Since the 1990s, French-Egyptian photographer and filmmaker Youssef Nabil, born in 1972, has developed a body of work with a powerful visual identity, to which the musée d’Orsay has made a decisive contribution. His first visit to France and discovery of the museum’s collections in 1992 remain a source of inspiration that has permeated his work for more than thirty years, as illustrated by the self-portrait The Dream (2021), which follows in the tradition of Le Rêve by Puvis de Chavannes. Youssef Nabil’s exhibition, which makes him the first artist to take over the Orientalist gallery, offers an opportunity to place his works in dialogue with those that left a lasting impression on him in this space, with Orientalism and Symbolism forming the heart of this aesthetic connection.
Youssef Nabil’s black-and-white silver gelatin prints, enhanced using an age-old hand-coloring technique, evoke the glorious, imagined Egypt of his childhood—the artist’s country of birth—and conjure up velvety visual atmospheres. Drawing on dreams and nostalgia, his work seeks to move beyond purely identity-based questions and embody a borderless, imagined and idealized Mediterranean world. In the artist’s eyes, Egypt is the setting for a sensual and willingly embraced Orientalism, with images that adopt its visual codes: warm, vibrant colors bathed in a peaceful atmosphere of desires and dreams, depicting an Orient free from prohibitions and censorship. Alongside Orientalism, the aesthetic of minimalist settings featuring solid blues and whites with translucent effects reflects the artist’s Symbolist influences. Themes of exile, rebirth and dreams are omnipresent in his work. Although faceless, the rear-facing poses in his self-portraits are tinged with melancholy and retain an air of mystery. The display follows the chronological journey of a contemporary artist in five major stages, interwoven with connections across history. The exhibition opens with the museum’s rich collection of 19th-century photographs from expeditions to Egypt, drawing a distinction between artistic production in the Orient and Orientalism. Building on this historical foundation, the exhibition presents works focusing on the artist’s youth, followed by his first encounter with the musée d’Orsay during his first trip to France in 1992. The third section of the exhibition brings in figures he regards as guiding influences, such as Pierre Puvis de Chavanne and Odilon Redon. The penultimate room is devoted to the intersecting identities represented by Nabil on both sides of the Mediterranean, drawing on symbols of East and West in syncretic creations. Finally, two of the artist’s videos are screened in a room that echoes his passion for the cinematic medium.
Admission: From 0 to 16 euros.
Source: paris.fr — photo: Youssef Nabil Courtesy Youssef Nabil