For my family, Oran is a place that you long for, removed from any possible present and future. For me, it’s a post-memory and the need to start a new story. In 1962, Algeria gained its independence from France, after 130 years of colonialism and eight years of war. My Spanish mother, born and raised in Oran during the conflict, migrated in 1962 to France, where she is one of 4-million people directly connected to this troubled chapter in history.
“Searching for Oran” is a journey and conversation that explore the impact of colonialism and conflict on transnational memories, relationships and identities today and imagine new ways for civil society to honor the past-present-future with narratives that challenge the bellicose attitude of governments, 60 years after the war ended.
Different parts of the project has received the support of the CNAP- National Center for Visual Arts ( France) and the BNF - National French LIbrary with the national photographic comission " Radioscopie de la France", Fondo Nacional de las Artes ( Argentina) .
It has also been exhibited at Biennale della fotografia femminine in Mantova, Italia ( March 2022) ,the Sharjah Biennial : Thinking Historically in the Present ( February 2023), French National Library ( 2024), Nuit des idées in Argentina ( 2024) and more to come soon.
