Sahara: What is Written Will Remain

With the rise of globalization and technological progress, diverse issues related to communication are increasingly more complex. Sahara: What is Written Will Remain sheds light on the written and spoken word as a token of memory and identity, exploring its different uses across calligraphy, typography, literature and other media. Going beyond the romantic vision of the desert, exhibited artists such as Rachid Koraichi, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Zoulikha Bouabdellah, Hadia Gana and Zineb Sedira reveal the variety of creative possibilities influenced by language. At the same time, the collective Jürgen Kleft (Austria) and Esmeralda Kosmatopoulos (Greece) – both working on notions of nomadic life, collective memory and daily rituals – present interactive, site-specific installations that converse with the architecture of the space and its history.

The selected Imago Mundi collections, loaned artworks and special commissions are juxtaposed with ancient manuscripts, maps, and “Tutto è scritto”, a documentary by Marco Pavan shot in Timbuktu. This legendary city lies where the southern edge of the Sahara meets the banks of the Niger River. Founded in the 11th century, the city has been a global center for trade and the study of manuscripts. Displayed across the art space, the artworks highlight how calligraphy and manuscripts are enduring remnants of the Sahara’s rich cultural exchange. This diverse selection of artworks investigates wider contemporary social, cultural, and political contexts through sculpture, textile, video, installation, photography, and performance. Displayed together, the exhibition becomes a testament to the power and inspiration language has on art from the Sahara region and beyond. 

Sahara: What is Written Will Remain brings new insights into historical, material and ontological qualities of language, and reflects critically on communication in modern society. Throughout the exhibition visitors are called to react to the artworks and to face their own personal experiences and boundaries.