Compared to Mohamed Bourouissa, the analyzed group
Mohamed Bourouissa, an Algerian artist in his early forties, has been creating thought-provoking art for the past two decades. His work, which has been ongoing since the early 2000s, explores individual identities in Western society by examining the tension between personal narratives and broader social structures, particularly through the lens of marginalized communities.
Bourouissa's practice blurs the boundaries between documentary and fiction, personal and universal. He uses staged photography and installations to interrogate how social identities are formed and perceived within the social fabric of Western urban environments. His work is a snapshot of the interplay between individualism and personal bonds.
One of Bourouissa's most notable series, "Périphérique" (2005-2008), was created after the riots in the French suburbs. This body of work represents the lives of people living in the banlieues not as straightforward reportage but by appropriating the conventions of classical history painting to stage scenes that reveal complex socio-political realities and personal bonds within these communities.
In his "Horse Day" series (2013-2019), Bourouissa deconstructs the cowboy myth in a Philadelphia suburb. This series challenges the traditional image of the cowboy, often associated with individualism and freedom, and presents a more realistic and diverse portrayal of life in suburban America.
Bourouissa's work also highlights the importance of considering the social fabric to avoid its destruction. For instance, his work suggests that social media could weaken the sense of belonging to the community and collective support networks if taken to the extreme.
His most recent project, "Hands" (2025), presents works exclusively at the MAST Foundation in Bologna. The works in "Hands" are printed on plexiglass and placed against a metal grid, and they address the viewer through the eyes and mediation of those who populate them. The exhibition's title, "Communautés," reminds us that individual identity is a social construction.
Francesco Zanot is the curator of the new exhibition dedicated to Mohamed Bourouissa at the MAST in Bologna until September 28. The MAST, an international cultural and philanthropic institution based on Technology, Art, and Innovation, was founded in Bologna in 2013. Isabella Seràgnoli and her foundation played a significant role in the foundation of the MAST.
Bourouissa's research focuses on individuals who live in the uniqueness and multiplicity of modern civilization. His work emphasizes the need to respect, consider, listen to, and love every individual. His art interrogates how individual identities are constructed and challenged within Western societies, emphasizing the interplay between personal experiences, intimate social bonds, and structural inequalities.
Bourouissa's work also draws from his Algerian heritage and the legacy of colonialism, as seen in projects like Brutal Family Roots (2020), which evokes both personal history—connecting to Frantz Fanon’s psychoanalytic work—and collective histories of displacement, resilience, and cultural hybridity. In this, individual identity is linked to diasporic experiences and the layered social fabric spanning both Algeria and Western contexts.
Overall, Bourouissa's work enriches our understanding of social cohesion, exclusion, and cultural negotiation. It invites viewers to reconsider stereotypical views of marginalized identities and highlights the intertwining of personal relationships and systemic sociopolitical forces shaping those identities.
- Mohamed Bourouissa's art, found in the works like "Périphérique" and "Horse Day", examines lifestyle through the lens of fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and books, providing a snapshot of the interplay between individualism and personal bonds.
- In the "Hands" series (2025), Bourouissa's art focuses on education-and-self-development, personal-growth, and career-development, emphasizing the social construction of individual identity.
- Bourouissa's work, such as "Brutal Family Roots" (2020), draws upon his Algerian heritage and the legacy of colonialism, exploring the intersection of personal growth and diasporic experiences in the context of books and education-and-self-development.
- Bourouissa's art, displayed at the MAST Foundation in Bologna, raises questions about the impact of social media on community and collective support networks, focusing on the role of technology in home-and-garden and lifestyle.
- Through his work, Bourouissa encourages empathy, respect, and love for individuals living in diverse and multilayered Western societies, promoting awareness and understanding in entertainment and books, particularly concerning education-and-self-development, personal-growth, and career-development.
