Afrique – Les cinq artistes africains de l’année 2015.
Sock-studio.com – Collapsing Utopia: Massinissa Selmani’s “1000 Villages” and the Failed Algerian Agrarian Revolution of 1973
Diptyk N28 – Venise sera-t-elle africaine ?
Le quotidien de l’art N°902 – Chambre avec vue, Massinissa Selmani.
Contemporary And – Drawing : A modest medium ? C& talks to artist Massinissa Selmani.
Le Monde Afrique – A coups de crayons, Massinissa Selmani désamorce la violence.
Tafmag – Massinissa Selmani dessine l’absurdité de la vie à partir de photos de presse
De(s)génétations N°22 – Penser avec l’Afrique.
Les cahiers de l’Orient – Entretien avec Massinissa Selmani – Anastasia Rostan
Revue Laura (Hors Série, Mai 2015) – Massinissa Selmani ou le bloc-notes magique.
2014
Euronews.com – Paris’s blue dog and wall of separation.
L’expression (DZ) – Massinissa Selmani, l’usine ne fait pas les nuages.
Arts Hebdo Medias – Massinissa Selmani, text by Samantha Deman.
Actuart.org – Massinissa Selmani, l’usine ne fait pas les nuages.