OMAR MAHFOUDI Tangier, 1981 26.03.2015 / 19.05.2015 "Tangier, 1981" is the title of a new solo exhibition by Omar Mahfoudi at the FORMATOCOMODO gallery.
Through a diversity of samples and techniques represented by photographs, collages and installations (e.g. "The Royal Chairs" or "Showcase") we immerse ourselves in the artist's private world, an emotional landscape marked by the culture, society and politics of Morocco. The artist’s background and private experiences portray the life of contemporary Tangier, his hometown. His work delves into a personal reflection that questions Moroccan reality. Tangier is represented as a scaffolded, evolving city, distancing itself from the real political and social issues. Instead of being confronted, they remain obscure. Omar rearranges his individual memory and the Moroccan collective memory simultaneously. The exhibition turns into a family album, defined by personal photographs, memories of his childhood and his family. Some are crossed out and smudged, almost as a type of self-rejection, while others are presented in their original form. Photography is a key element for the artist when talking about memory. The tangible photograph, a picture you can touch, developed and put in an album, has been replaced by digital photography that after getting seen gets lost among computers and social networks. Such videos as "Kiss" and "The driver does not recognize the city" reflect the same unexpected and honest vision of the paradoxes of contemporary life. This experimental approach, determined by the freedom of speech, leaves no room for self-censorship and is shared by many artists of his generation who have redefined Moroccan contemporary art.
The exhibition also represents a shift in Omar Mahfoudi´s artistic career, away from the painting that was so characteristic for his beginnings, although still present in the way he treats the photographs. They form an expressive gesture, almost of anger, through which the artist seeks his own expression and identity.


 Omar Mahfoudi (Tangier, 1981) lives and works in Tangier. He studied arts at Moulay Youssel School where he excelled in painting and video installations. He took part in film festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Internationale d'Auteur Cinema Festival in Rabat, and Casa-Projecta or the Red Shoes Bureau Loop Festival. He has had various solo and collective exhibitions in Spain (Madrid and Zaragoza), Morocco, France, Germany and the US. His works belong to private collections in Morocco, Germany, Spain, USA, UK, France and Denmark.