Katia Kameli (b. 1973) is a French-Algerian artist and filmmaker living and working in Paris. Her research - based practice is rooted in an exploration of cultural and historical intersections, where the political and the poetic intertwine to reflect on complex narratives of identity, memory, and belonging. She looks at events that shed light on a global history, characterized by porous boundaries and reciprocal influences. As an artist grounded in two cultures—French and Algerian – Kameli questions the blind spots of history, taking up the role of both intermediary and ‘translator’ between different geographical areas. Kameli raises questions about prevailing power structures, including those related to visual definitions of power. She seeks to reveal the subtle ways in which history continues to inscribe itself into contemporary life. Her work is an ongoing act of rewriting, one that combines the political with a lyrical sensibility, ultimately offering alternative narratives that challenge dominant, hegemonic discourses.
Kameli has presented solo shows all across France and internationally at venues such as: Institut Für Auslandsbeziehungen (Berlin and Stuttgart, Germany), Institut des Cultures D’Islam (Paris, France), Bétonsalon - centre for art and research (Paris, France), FRAC Sud, (Marseille, France), Kalmar Konstmuseum (Kalmar, Sweden), Kunsthalle Münster (Münster, Germany), Passerelle Contemporary Art center (Brest, France), Rennes Biennale (Rennes, France), FRAC Ile-de-France (Paris, France), Centre for Contemporary Arts (Glasgow, UK), The Mosaic Rooms (London, UK), Taymour Grahne Gallery (New York, USA), and elsewhere.
Katia Kameli participated in numerous groups shows that include: Prelude, Poetic intention, MACBA, Spain; From Kalila wa Dimna to La Fontaine: Travelling through Fables, Louvre Abu Dhabi, UAE; Histoires vraies, MAC VAL, Vitry-Sur-Seine, France (2023) ; Bergen Assembly, Yasmine and the Seven Faces of the Heptahedron, Bryggens Museum, Norway (2022) ; Europa Oxalá, MUCEM, Marseille, France, Fondation Gulbenkian, Lisboa, Portugal, Africa Museum,Bruxelles, Belgium (2021-2022), La Colère de Ludd, BPS22, Charleroi, Belgium (2020); Global(e) Resistance, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (2020) ; A toi appartient le regard (...), Quai Branly, Paris (2020) ; Un instant avant le monde, Biennale of Rabat, Morocco (2018) ; Biennale de Rennes, France (2018) ; Tous, des sang-mêlés, Mac Val, Paris, France (2017) ; Made in Algeria, Mucem, Marseille, France (2016) ; Entry Prohibited to Foreigners, Havre Magasinet, Boden, Sweden (2015 ; Where we’re at, Bozar, Bruxelles, Belgium (2014) ; Lubumbashi Biennale, Congo (2013) ; Dak’art, Dakar Biennale , Senegal (2012, 2018) and more.
Her work is part of the following institutional collections: Musée national d’art Moderne / Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris, France), CNAP, Centre National des Arts Plastiques (Paris, France), FRAC Hauts-de-France (Dunkerque, France), FRAC Poitou-Charentes (Angoulême, France), FRAC SUD (Marseille, France), BPS22 (Charleroi, Belgium), FMAC, Fonds municipal d’art contemporain de la Ville de Paris (Paris, France), Collection départementale d’art contemporain (Seine-Saint Denis, France), Smith College Museum of Art, (Northampton, USA), KADIST (Paris, France), and MACBA (Barcelona, Spain).