The first solo exhibition by Adel Abdessemed in a Parisian institution, “Practice Zero Tolerance” brings together a collection of recent works – including sculptures, videos, drawings and writings – that offer up a critical reading of our contemporary world. For the second, expanded part of an exhibition previously presented at la Criée in Rennes, Abdessemed intends to do away with le Plateau’s traditional exhibition structure to create an organic space whose plasticity, symbolized by the work “Dazibao”(2006), will be scattered amongst the various elements of his oeuvre.
Whether its purpose is to combat terrorism, to deter drug trafficking or to control juvenile delinquency, the practice of “zero tolerance” is often used as a tool of political propaganda. Abdicated by government leaders in both France and the United States, its veritable goal is take away the basic human rights protections of “the other”, pushing him towards a status of quasi-illegality and making him an enemy of society. By questioning these social grey areas while refusing to fall into the trappings of “social art”, Adel Abdessemed once again confirms that “a hygienic world without conflict is impossible.”
A whole world of inhumanity springs forth from a charred vehicle displayed at the center of the exhibition space. A full-scale ceramic creation, this sculpture (“Practice Zero Tolerance”, 2006) evokes both the automobiles burned during the recent suburban riots and the explosions of buses orchestrated by suicide bombers, transforming the remaining ruins into something like a hobby-horse
Two additional works, “Pluie noire” (2005) and “Wall drawing” (2006) explore the difficulty individuals experience when attempting to adhere to mass movements, including the dangers of falling into pre-defined ideological categories.
The exhibition at le Plateau will also be an occasion for Adel Abdessemed to present the life-size model of a project entitled “Black House”, which he plans to launch in Jerusalem in the near future. The project consists of a house inside which artists will create works that reflect upon the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and on whose exterior walls passersby will be invited to inscribe the unspeakable.
The rest of the exhibition space will include photos from the series “l’Atelier”, from which three new projects will be unveiled to the public.
Curators: Caroline Bourgeois and Larys Frogier