Yto Barrada
Born in Paris in 1971, Barrada moved with her parents to Tangier, the city which she continues to regard as home, in the mid-1970s. Over the past two decades, she has created an exceptional body of work in sculpture, photography, film and textiles, often drawing on the history and present of post-colonial Morocco, addressing issues of displacement and belonging.
Barrada’s interest in the landscape and botany of Morocco informed her 2006 series A Life Full of Holes: the Strait Project and Iris Tingitana, 2007, which focused on the disappearance from Tangier of the iris, a flower whose ability to grow in poor soil symbolises resistance. In 2003, Barrada co-founded Cinémathèque de Tanger. Based in the restored Art Deco Cinéma Rif in the city, the Cinémathèque continues to be an important hub for the local community, showcasing Moroccan and international cinema and offering a range of classes and courses.
A one-person exhibition based on the Cinemathèque de Tanger was presented at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis in 2014. Barrada’s work has been exhibited at Tate Modern, MoMA, New York, the Renaissance Society, Chicago, Jeu de Paume, Paris and Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid.