Othmane Bengebara

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Portfolio


We Are Living Now Under the Same Roof
État d’urgence d’instants poétiques 
4th Edition
Curated by Bouchra Salih
Year: 2020


Chapter 1: Jardin d’essais botaniques, Rabat (Morocco)
Site-specific installation

Chapter 2: Le Cube – independent art room, Rabat  (Morocco)
Multimedia installation 

 We Are Living Now Under the Same Roof questions the poetics and the imaginaries of the Garden of Paradise, one of the most invested themes in Muslim mysticism, submitted here to the test of time and the language of architecture, the first mode of artistic expression of Othmane Bengebara and referent to which his plastic work takes a position. 

We Are Living Now Under the Same Roof, Chapter 1 is an in situ installation integrates movement, space, and light based on a tripolar logic that marks the beginning of the artist's career. Othmane Bengebara transforms the ornamental basin of the botanical garden, which has been emptied of water and now serves as a platform for 81 mirrors that cover the entire area. Both the basin and the mirrors are square, creating a matrix shape that symbolizes stability and adheres to the ideal proportions favored by the artist. The reflective surface is animated by the real modulation of light and shadow, influenced by celestial bodies and weather patterns. Additionally, the shifting shades of green from the four cypress trees that outline the basin contribute to this dynamic scene. It creates a natural drama that the viewer observes and follows as they wander, allowing them to experience both the impermanence and duration of the moment.

The artwork reflects the delicate relationship between human creation and the infinite realm of divine creation, symbolized by a fragment of the celestial landscape presented at the viewer's feet. This piece transforms the space into a tangible expression of the invisible creative process, serving as a poetic representation of humanity's connection with the divine. Through this work, the artist seeks to personify and mythologize space, inspiring the viewer's imagination and encouraging contemplation and mental exploration. The artwork engages with broader themes such as time, infinity, and the concept of becoming. The work effectively brings complex ideas down to a scale that allows spectators to explore their own creative and liberating possibilities. It invites each viewer to construct their own abstract concept of paradise, which they then shape and define. In this way, the work becomes a creator itself, providing unique meaning and spatiality through the individual interpretations of each audience member.                                                      






For Chapter 2, Othamane Bengebara developed an audiovisual installation based on the principle of collective work, which creates a welcoming space for 70 recorded images of the sky collected by the artist through his Instagram account. The resulting montage features individual and subjective expressions of the sky while also highlighting the social connections he established through this project.
The installation consists of 25 mirror panels arranged on the floor to form quare that resonates with the room’s walls. These surfaces display two projections that capture the infinite dimensions of the skies and the “motionless movement” that characterizes them, conveyed through the slow progression of the audiovisual frames. 
By bringing together multiple skies from distant locations under one roof, the installation also engages the auditory sense. It challenges viewers with sounds—such as the thickness of silence and the singing of birds—that, along with the moving images, summon the outside world into the architectural space of the installation. 
The interplay between the immediate presence of the constructed space and the distant places and times it encompasses adds a dramatic tension. This work invites us to reflect on the necessary reconsideration of the self’s place within society, establishing a dialogue between the visible and the lived experience.
















Fatima-Zahra Lakrissa, 2020