Charif Benhelima

2006

Photography, 100 x 102 cm.
Materials: cibachroom, aluminium, plexiglas

Collection: Collection M HKA, Antwerp (Inv. no. BR07_DB06).

This photograph belongs to the series Black-Out made by photographer Charif Benhelima. These pictures are all polaroids. The white fog into which the images in this series seem to disappear, is a direct result of the use of this medium: Benhelima prolongs the camera’s shutter speed so that the film is exposed to light longer than usual, and the resulting image is then still just barely recognizable. In this way only the clearest forms and contours remain visible. In this series Benhelima has us reflect upon the visual essence of the things around us. What are the limits of formal lines in terms of conveying meaning? But it is not only the physical aspects of an object that create meaning, the viewer as well is responsible for its observation and interpretation. It is this subjective relationship between people and their surroundings, between spectator and image, that is called into question in Black-Out. These questions concerning the autonomy of an object and the relationship of man to his environment illustrate a recurring concern that runs throughout the work of Benhelima.

About M HKA / Mission Statement

The M HKA is a museum for contemporary art, film and visual culture in its widest sense. It is an open place of encounter for art, artists and the public. The M HKA aspires to play a leading role in Flanders and to extend its international profile by building upon Antwerp's avant-garde tradition. The M HKA bridges the relationship between artistic questions and wider societal issues, between the international and the regional, artists and public, tradition and innovation, reflection and presentation. Central here is the museum's collection with its ongoing acquisitions, as well as related areas of management and research.

About M HKA Ensembles

The M HKA Ensembles represent our first steps towards initiating the public to today's art-related digital landscape. With the help of these new media, our aim is to offer our artworks a better and fuller array of support for their presentation and public understanding.