Circulation - Agence VU'

Circulation

Bruno Boudjelal

“For ten years (1993-2003), during my previous work, I wasn’t able to move freely in Algeria and all my travels were restricted to some areas, seemingly more safe: inside the family ( at Setif and its region) or at some friends’ places ( Alger, Annaba, Bejaïa, Oran). Therefore, I orientated my work around two main ideas:
– The idea of moving across this territory.
My own travel, in a country that, at the end of the day, I didn’t know very well, and the people and places I met. But also the move of Algerian people inside their own country, as they were forbidden for a long time to travel, because of the dangerous routes, the fake barrages, the sweepings of the army, the kidnappings, the forced disappearances…

– Questioning my belonging to this territory, to this country.
In February 2003, I crossed Algeria from East to West, and I felt, to my own surprise, an extremely strong bond (outside of the one with the family) with this country. How could I explain this proximity, this intimacy that I felt in places that I had never visited before, in landscapes that I didn’t know or with complete strangers ?
These sensations profoundly disturbed me for a long time; that is why I decided to try analyzing and understanding all of this. “ – Bruno Boudjelal

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