Fragments / Rayyane Tabet

Growing up, I ate lunch with my maternal grandparents every other Sunday. They lived in a large, cold apartment and showed their affection in a restrained manner, so I spent most of my time sitting in a chair, trying to behave. This opening sentence from Rayyane Tabet’s performance Dear Victoria marks the beginning of an artistic project and personal quest, rooted in a family story — a spy story. The book Fragments was conceived by the artist as both an installation and a performance, inspired by a family legend about his great-grandfather. The first edition of the book accompanied an exhibition that travelled from the Kunstverein in Hamburg to Beirut. The second edition is published in conjunction with the exhibition at the Carré d'Art – Musée d'Art Contemporain in Nîmes.