This exhibition brings together two bodies of work that explore the interplay between power  and loss, drawing on both personal and collective experiences. It offers a thought-provoking  exploration of how power dynamics shape our experience of loss, and how our perceptions,  memories, and interpretations of loss can, in turn, shape our political realities. This interplay hints  at a cyclical pattern of growth and decline, which is dependent on specific circumstances,  historical events, and a series of actions, reactions, and inactions. 

In Laetitia Hakim and Tarek Haddad’s How to Stop a Rock from Growing, the paradox of power  is studied to understand the dynamics of social systems. The project, born out of frustration in  the face of political stagnation during the October 2019 revolution, explores power imbalances  in a metaphorical Rock-Paper-Scissors game, in which the loss of one element renders the field  unequal. The artists examine questions such as how dominance is maintained and challenged,  what heightens our susceptibility to damage and collapse, and what renders our state  meaningless and incoherent. By delving into the notions of changes in rules and loss of  equilibrium, while investigating the material characteristics of the elements of the game, the  duo presents a visual commentary on power struggle, fragility, and absurdity. 

In Eulogy to my Roots, Elias Nafaa takes us through the processions of grief. He delves into the  internal dynamics of uprooting, rerouting, and total downfall. In the aftermath of a fire that  consumed his land and the passing of his grand-father, Nafaa longs for detachment. Choosing  to get away from the communal grief, although hinting at some of its rituals, the artist goes  through a very personal dissociative process, aiming to separate land and man. His work takes  the form of reliefs commemorating the act of liberation. However, he seeks to question it at the  end: would uprooting oneself, getting away from our anchors, lead to true freedom? Should we  accept the cost of disillusionment and decline to gain said freedom? And how do we adapt our  conflicting emotions and memories to the complex nature of loss? 

Ranging from contemplative and introspective to bold and confrontational, these bodies of work serve to engage the artists and the public in a dialogue on the depths of the interrelation  between power and loss, examining the consequences of their ebb and flow. 

– Marc Mouarkech