Afrovibes: The Waterproofed Artist

In the interactive performance The Waterproofed Artist, Moroccan choreographer Youness Atbane takes a sceptical look at the power dynamics within the global art scene.

The performance is set in 2048, during the 72nd edition of the famous Venice Biennale. As always, each participating country has its own floating pavilion. This year, a new pavilion represents the entire global South: it brings together most influential artists from the MENA region. The festivities come to a rough halt when – as climatologists had predicted – Venice begins to sink, with the Biennale and its artworks starting to float, the international pavilions sinking and the artists just managing to keep their heads above water. Only when all the artists see themselves and their artworks floating on the surface of the water does the true process of criticism begin.

With The Waterproof Artist, Atbane takes a critical look at postcolonial art in the global South. In doing so, he aims to contribute to a new vision of contemporary art practices in the South.