Massinissa Selmani: a fault in the mirage

Massinissa Selmani (b. 1980, Algiers) constructs dreamlike scenes that mingle documentary images with fictional elements. Generating surreal interactions, the works revel in the absurdity of human behaviors. Selmani received a Special Mention at the 56th Venice Biennale and has participated in the 11th Dakar Biennial (2014), the Sharjah Biennial 13 (2016), the 13th Biennale de Lyon (2015), and in 2023, the Taipei Biennial. He received the Art Collector Prize (2016) and the SAM Art Projects Prize for Contemporary Art (2016). In 2023, Selmani was shortlisted for the Marcel Duchamp Prize, which included a solo project at the Centre Pompidou. An extensive monograph covering the artist’s work was published by Skira in 2023.

CJ Salapare is a curatorial assistant at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where he is working on Edges of Ailey. His research spans the fields of Philippine diaspora, art historical method, and performance studies. He has contributed essays and interviews for Artists Space, FAR-NEAR, the Hammer Museum, the 2024 Venice Biennale, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He received M.Phil degrees in art history and arts education from the University of Cambridge, and his BA in art history from Williams College.