Soufiane Ababri | Decolonising Contemporary Art by “Unskilling” Drawing

Our two friends, dedicated art lover, Exhibitionista Emily Harding and art writer and curator Joana P. R. Neves visit Moroccan contemporary artist Soufiane Ababri’s exhibition at The Barbican. How do the artist’s colourful, appealing drawings decolonise the mind while being totally truthful to the queer, trans, gay environment he depicts? How does the artist ask us to engage with notions of diaspora, immigration, colonial trauma, post-colonial issues, queerness and much more, when you’re not part of the community? Why are his drawings unskilled? Is there a skill to unskilling drawing? Did you enjoy the episode? Think about supporting Exhibitionistas by leaving a small donation: https://buymeacoffee.com/exhibitionistaIn this episode, Joana and Emily do an exhibition walkthrough in Soufiane Ababri’s exhibition at The Curve, a strange space whose shape is described by the name, at the amazing Brutalist building of The Barbican. The exhibition is called "Their mouths were full of bumblebees but it was me who was pollinated", and it was a commission specifically for the exhibition space. This is the first time they talk about a show there. How do you build an exhibition for such a space? Is it even possible? Learn how Ababri found a way to pull you in, and worked with the specificities of the space, up to the language it conveys for him, as a queer Moroccan man. Sign up for a tiered monthly support: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2624749/monetization/supporter_settings Your contribution keeps us going.Joana and Emily also provide art student resources via a thorough introduction of the contemporary artist they focus on along with art banter, meditative explorations, and, often, feminist perspectives on histories often built through the obligatory male gaze.  Expect: a colourful artist biography; art history musings; art theory and art language dissected or used in accessible ways; art wonderment in buckets; international art; thoughts on curatorial work; and art etiquette challenges…For more information:  https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2024/event/soufiane-ababri Follow Soufiane Ababri on Instagram:  @soufianeababriMusic by: Sarturn Did the episode stir Art Wonderment memories? Share them via text or voice message.Support the showCreated & Hosted by Dr. Joana P. R. Neves, art curator and writer with over 20 years of experience in the contemporary art field. Artistic director of Drawing Now Paris since 2018, she has worked across the industry, from the art market to education. She co-launched the art residency and project space Worlding in 2020. Exhibitionistas’ first year offered exhibition discussions with guest co-host Emily Harding; organically, it grew into a more experimental show exploring art topics, stories and interviews complemented by Joana’s publication Art Thinkosaurus on Substack. She champions ‘Art Wonderment’s’ embrace of complexity against the lure of ready-made opinions. A polyglot, she grew up in Lisbon, studied and lived in Paris, to finally settle in London with her artist husband, four children and two cats. Find us:On Instagram – @exhibitionistas_podcastOn Substack (NEWSLETTER: sign up!): Art Thinkosaurus > Exhibitionistas FilesOnline: www.exhibitionistaspodcast.comDo you want to be a guest on Art Etiquette? Reach out: [email protected]: Joana P. R. Neves, 2024.