Francis Alÿs (1959) not only reimagines the city, he also creates narratives, spreads rumors and maps the social fabric of the city.
This show presents an overview of the artist’s video work of the last thirty years, with an emphasis on one of the central themes in Francis Alÿs’s practice, namely walking.
In these videos, shot in a number of countries, the imaginary spaces of childhood blend with the fictional spaces of the artist, offering him an entry point when dealing with unknown situations or contexts. In his projects, the artist reveals the deeply subversive potential of play and fiction, while making it possible, short of refashioning reality, to imagine and see it differently.
The city is the material of his art. Over the years, he extended his works to Havana, London, Venice, Kabul, Jerusalem and other places, reimagining each city through his itineraries.