An Installation by Samta Benyahia

Article author: FUNCI

Date of publication of the article: 20110624

Year of publication: 2011

Article theme: , .

Architecture of the Veil: An Installation by Samta Benyahia—the first US museum exhibition by the Algerian artist—takes its theme from the moucharabieh, the openwork screens used in Mediterranean Islamic architecture to cover windows and balconies, allowing those inside—typically women—to view the outside world without being seen. The installation provides a beautiful and dynamic exploration of gender as well as the dialectic between interior and exterior, light and shadow, concealment and revelation, and private versus public space. Fowler Museum at UCLA, Los Angeles, through September 2.