Hela Ammar
Born 1969 in Tunis - Lives and works in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
Biography
Hela Ammar is a Tunisian based visual artist. In addition to her training in visual art, she holds a Phd in Law. Her photographs and installations address the stakes of memory. Identity and marginal communities are reccurent themes in her work.
Author of « Corridors » (2014), a photo book on tunisian prisons, and co-author of «Siliana Syndrome» (2013), a survey on death row in Tunisia, she developed a wholeartwork around the prison environment.
A selection of her photographs and installations is part of the permanent collection of the British Museum (London), the Arab World Institute (Paris), the A.Slaoui Foundation’s Museum (Casablanca) …
Her work has been showcased in various international biennals and exhibitions such as The refugee week, featured by Shubbak Festival at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Beyond borders at the Boghossian Foundation, Mara’ina at the King Abdulaziz Center of Art and Culture, World Nomads New York, Dream City…
Selected Works
Exhibitions
2020
Investec Art Fair, Cape Town – South Africa
2019
Becoming project, Shubbak Festival, London – UK
Mara’ina, King Abdulaziz Center for Art and Culture, Ithra – Saudi Arabia
2018
Refugee week UK, V&A Museum, London – UK
Biennal of Casablanca, Curated by Christine Eyene – Marroco
Addid Foto Fest, Addis Ababa – Ethiopia
Of traps and tropes, Curated by John Fleetwood, Kerkennah#01Photo festiva – Tunisia
Beyond Borders, Curated by Delphine Munro and Michket Krifa, Villa Empain, Boghossian Foundation, Brussels – Belgium
In your mind, Curated by Olfa Feki, H Gallery, Paris – France
Africa is no Island, Curated by Sonia Recasens, Centre d’art contemporain, Annemasse – France
L’Orient Fantasmé, Curated by Laura Selmani, Musée de la Fondation Slaoui, Casablanca – Morroco
2017
Dal-Bahar Madwarha, The island is what the sea surrounds, Curated by Maren Richter, La Valletta – Malta
Biennale des photographes du monde arabe contemporain, Curated by Olfa Feki, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris – France
Dream City, Biennale d’art en espace public, Tunis – Tunisia
Afrotopia, Bamako Photography Encounters, Curated By Maie-Ann Yemsi
A Fleur de peau, Ghaya Gallery – Tunisia
Ailleurs est ce rêve proche, Curated by Sonia Recasens, centre d’art contemporain, Annemasse – France
Multitudes Exhibition, Curated by Joud El Halawany, Art Canteens, London – UK
2016
Addis Foto Fest, Addis Abeba – Ethiopia
Dak’Art, Réenchantements, Curated by Simon Njami – Sénégal
SomethingElse, Off Cairo Biennal – Egypt
Moove the lines, Le violon Bleu Gallery – Tunisia
Les septs démons, Curated by Sonia Recasens, Centre d’art contemporain, Bourg-en-Bresse – France
Oltre il velo, Fotezza Nuova, Livorno – Italy
2015
Tellingtime, Bamako Photography Encounters, Curated by Olabisi Silva – Mali
Festival de la photo de Fez, Curated by Jeanne Mercier – Morocco
Traces; Fragments d’une Tnisie contemporaine, Curated by Thierry Fabre and Sana Tamzini, MUCEM, Marseille – France
2014
27èmes Instants vidéo Poétive, La Friche la belle de mai, Marseille – France
Dak’Art, Monochrome – Sénégal
Tarz (Embroidery), Le violon Bleu Gallery, Sidi Bou Saïd – Tunisia
Monochrome, regard sur la création contemporaine en Tunisie, Fondation de la maison de Tunisie, Paris – France
2013
Les rencontes photographiques d’Arles, Quartier d’Afrique, Views of Tunisia, Arles – France
World Nomads, After the revolution, FIAF Gallery, New York – USA
2012
The harassement exhibition, Darb centre, Cairo – Egypt
Frontières, B’chira Art Center – Tunisia
Dreal city, Biennal of contemporary Art, Tunis and Sfax – Tunisia
Bamako Photography Encounters, Curated by Michket Krifa – Mali
Printemps des Arts, Tunis – Tunisia
2011
Festival des Droits Humains et des Cultures du Monde, Lahay-la-rose – France
Artocracy/Inside-Out Tunisia, JR Project – Tunisia
No sky, No earth, Curatorial project Alina Dalva, Dar Mima, Gammarth
La part du corps, Curated by Rachida Triki, Palais Kheireddine Musée de la ville de Tunis
2010
Dream city, Biennal of Contemporary Art, Tunis – Tunisia
Inter-dit, El Marsa Gallery, La Marsa – Tunisia
2009
Sur les traces de la peinture contemporaine, Galerie El Marsa – Tunisia
2007
El Marsa Gallery, La Marsa – Tunisia
2006
Salon International d’Art contemporain, Grenoble – France
Kenais Gallery, La Marsa – Tunisia
2005
Rencontres d’Art contemporain, Genève – Switzerland
El Marsa Gallery, La Marsa – Tunisia
2003
Milles Feuilles Gallery, La Marsa – Tunisia