Meriem Bennani: Life on the CAPS
Opening: Saturday, Feb 26, 2022 12 – 6 pmSaturday, Feb 26 – Apr 17, 2022
University of Chicago
5811 S. Ellis Ave.
Cobb Hall, 4th fl.
Chicago, IL, 60637
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Life on the CAPS is the final chapter in Meriem Bennani’s film trilogy of the same name, set in a supernatural, dystopian future surrounding a fictional island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This new work is a result of the artist’s research and reflections on the histories of island societies, biotechnology, and vernacular music. Layering live action footage and computer-generated animation, Bennani intuitively adapts editing techniques that evoke documentary film, science-fiction, phone footage, music videos, and reality TV. Her one-person exhibition at the Renaissance Society will mark the debut of this personal, electric yet melancholic consideration of what it is to live in a state of limbo.
Tune in Thursday, March 31 for Live from the CAPS, an hour-long program featuring a number of Meriem Bennani's colleagues and collaborators. Each shares their insights on different aspects of the CAPS trilogy, presented in a variety of formats and accented by Bennani's signature editing style.
Image: Meriem Bennani, Life on the CAPS, 2022, Installation view. Courtesy of the Renaissance Society. Photo: Robert Chase Heishman.