Anissa Boukili El Hassani

Born in Marrakech, Anissa Boukili El Hassani is a Moroccan-Canadian multidisciplinary artist based in Tio’Tia: ke (Montreal). After finishing a college diploma in visual arts at Cégep du Vieux Montréal, she completed a BFA in Studio Arts at Concordia University in 2022. Her works have been presented in group exhibitions at the Gham and Dafe gallery, at the Atrium & Studio-Théâtre des Grands Ballets, at the VAV gallery and at the Parc offsite gallery. She showcased her work in two solo exhibitions “Dichotomies” at the Canif du Cégep du Vieux Montréal, in 2018, and “Contrefaçon” at the Aussenwelt gallery, in 2021.

« L’océan est un cri qu’on n’entend pas » (" The ocean is a scream that we don’t hear ") is a research-creation project on the relationship between science, technology and colonial history. It will be an immersive installation project of audio, video and poetry.

The project stems from a fascination with repetitions in nature. In particular, between sea waves and sound waves; these two having identical mathematical representations. This project will take a look at the points of intersection of these natural phenomena by entering into dialogue with the Atlantic ocean, this in-between, which separates my homes, Quebec and Morocco. The installation will be structured around the transformation of sea waves into sound waves. It will take shape during a transatlantic crossing by sailboat. The journey to the Moroccan coast will be a way to give me space to reflect on the state of tension brought about by the double identity and on the heavy history that the Atlantic Ocean holds. This crossing will be a way to decolonize the ocean by taking the same routes that the colonizers once took.

The work done during the residency at Eastern bloc is a miniature prototype of the crossing that will be in 2024.