TALK | MIGROS MUSEUM: Artist Talk with Mohamed Bourouissa

ZAW X MIGROS MUSEUM FÜR GEGENWARTSKUNST

Artist Talk with Mohamed Bourouissa & Book Launch of "Poor Nubia"
We are pleased to invite you to an afternoon of conversation and celebration with Mohamed Bourouissa on the occasion of his major exhibition Pour Noubia at the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst – the artist’s first institutional solo exhibition in Switzerland.

Meet the Panelists:

The programme begins with a conversation between Bourouissa and curator Yasmin Naderi Afschar (Co-Director – Exhibitions, Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst), focusing on the bodies of work presented in the exhibition. Drawing on the photographic legacy of his aunt, Bourouissa will discuss how photographic, spatial, and installation strategies allow him to engage with deeply personal material. Central to his practice is an approach which emphasizes collaboration and responsiveness, allowing the work to evolve through ongoing exchange with the people portrayed. Attendees will gain an immediate insight into how these relational dynamics shape Bourouissa’s practice.

Following this discussion, Bourouissa will be joined by Oriane Durand, curator of the first presentation of the exhibition in 2025 at Marta Herford, for the launch of the publication, produced in collaboration with MOUSSE Publishing. The launch will be followed by a book signing with the artist.
The event is part of the public programme of the Zurich Art Weekend 2026. We warmly invite you to join us for this special afternoon of dialogue, celebration, and exchange.

About the Publication:
The publication spans a broad geographical and geopolitical arc, spanning from the final residence of the artist's aunt in Osnabrück, Germany, through the suburbs of Paris, to the Bourouissa family's hometown of Blida, Algeria. Using the medium of the photo album, it brings this multifaceted story to life while simultaneously showcasing the photographic quality of Bourouissa's work. At its core are largely unpublished photo series, accompanied by texts that delve into and contextualize his aunt Noubia's life story as well as Bourouissa's work in general within a broader historical, artistic and societal framework. The texts are available in English, French, Arabic, and German. Published by Mousse Publishing, Marta Herford gGmbH, and Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, 2026.

Mohamed Bourouissa (b. 1978) is a French‑Algerian artist based in Paris whose multidisciplinary practice spans photography, video, installation, sculpture, and drawing. His work explores power, social dynamics, identity, and marginalised experience through long‑term, immersive projects that foreground intimate and collective narratives. Bourouissa’s projects have been exhibited internationally in major institutions including the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Centre Pompidou, the Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia), and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and he has participated in numerous biennials worldwide. His work is held in major international collections, such as MoMA (New York), and has been recognised with numerous awards, including the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize in 2020.

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All talks are free and open to the public, with RSVP recommended.

Events will take place at schwarzescafé / Luma Westbau, Löwenbräukunst, Limmatstrasse 270, 8005 Zurich.