Biskra, spells of an oasis

From 23 September 2016 to 22 January 2017, Paris's Institut du Monde Arabe hosts the exhibition "Biskra, spells of an oasis."

The exhibition "Biskra, spells of an oasis" presents one of the high points of Algerian culture and tourism. Built around photography but also painting and other creative fields, the exhibition explores the representation of this part of Algeria. A good way to see how photography fits into broader cultural projects.

Biskra, at the gates of the Sahara

The greats — Henri Matisse, André Gide, Béla Bartók — came to seek inspiration in Biskra, an Algerian town, capital of the Biskra wilaya, located about 400 km southeast of Algiers, at the gates of the Sahara.

Art historian Roger Benjamin recontextualises their works by drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished documents, including many historical photographs. A post-colonial reading that doesn't forget the heirs of this slice of history.

The exhibition is organised into five main sections, arranged around two "kiosks" devoted to music and cinema:

1. Architecture and institutions
2. Tourism
3. Painting
4. Photographs and graphic arts
5. Avant-garde

More about Biskra, spells of an oasis

From 23 September 2016 to 22 January 2017 at Paris's Institut du Monde Arabe

Venue: Institut du Monde Arabe, 1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris. Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, 10am to 7pm.

• Full price: €5
• Reduced price: €3

Learn more: www.imarabe.org