The artist

Born in 1975 in Mazamet (France), Abdelkader Benchamma lives and works in Paris and Montpellier.
A graduate of the Beaux-Arts de Montpellier and the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, his preferred medium is drawing.
Nourished by literature, philosophy and astrophysics, his drawn installations continually challenge exhibition spaces, becoming, in his words, “spaces of resonance”, conducive to the summoning of memories, both individual and collective, geological and spiritual.
His vast ephemeral frescoes are painted directly onto walls with ink, transforming architecture into an otherworld, a world of flux and mental landscapes, between the recognizable and the indiscernible, on the border between the physical and the symbolic. Reflecting on the workings of perception, his works explore our systems of knowledge, the survival of myths and beliefs, but also reminiscences, retinal or neuronal persistence, whether on museum walls or sheets of paper.

Exhibitions

Cosmography

June 27 - August 1, 2024
New York
Cosma

January 7 - March 18, 2023
Paris - Beaubourg
Signes

September 3 - October 24, 2020
Brussels
From the Paper to the Wall

June 6 - July 26, 2019
Brussels
Engramme

March 16 - May 19, 2019
Paris - Beaubourg

Biography

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Birth	Born in 1975 in Mazamet, France
Residence	Lives and works in Montpellier and Paris, France
Education	2003 - École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts, Paris, France 2000 - École Supérieure des Beaux Arts, Montpellier, France

SOLO SHOWS (SELECTION)

2026	TEMPLON, Paris, France
	Espai d'Art Contemporani de Castelló (EACC), Castelló de la Plana, Spain
2024	Landscape of the fall, Het Noordbrabants Museum (HNBM), ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
2023	Solastagia: Archaeologies of Loss, The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada
	Œuvre croisée, Librairie des Colonnes, Tangier, Marocco
	Géologie des déluges, Fondation François Schneider, Wattwiller, France
	COSMA, Templon, Paris, France

Voir plus

2022	Abdelkader Benchamma, Sant’Euno Church, in collaboration with Palazzo Butera and FIAF, Palermo, Italy Abdelkader Benchamma, solo show at Galerie Templon’s booth, Art Brussels 2022, Brussels Expo, Brussels, Belgium
2021	Rayon fossile, Collection Lambert, Avignon, France Echoes, Rupture et Associés, Paris, France
2020	Signes, Galerie Templon, Bruxelles, Belgium
2019	Symetrie et soupirs, In Situ : Art Contemporain et Patrimoine, Abbaye de Lagrasse, Lagrasse, France Abdelkader Benchamma : Fata Bromosa, MRAC, Sérignan, France Engramme, Galerie Templon, Paris, France Rumeur des cercles, Galerie les Chantiers Boite Noire, Montpellier, France Un artiste, une œuvre, Fondation Hélénis special commission, Montpellier, France
2018	L’horizon des évènements, CENTQUATRE-Paris, France Echos de la Naissance des Mondes, Collège des Bernardins, on the occasion of the Nuit Blanche, curated by Gaël Charbau, Paris, France
2017	Sous la terre, des étoiles, Art Kulte, Rabat, Morocco
2016	Abdelkader Benchamma, Islands, Maison du livre de l’image et du son, Villeurbanne, France The Great Invisible Battle, The Blueproject Foundation, Barcelona, Spain The Unbearable Likeness, Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Curiosité & Merveilles, Christie’s, Paris, France
2015	Abdelkader Benchamma : Representation of Dark Matter, The Stairway Project, The Wall Drawing Commission, The Drawing Center, New York, USA Random, FRAC Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
2014	Le soleil comme une plaque d’argent mat, Carré Sainte-Anne, Montpellier, France Simulacrum, Gallery agnes b, New York, USA
2013	Le soleil comme une plaque d’argent, Commissariat Daria de Beauvais, Galerie St-Séverin, Paris, France Abdelkader Benchamma, Gallery Federico Luger, Milan, Italy The Invention of the Cave, Gallery agnes b, Honk Kong
2012	Corrupted Theories, Gallery Isabel Van Den Eynde, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2011	Le signal faible, ADN Galeria, Barcelona, Spain Bruits de Fond, Frueshorge Contemporary, Berlin, Germany Dark Matter, galerie du jour agnes b., Paris, France La ligne de base du hasard, Galerie Chantiers Boite Noire, Montpellier, France
2009	The Apparent Stability of Things, Galerie Chantiers Boite Noire, Montpellier, France All these masses are just pieces from the same...- Gallery Federico Luger, Milan, Italy
2008	Même les choses invisibles se cachent. Part 2 – CAC, Istres, France Même les choses invisibles se cachent. Part 1 – ADN Galeria, Barcelona, Spain Abdelkader Benchamma, Centre d’art contemporain La galerie, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
2007	Abdelkader Benchamma, Galerie du Jour agnés.b, Paris, France They think that once they are here, it will be ... , Gallery agnes.b, Honk Kong
2005	Incidents (Invisibles), Project Room, galerie du jour agnes b., Paris, France

GROUP SHOWS (SELECTION)

2025	Islamic Arts Biennale, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
	Apocalypse. Hier et demain, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, France
	Lire le ciel, Mucem, Marseille, France
2024	Au bord des mondes, Prix Marcel Duchamp, Center Pompidou, Paris, France
	Le jour des peintres, Musée d’Orsay, Paris
	Les lois de l’imaginaire, curated by Laure Forlay and Sophie Sizabuire, FRAC Auvergne in collaboration with the Musée d’Art et d’Archéologie, Aurillac, France
2023	Prendre le soleil, Hangar Y, Meudon, France

Voir plus

	Neither the sky nor the earth, Lago/Algo, Mexicó City, Mexico Metro ! Le Grand Paris en mouvement, Cité de l’architecture et du Patrimoine, Paris, France Histoire de Pierres, curated by Jean de Loisy, Villa Medici, Rome, Italy Constellations, Musée d’art moderne, Céret, France Immortelle, MO.CO., Montpellier, France
2022	Ce que nous avons perdu dans le feu, Villa Arson, Nice, France
2021	Comics Trip!, Collection Lambert, Avignon, France Un autre monde///Dans notre monde, Lieu commun, Espace d’art contemporain, Toulouse, France
2020	Un autre monde///Dans notre monde, FRAC Grand Large — Hauts-de-France, Dunkerque, France Artistes à la Une : Togeth’HER 2021, Monnaie de Paris, Paris, France
2019	Un autre monde/// Dans notre monde, Frac PACA, Marseille, France Eldorado - Lille 3000, Le Tripostal, Lille, France Syncopation, Pola Museum of Art, Hakone, Japan 100 artistes dans la ville, Montpellier, France Air, stone, water, X, Fondation Helenis, Montpellier, France
2018	Melancholia, Fondation Boghossian, Brussels, Belgium (Un)conscious: A series of small serendipities, Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2017	On aime l’art…!, Collection agnes b., Fondation Yvon Lambert, Avignon, France Tamawuj, Sharjah Biennal 13, Commisaire : Christine Tohmé, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates EcoSystéme, commissaire : Mohamed Bourouissa, Château d’Oiron, France Monts et Merveilles, Le Bel Ordinaire, Pau, France
2016	Épreuves uniques, Atelier Michael Woolworth, Paris, France Le nom d’une île, Le Pavillon Blanc, Printemps de septembre de Toulouse, Colomiers, France A quoi tient la beauté des étreintes, FRAC Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France Se souvenir des Belles Choses, MRAC, Sérignan, France
2015	a_i_d_e_-_m_ém_o_i_r_e_:_ _f_o_o_t_n_o_t_e_s_ _(_P_a_r_t_ _I_I_)_, Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Un regard sur la collection d’agnes b., LAM, Villeneuve d’Ascq Traits d’esprit, Galerie du jour agnes b – Paris Après avoir tout oublié, Asterides - Friche Belle de mai, Marseille, France ROC, Commissariat Hughes Reip, Galerie du jour agnes b., Paris, France Nice Drawings, Galerie Isabelle Van den Eynde – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2014	Enigme au Club de la Compagnie, Centre d’art le LAIT, Albi, France Dans ma cellule, une silhouette, La Ferme du Buisson, Noisiel, France 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2001
2013	Chromophobia, Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Turbulences II - Espace culturel Louis Vuitton/ Fondation Boghossian, Villa Empain, Commissariat : David Rosenberg et Pierre Sterckx, Brussels, Belgium The Immigrants, Giudecca - 56e Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy Graphic, Phakt, Centre Culturel Contemporain, Rennes, Paris Paper Trail, The Barjeel Foundation, Katara, Doha, United Arab Emirates
2012	Collectionner aujourd’hui, Collection Philipe Piguet, Centre d’art contemporain, Saint-Restitut The Island/A Game of Life, Manarat al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
2011	The Future of a Promise, 54e Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy Music Covers ! , Point Ephémère, Paris, France
2010	Told/ Untold/ Retold, MATHAF, Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar Biennale d’art contemporain Le Havre 2010, Musée Maritime, Le Havre, France Reading Room, Nomas Foundation, Roma, Italy Fabula Graphica, Grandes Galeries des Beaux arts, Rouen, France
2009	Memory Time, Printemps de Septembre, Là où je vais je suis déjà, Commissaire Christian Bernard, Espace des arts, Colomiers, France Cadavres exquis - Printemps de Septembre - Fondation Espace Ecureuil, Toulouse, France Comic Strip, Musée d’art contemporain, Sérignan, France
2008	La dégelée Rabelais, Château d’O, FRAC Languedoc Roussillon, Montpellier, France Paperless Marks, ADN Galeria, Barcelona, Spain Narrations, Galerie Nancy Margolis, New York, USA
2007	Explosions, Nouvelles acquisitions, Frac Languedoc Roussillon, Montpellier, France Below the light – Galerie Federico Luger, Milan, Italie Pas un jour sans une ligne, Collections St-Cyprien, St-Cyprien, France Drawings and Dreamings, ADN Galeria, Barcelona, Spain
2006	Nous nous sommes tant aimés, Collections de St-Cyprien, Saint-Cyprien, France A. Benchamma / A. Biasuto, Galerie Chantiers Boite Noire, Montpellier, France Drawn, Xpace Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2005	Do-Ka, La Condition Publique, Roubaix, France
2004	Draw! , Commissariat Jean-François Sanz, galerie du jour. agnes b, Paris, France Dessin? - Carré St Anne, Montpellier, France
2003	Biennale des jeunes créateurs d’Europe, Carré Sainte-Anne, Montpellier, France
2001	Dessins en cours..., ENSBA, Quai Malaquais, Paris, France

COLLECTIONS (SELECTION)

	Grand Paris Express, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
	Musée régional d’art contemporain, Sérignan, France
	FRAC Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
	MATHAF, Musée Arabe d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, Doha, Qatar
	FRAC Occitanie Montpellier, Montpellier, France
	DRAC Centre, Orléans, France
	FRAC Languedoc Roussillon, Montpellier, France

Voir plus

	Musée des Beaux Arts, Orléans, France
	Barjeel Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

RESIDENCIES (SELECTION)

2026	Villa Albertine, New York, USA
2018 – 2019	Villa Medicis, Roma, Italy
2017	Beirut Art Residency, Lebanon
2016	a.r.i.a Residency, Algiers, Algeria

AWARDS

2024	Finalist for the Marcel Duchamp prize, Paris, France
2018	Winner of the Occitanie-Médicis Price, France
2015	Winner of the Drawing Now Price, France Art Collector Price, France

News

Abdelkader Benchamma
FATA BROMOSA – SOLO SHOW

MUSÉE RÉGIONAL D'ART CONTEMPORAIN OCCITANIE /PYRÉNÉES - MÉDITERRANÉE, SÉRIGNAN, FRANCEDu 23 /11/2019 au 20/09/2020

For his first solo exhibition in a French museum, Abdelkader Benchamma invests three rooms at Mrac Occitanie with an immersive installation drawing inspiration from his residence at Villa Médicis in autumn 2018. In Rome, Abdelkader Benchamma is fascinated by the richness of church decorations, in particular by the representation of marbles in the works of the Renaissance painter Fra Angelico. The Old Master’s depictions render the illusion of precious stones by playing on symmetry of veins, thus creating spiritually charged abstract forms. The title of the exhibition, Fata Bromosa, (literally Fairy of the Mists) refers to that blurring of perception dear to Fra Angelico. The term indicates an optical phenomenon observed by navigators in the Middle Ages which gives the impression of a bright-rimmed fog perceptible on the horizon. To depict without representing seems to be the artist’s ambition: drawing become an emanation of nature, but of a different kind, intimate and unfathomable.

Abdelkader Benchamma
SYNCOPATION, CONTEMPORARY ENCOUNTERS WITH THE MODERN MASTERS MONET, CéZANNE, PICASSO – GROUP SHOW

POLA MUSEUM OF ART, KANAGAWA, JAPONFrom 10/08/2019 to 01/12/2019

As our first full-fledged exhibition featuring contemporary art, Syncopation will present a wide range of works of art from the Pola Museum of Art collection, including paintings, sculptures, and Oriental ceramics, along with works by artists active on the front lines of contemporary expression. Here various works by contemporary artists, including installations filling entire rooms, sound art, video art, and a piece exhibited outdoors, are shedding new light on works by the modern masters, encouraging multifaceted interpretation.

Abdelkader Benchamma
SYMéTRIES ET SOUPIRS – SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION

ABBAYE DE LAGRASSE, LAGRASSE, FRANCE From 26/06/2019 to 01/09/2019

The Lagrasse Abbey, located in the Corbières massif in the Orbieu Valley, is considered one of the most important Benedictine settlements in the Aude region.For IN SITU Patrimoine et art contemporain, Abdelkader Benchamma has made a large mural of nearly 40 square meters facing the Renaissance fireplace of the ceremonial hall of the Abbey.

Abdelkader Benchamma
« 100 ARTISTES DANS LA VILLE » – COSMA – PUBLIC ART COMMISSION

MONTPELLIER, FRANCE From 08/06/2019 to 28/07/2019

At the invitation of Nicolas Bourriaud, director of the MOCO Collection Hotel in Montpellier, Abdelkader Benchamma has created a permanent installation in the public space of the city as part of the “100 artists in the city” program. The Cosma installation is made from incrustations of marble slabs and is completed with paintings. The title refers to the art of marble mosaic pavements developed by the Cosmati between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries in Rome.

Abdelkader Benchamma
ELDORAMA, LILLE 3000 – GROUP SHOW

TRIPOSTAL, LILLE, FRANCEFrom 27/04/2019 to 01/10/2019

The Tripostal unfolds the great Eldorado story through a myriad of contemporary works of art borrowed from all over the world. In three chapters, corresponding to the three floors of the building: 1. The dreamed worlds, 2. The rush, 3. An endless Eldorado, the exhibition stages the universal adventure of all the eldorados who spur individuals and people to move
and relocate. Curators: Jérôme Sans, Jean-Max Colard, with the collaboration of Isabelle Bernini.

Abdelkader Benchamma
UN AUTRE MONDE///DANS NOTRE MONDE – GROUP SHOW

FRAC PACA, MARSEILLES, FRANCEFrom 23/03/2019 to 02/06/2019

UN AUTRE MONDE///DANS NOTRE MONDE is questioning our relationship with the real world through many sectors of creation and knowledge, on the frontiers of science, tradition, fantasy, sciencefiction and ultimately of the real. UN AUTRE MONDE///DANS NOTRE MONDE is a hybrid event between the itinerant collective exhibition, the symposium and the epistemological experimental laboratory.

Videos

Abdelkader Benchamma

Abdelkader Benchamma

The artist

Exhibitions

Cosmography

Cosma

Signes

From the Paper to the Wall

Engramme