From Annaba, Algeria, Adel Bentoussi, reaches out to “The New Eastern Politics” Arts and Culture contributor, Christiane Waked and reveals why his art is meant to disturb.
C.W: Who are you really?
A.B: My name is Adel Bentounsi, I live in Algeria in the city of Annaba but who I really am? I think I am just food for nature.
C.W: Where did your passion for drawing come from? What is the process that you follow for the gestation of an idea in your creations?
A.B: I started to paint out of boredom and solitude. As a child, to escape the sense of loneliness, I began to paint as a way to distract myself. I also wanted to impress my family and get their attention through my art so I challenged myself to surprise them with new ideas and new drawings every single time.
You see, Christiane, this was my way to communicate with them, to get noticed and with time, it became my resistance weapon.
With each drawing, I want to put a highlight on a new subject, preferably a sensitive and an interesting one. To me, the challenge is how to paint the subject and present it in various forms, whether a mystical, enigmatical, direct or a shocking form.
C.W: Each of your paintings gives the impression of opening a new window on one but the same world. What is this world?
A.B: Yes, this is true and many art critics have already made me this remark that my characters resemble each other’s as if they have the same identity. Perhaps this comes from my wishful thinking that all humans will come to live together in one peaceful world where flags and borders disappear.
In my paintings, everyone looks the same as a way to show equity and to remind human beings that wherever they are, in USA, Zimbabwe or China, they are all going to be consumed at the end by mother nature. We are all equal in death and so shall we be in real life.
My art is a form of resistance against discrimination that certain people in power try to impose on others.
As for me Christiane, I do not wish to impose my ideas, I just want to tell stories and circulate values through my paintings while remaining metaphorical and more or less abstract.
I want each person who comes to my exhibitions to think, interpret and give his own opinion which is very important. Every opinion counts to me.
I think, what I want the most, is to get rid of all the codes that we impose on ourselves to become free thinkers.
C.W: Do you have the pretension of some “engaged artists” to want to mark the history of art?
A.B: Yes, maybe I would become one of these pretentious artists (laughs). No honestly, I have no idea if I am that kind of artist.
Deep down, I do not want to become an icon or a hero for anyone. I just want to encourage people to surpass themselves, to resist the temptation of conformity and be their own best version. I am a believer Christiane, I believe in the individuality of each one of us.
I often say “we are all heroes of ourselves but not of the people”. It is a way for me to say that we have the same human values and we are all responsible for our acts. We must all give a good example and behave for the sake of mutual respect.
Unfortunately, with social media these days, I feel that humanity advances in the herd without questioning itself or even stopping to admire anything and that scares me a lot.
C.W: What are your interests in life, are you attracted by other cultural forms or arts?
A.B: First of all, I want to be able to continue to do what I love the most and that is painting.
Then, I have simple dreams and interest in life such as traveling around the world, taking care of my mother, building a family, and if I am lucky enough dying old in the arms of my beloved one.
To the question, if I practice other cultural forms. To be honest with you, I do not like the word (culture), it is a word that disappoints me.
I would rather say that I am attracted to other arts such as theater, dance, poetry, music, cinema … etc.
C.W: Have you ever been a victim of the blank page syndrome?
A.B: Yes, in 2013, I passed by an existential crisis that drove me to burn all my paintings. After that, I was stranded for two years without inspiration and was not being able to paint anything.
C.W: What prompted you to embark on photography, video art and performance?
A.B: In fact, I found that there were works that could only be expressed by video or photography or performance art that in painting it was not possible to realize them and this is precisely one of the reasons that made me take a step back and burn in 2013 my paintings.
To me, burning my paintings at that time was an act of Art performance to evoke the human values. I find that the human values today have become more material rather than human.
I named that performance “Burning in the heart”. A burning in the heart of the truth.
C.W: In short words, how do you describe Algeria today?
A.B: I can’t describe something I don’t recognize anymore.
C.W: Finally, tell us about your artistic journey in Beirut?
A.B: Beirut is the city where my true friends are, I rapidly felt a sense of belonging there as I met wonderful people here.
I discovered this charming city, thanks to my collaboration with the “Wild Workshops” (Ateliers sauvages) of Wassyla Tamzaly who was behind this ambitious and very courageous project.
We also took part in Beirut Art Fair 2016 and I seized the opportunity to make an exhibition at the cultural center, DAWAWIN.
We are returning this year as we are participating in the 2017 edition of Beirut Art Fair and the 1st Biennale of Beirut that the artist Jocelyne Saab came up with and which will be organized by MACAM a museum and a place of residence for the Artists.
I might not know Beirut very well but I know the great people who live there and they are one of the main reasons that make me want to return every year to this city.
Christiane Waked is a former Press Attaché of the French Embassy to the UAE (2010-2015), also worked as linguist and analyst for the French Interior Ministry (2005-2008)
