Fatma Charfi: Human being-Being human: Curated by Beya Othmani

Human being–Being human is a survey exhibition of the late Tunisian-Swiss artist Fatma Charfi (1955–2018), bringing together works from across nearly three decades of artistic production, from her pioneering installations of the early 1990s to works made shortly before her death. Together, they reveal the coherence of a practice that continually returned to installation, not only as a medium, but as a way of making art. While highlighting her installation works, the exhibition also brings into focus the complexity of an oeuvre that resonates with striking urgency today.

Taking its title from one of Charfi’s works, Human being–Being human (Être humain), the exhibition draws on the double meaning of the French expression être humain: the human being as an individual and being human as a practice. This dual meaning speaks to two preoccupations that run throughout Charfi’s work: her sustained observation of human beings and the conditions that shape their lives, and her desire to provoke participation, care, and collective action.

These two dimensions structure the exhibition across two venues. The first movement, presented at Aïcha Gorgi Gallery, brings together installations that emerged from Charfi’s observation of the world. The second movement, at Blue Wind Project, turns to the performative dimension of her practice, bringing together works such as Cry of a Child (2002–2009), which paved the way for her long-running performance project Laboratoire de paix (2002–2014).

B. Othmani