EXIT
Project description
EXIT is a site-specific artwork by Adel Abdessemed centred on the familiar illuminated exit sign. Abdessemed alters a single letter, transforming “exit” into “exil”, the French word for “exile”. Installed at the entrance to the exhibition venue, this subtle intervention shifts the meaning of an everyday sign, turning a familiar marker of departure and escape into a meditation on displacement, borders, and the experience of exile.
The work carries a particular personal resonance for Abdessemed, who left Algeria in 1994 in the context of the country’s political turmoil. The transformation from “exit” to “exil” connects the physical act of departure with the emotional and political dimensions of exile. At the same time, the work draws on the universal symbolism of the exit sign as a marker of transition, movement and escape.
Through this deceptively simple alteration, EXIT brings together language, identity and migration, inviting viewers to reconsider the meanings embedded within familiar signs and symbols.
Bio
Adel Abdessemed (b. 1971, Constantine, Algeria) is a contemporary artist based in New York. Working across drawing, video, photography, performance and installation, his practice transforms everyday materials, images and gestures into works addressing personal, social and political themes.
Abdessemed has participated in four Venice Biennales (2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015), receiving the Benesse Prize in 2007. His work has also been presented at the Istanbul Biennial, Havana Biennial, Gwangju Biennale, Lyon Biennale and São Paulo Biennial. In 2018, he participated in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in Japan. His work has been exhibited internationally in major institutions and galleries.
Project details
Year: 1999–2010
Artist: Adel Abdessemed
Commissioned by: Beppu Project NPO
Festival: Beppu Contemporary Art Festival: Mixed Bathing World Triennale
Producer: Junya Yamaide
Artistic Director: Serizawa Takashi
Assistant Director: Keith Whittle
Venue:Site-specific locations
Country: Japan