The universe of this exhibition at the Depardieu gallery is essentially: Black and White, the confrontation of two opposites, the Manichean vision of a world in full disintegration.
Ouroboros, the serpent biting its own tail, the cycles of time, like a pendulum, renew themselves perpetually. The boat topped with a coffin sets the tone for this exhibition. Man, a migratory animal, has ceaselessly moved since the dawn of time; without these movements, so beneficial to the progress of humanity, we would still be reduced to Aristotle’s world and still convinced that the earth is flat!
This boat crosses the sea, the Styx, and brings souls towards a better world.
The artist Nasr Eddine Bennacer delivers an important message contrary to Rousseau’s noble savage: “The nature of human being transfers its character to what it touches, and alas, not always in a positive way.” The discussion becomes fascinating with the arrival of an old sage, half fishmonger, half artist, and above all philosopher, and we understand the approach of the artist, or rather, the artists.
The artist does not know what he is doing, but expresses his emotions. A heart beating independently of the will, it beats without knowing it beats, but it beats to affirm the triumph of life.
The artist demonstrates to us, in black and white, his universe. This latter is fully spiritual with numerous evocations of the three monotheistic religions: the peace pipe with its stem made from the stem of a rosebush (crown of thorns), the Star of David, and a symbol of Islam. The irreconcilable animals, symbol of conflicts.
Nasr Eddine Bennacer delivers a message about migrants. Rather than stopping them at the borders, this incessant flux of refugees fleeing wars and misery, we should understand the reasons for these migrations where they gamble their lives; the black boat topped with a coffin is its symbol.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Everything is said in this phrase; it is the key to understanding this exhibition. The symbols: Jews, Christians, and Muslims are there to recall the essence of these three religions, love, charity, and peace. Fanaticism and ideologies, always confined to a narrow, parochial vision of the world, are responsible for recent dramas and tragedies.
Nasr Eddine Bennacer provides elements to understand and better grasp the malaise of our society. Fluctuare, a beautiful lesson in life, wisdom, love, and tolerance.
Thierry Jan
