Different Alibis are a means of claiming a place in the world. But which world? A world composed of magnetisms, of redefinitions of spaces and words through speech, movement or music. A new way for a generation born in the 1990s to attain a certain vulnerability. And a political means of opening up a toolbox to then develop critical perspectives. To have an alibi is a means of defence. To have an alibi is to be elsewhere. To have an alibi is to circumvent the rules. To sense a way out, mysteries to solve, newspeaks, queer, femme and people of colour bodies that urge us to “feel” identities like magnetic fields. Not unlike dinner with a chosen family, this evening’s meal will (maybe) include a performance by Ndayé Kouagou entitled One side is rarely similar to the other, a screening of the short scifi movie Out of the Blue directed by Tarek Lakhrissi, a performance called TGK by Harilay Rabenjamina about an R&B group on the brink of implosion, and Christelle Oyiri will end the meal with her Collective Amnesia piece. Be prepared for a superb catastrophe.
Different Alibis has been made possible with support from The Institut français du Royaume-Uni.
Auto Italia’s commissions are made possible by our Exhibition Circle and Member supporters.
Tarek Lakhrissi (b. 1992, France) is an artist and poet living and working in Paris. With a background in literature, he works across installation, performance, film, text and sculpture, engaging with political and social issues around transformative narratives within language, magic, weirdness, codes and love. His profound use of language engages with performativity and reflects on poetic, erotic and nostalgic queer futures. He has recently presented works at Grand Palais, FIAC, Paris (2019); Foundation Lafayette Anticipations, Paris (2019); L’Espace Arlaud, Lausanne (2019); Zabriskie, Geneva (2019); and Altkirch, France (2019).
Harilay Rabenjamina (b. 1992, France) is an artist living and working in Paris. His work consists of performances, films, objects and songs, often using characters who struggle with representing themselves. Rabenjamina’s work has been presented at Centrale Fies, Dro (2021); Théâtre Arsenic – Les Urbaines, Lausanne (2021); Auto Italia, London (2019); Lafayette Anticipations, Paris (2018); PEACH, Rotterdam (2018); and Goswell Road, Paris (2017). He was artist-in-residence at Triangle – Astérides, Marseille (2021) and recently presented a collaborative work with Loup Rivière at Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen (2020).
Christelle Oyiri (b. 1992, France) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Paris. She is also known as DJ and electronic music producer CRYSTALLMESS, and has performed around the world under this moniker. In her work she considers subjects of club cultue, colonial alienation and alternative temporalities. An NTS Resident and SHAPE Alumnus, she released her debut EP Mere Noises (2018) and created Collective Amnesia (2018), a multidisciplinary performance that mixes film, DJing and traditional vocals.
Ndayé Kouagou (b. 1992, France) is an artist and performer based in Paris. His practice starts from his own authored texts, which are expanded upon through performance, film, textiles, sculpture and installation and reflect upon on unease, power and vulnerability. He has performed and exhibited at Théatre de l’usine, Geneva (2019); Nir Altman, Munich (2019); Les Urbaines, Lausanne (2019); École Duperré, Paris (2019); and Lafayette Anticipation, Paris (2018).
