Rachid Koraichi: An Ode to Intertwined Histories

Février 16 - Mai 25, 2024
  • About Rachid Koraïchi, The Running Thread
    Rachid Koraichi at the Factum Arte workshop, Photos courtesy of Herve Desvaux

    About Rachid Koraïchi

    The Running Thread

    Rachid Koraïchi, born in Ain Beida, Algeria in 1947, currently resides and works between Tunisia and France. Koraïchi’ s artistic explorations encompass a diverse range of media, including ceramics, textiles, various metals, and painted works on silk, paper, or canvas. Embracing a multi-disciplinary practice as an extension of prayer and divine reverence, his artworks are infused with ideographic symbolism and contemplative forms, drawing inspiration from a myriad of calligraphic traditions and a rich blend of influences, from Chinese ideograms to pre-Islamic Berber and Tuareg art forms. Koraïchi delves into the interconnections between metaphysics, spirituality, and aesthetics, making it an exercise in the process of transformation. He has been featured in prestigious exhibitions, including the 47th and 49th Venice Biennale, and Word into Art at the British Museum in 2006. His works have been widely showcased worldwide and are held in numerous private and public collections, such as the British Museum in London, the National Museum for African Art in Washington, and the Museum of Islamic Arts in Doha. Apart from his professional projects, Rachid Koraïchi has also dedicated his efforts to personal ventures, such as the Garden of Africa. The Garden of Africa, entirely financed by Koraïchi, stands as a memorial resting place in Zarzis, Southern Tunisia. Its primary purpose is to provide a dignified final burial ground for the countless migrants who tragically lost their lives in the treacherous waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

  • “Writing and drawing are not two different things – they are essentially one and the same – they come, so to speak, from the same breath."

     

    Excerpts from Interview Interview by Polly Savage, translation by Gerard Houghton
  • Rachid Koraïchi

    An Ode to Intertwined Histories Février 27 - Mai 25, 2024
    In an ode to Elmarsa Gallery’s longstanding collaboration with Artist Rachid Koraïchi, we would like to revisit a collection of his work. The exhibition will encompass a breadth of disciplines...
  • The Process of Creation

    In collaboration with the Factum Arte team in Madrid.
  • Les Prieurs Les Prieurs Les Prieurs Les Prieurs

    Les Prieurs

     "Les Prieurs," features towering sculptures in polished bronze with green patina, achieved through a meticulous chemical process of patination. These sculptures originate from Koraichi’s drawings, reformatted as 3D files and printed in Styrofoam by Modelporex.Originally comprising  of three unique pieces representing Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Koraichi draws parallels to the egalitarian spirit of Sufism, guiding his artistic inspiration.
  • Les Priants Les Priants Les Priants Les Priants Les Priants Les Priants Les Priants

    Les Priants

    Koraichi’s installation titled Les Priants, features a selection friom the 21 unique Corten steel sculptures. Corten steel was specifically chosen to create a distinctly aged and weathered appearance, which actually enhances with time once the metal reacts with atmospheric elements. As inherent to his approach, Koraichi once again uses a multiple of 7, a number and symbol that has such powerful spiritual and scientific connections in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each of the individual 21 sculptures explore the fundamental relationship between light and shadow, and how one cannot function without the other.

  • Artwork on Display

    View all of the artwork that will be showcased during the exhibition
  • Talisman Talisman Talisman Talisman Talisman Talisman Talisman

    Talisman

    Inspired by the Quranic board which Koraichi used as a child, Talisman, is made up of 99 bronze tablets that have been carefully inscribed with original signs and symbols depicting the image of universal Love. Koraichi chose to create these pieces from bronze, a noble metal, as a reference to the steel gun barrels, knives, and pistols, that were used throughout terrorism in Algeria. The universal power of Love encompasses Love for your country and the people you cherish, as much as the Love of God, yet this is being increasingly contradicted by war and terrorism. This became a key inspiration for Koraichi whilst producing this installation; his strong belief in spiritual love for all, found him questioning the motives behind these real-life issues. This huge collection of 99 unique pieces comprises of codes that can be interpreted in every culture, and are to be viewed in chronological order.

  • "My work is about the power of gestures, whether they be gestures of language, or geometric constructions such as those of architecture or mathematics. I must stress, however, that I am not a calligrapher as such - I am an artist who uses writing in his work."
    Excerpts from Interview Interview by Polly Savage, translation by Gerard Houghton
    • Rachid Koraïchi Les Priants 02, 2015 Corten steel Unique piece 160 x 119 x 2 cm
      Rachid Koraïchi
      Les Priants 02, 2015
      Corten steel
      Unique piece
      160 x 119 x 2 cm
    • Rachid Koraïchi Les Priants 04, 2015 Corten steel Unique piece 160 x 119 x 2 cm
      Rachid Koraïchi
      Les Priants 04, 2015
      Corten steel
      Unique piece
      160 x 119 x 2 cm
    • Rachid Koraïchi Les Priants 05, 2015 Corten steel Unique piece 160 x 119 x 2 cm
      Rachid Koraïchi
      Les Priants 05, 2015
      Corten steel
      Unique piece
      160 x 119 x 2 cm
    • Rachid Koraïchi Les Priants 03, 2015 Corten steel Unique piece 160 x 119 x 2 cm
      Rachid Koraïchi
      Les Priants 03, 2015
      Corten steel
      Unique piece
      160 x 119 x 2 cm
    • Rachid Koraïchi Les Priants 01, 2015 Corten steel Unique piece 160 x 119 x 2 cm
      Rachid Koraïchi
      Les Priants 01, 2015
      Corten steel
      Unique piece
      160 x 119 x 2 cm
    • Rachid Koraïchi Les Priants 06, 2015 Corten steel Unique piece 160 x 119 x 2 cm
      Rachid Koraïchi
      Les Priants 06, 2015
      Corten steel
      Unique piece
      160 x 119 x 2 cm
    • Rachid Koraïchi, Les Priants, 2015
      Rachid Koraïchi, Les Priants, 2015
    • Rachid Koraïchi Les Prieurs II, 2015 Polished bronze and green patina Unique piece H. 280 x L.130 x W. 7cm - Base 154 x 70 x 7 cm
      Rachid Koraïchi
      Les Prieurs II, 2015
      Polished bronze and green patina
      Unique piece
      H. 280 x L.130 x W. 7cm -
      Base 154 x 70 x 7 cm