Photo : Djabril Boukhenaïssi, « Enfance », 2022. Collection Frac Île-de- France, photo : DR, © Adagp, Paris, 2026
An exhibition where heritages, memories and migrations intertwine
"Des gestes de nos mondes" (Gestures of our worlds) brings together works from the Frac Île-de-France collection and creations by artists based in Tunisia or originating from the southern shore of the Mediterranean.
Frac Île-de-France Les Réserves
About
Opening: Sunday 09.13.26, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Co-curators: Hela Djobbi, Salma Kossemtini and Cindy Olohou
Presented first at Les Réserves in Romainville and then in 2027 at 32bis in Tunis, the exhibition was born from a collaboration between the two institutions.
Throughout the exhibition, photographs, videos, sculptures, textiles, archives, objects and everyday gestures compose a landscape of narratives where family histories, memories, migrations, languages, know-how and heritages intertwine. The artists are less interested in the archive as a frozen trace of the past than in what it continues to produce in the present: what it transmits, what it transforms, what it allows to disappear.
The works explore the multiple ways in which a memory is constructed. Some are based on documents or testimonies; others reinvent fragments of history, shift perspectives or give space to narratives that have long remained on the margins. All question what makes up memory: a repeated gesture, a photograph, a material, a spoken word, a landscape or an absence.
The Mediterranean appears here not as a border or a unique territory, but as a space crossed by circulations, movements and multiple imaginaries. Histories intersect, respond to each other, and sometimes contradict each other. They draw a geography made as much of connections as of distances.
Rather than freezing the past, Des gestes de nos mondes (Gestures of our worlds) invites us to look at the archive as living matter, always capable of being reinterpreted. The works do not seek to impose a single narrative; they open up a space where different voices coexist, dialogue and shift our gaze.
With works by:
Alex Ayed*, Ahmed Ben Nessib, Chams Barkaoui, Safouane Ben Slama* Djabril Boukhenaïssi*, Nidhal Chamekh, Dhia Dhibi, Férielle Doulain-Zouari, Eve Gabriel Chabanon*, Wiame Haddad*, Kapwani Kiwanga*, Wafa Lazhari, Dalila Mahdjoub**, Aymen Mbarki, Fanny Souade Sow*, Bochra Taboubi, Djamel Tatah*, Bochra Triki.
*Works from the Frac Île-de-France collection
** Loan from Frac Nouvelle-Aquitaine MÉCA
Our take on this event
Forget static historical exhibits and step into a living landscape where personal memories and migration stories collide. Through sculptures, archives, and everyday objects, this collection turns the Mediterranean into a dynamic space of dialogue rather than just a boundary. You will leave with a completely reshaped perspective on how we hold onto our shared past.
The Frac Île-de-France Les Réserves in Romainville presents an exhibition exploring the intersections of heritage, memory, and migration. Curated by Hela Djobbi, Salma Kossemtini, and Cindy Olohou, this collection features diverse media, including photography, sculpture, and video, to examine how history is transmitted and reshaped. Visitors can experience these works from October 1, 2026, to November 14, 2026. Admission is free, and the venue is fully accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing community.
At Les Réserves in Romainville, this exhibition gathers photographs, videos, sculptures, textiles, and everyday objects to create a landscape of interconnected personal and collective histories. The artists explore archives not as static traces of the past, but as dynamic elements that produce meaning in the present. By reinterpreting documents and personal testimonies, they highlight the Mediterranean as a space of circulation and multiple viewpoints.
A public opening will take place on Sunday, September 13, 2026, from 15:00 to 19:00. Following this, the exhibition remains open to the public every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 14:00 to 19:00 until November 14, 2026. This collaboration between institutions will later travel to the 32bis in Tunis in 2027. The featured artists include Alex Ayed, Ahmed Ben Nessib, Chams Barkaoui, and many others.
Entry is free of charge for all guests. The venue is specifically equipped to accommodate deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, ensuring a welcoming environment for all to engage with these narratives of migration and legacy.
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