Repair

Together with the Gropius Bau’s director Stephanie Rosenthal, artist Kader Attia introduces his understanding of the term “repair” and how it continues to shape his practice. 

Kader Attia’s practice uses various media to focus on the traces that colonial legacies have left on modern architecture and the human psyche. In conversation with Stephanie Rosenthal, Attia discusses his approach to “repair” by using three of his recent works as illustrations. Attia also elaborates on the colonial implications of the term “repair”. As a key contributor to the Gropius Bau’s upcoming exhibition on caring, repairing and healing in 2022, Attia discuss the nature of this collaboration and the respective processes with Rosenthal. 

Kader Attia grew up in Algeria and in Paris’s banlieue. His works explore the perspective that societies have on their histories – especially regarding experiences of deprivation and suppression, violence and loss, and how this affects the evolution of nations and individuals. Attia is curator of the 12th Berlin Biennale in 2022.

Stephanie Rosenthal is the Director of the Gropius Bau. Here, she has curated internationally acclaimed exhibitions such as Wu Tsang: There is no nonviolent way to look at somebody (2019), Garden of Earthly Delights (2019) and Otobong Nkanga: There’s No Such Thing as Solid Ground (2020).