And Children's Teeth Are Set On Edge offers an introspective and participatory experience, in which the ephemerality of the installation becomes a mirror of the intimate and invisible legacies that mark one’s existence. The title of the work, inspired by the biblical passage of the same name*, recalls the idea that parents' difficult experiences are inherited by their children.
Inspired by the realities of the French-Algerian diaspora, the artist’s work probes the emotional depths that have shaped family narratives within the context of this cultural duality. The installation is an experience that celebrates beauty through a multicultural prism, while underlining the importance of celebrating the passage of time and the pains that come with it. The outdoor space is a central feature of this work, which aims to create a place that is intimate and familiar, yet at the same time alienated, unprotected and vulnerable. It's an illusion of home that can't protect no one from the outside world. The audience thus becomes an actor in this illusion, which is merely fragility disguised as home.
The video, seemingly directed to an absent protagonist, supports the intimate narrative. The true significance lies in the ambiguous portrayal of the protagonist, left for the audience to interpret, yet aimed to connect through the medium of television.
Each detail of the installation tells a story of uprooting and loss. You are invited to sit, to feel the absence, to explore the artist's memories and personal family narratives. Everyone is encouraged to take an active part in the installation, to witness the radical transformation of the work. External conditions, such as the wind, which scatters fragile elements, or the rain, which alters textures, also contribute to the constant metamorphosis of the work. The work is designed tO give up to natural forces and human interaction.
Through the dissolution of this representation, the artist aims to provoke reflection on the complexity of family ties and the inherited traumas. This living room stands as a silent testimony to transgenerational legacies.as home.
* “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.”
