04 M’barek Bouhchichi (Selma Feriani Gallery, Tunis; curated by Omar Berrada and Beya Othmani
M’barek Bouhchichi, Stick charts 1, 2025, brass, 70 7⁄8 × 63".
Uprooted, endemic, naturalized, invasive, acclimatized, diaspora—these words are used by botanists and by the bureaucrats of European interior ministries. Colonial logic exerts its power by naming, drawing boundaries, and separating. Life, however, merges and spreads. There is a deep analogy between the movement of seeds and that of people. Seeds mark the beginning of endless journeys and carry within them the potential for survival and adaptation. Bouhchichi’s evocative exhibition “Les Graines Noires” (Black Seeds) brought together a range of objects, all deeply intentional in form and material. Stick charts I, 2025, for instance, featured eucalyptus branches cast in brass that are inspired by maritime navigation tools. Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper, the latter referencing both currency and healing properties.
