M O H A M E D T H A R A
Visual artist & photographer
Address : 53, rue des Douves
33800 Bordeaux, France.
Phone number : + 00 33 06 15 96 13 64
+ 00 33 09 73 67 71 64
email : mohamedthara@gmail.com
web : https://mohamedthara.squarespace.com
BIOGRAPHY /
Mohamed Thara was born in 1972 in Fez, Morocco. He lives and works between Paris
and Bordeaux. As a multidisciplinary artist, he holds a National Diploma (DNSEP) in
Visual Arts Expressions from the “Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts” in Bordeaux and
a Master’s Degree in Visual Arts from the University of Bordeaux-Montaigne. After
having trained in Paris in the different films and photography technics, first, at INA
SUP (Audiovisual National Institute) and then at Arscipro (Professional Film School).
Mohamed Thara is a Doctor in Aesthetics and Art Theory (PhD) at the University of
Bordeaux Montaigne. Painter, photographer, video artist and multi-talented
performer, he tries to extend the boundaries of painting with a very personal pictorial
work that questions the ambiguity of the representation. His performances question
the sense of “living together” and give his images the capacity to make us analyze the
world we live in. Through his videos oscillating between tension and balance, giving
birth and generating death, Mohamed questions the imminence of death to let us
comprehend about life’s fragility. His photographic work contains a promise of ritual
writing, a thought rightly thrown into the world, a global and critical project about
society through the moving image that raises many questions: history, memory, evil,
identity, pain, chaos… Mohamed Thara has participated in numerous exhibitions
around the world: The “Soho International Art Contest” in New York, USA, the
“Biennale of Contemporary Art in Sharajah”, United Emirates Arab, the collective
Grand Palais “Jeune Peinture” in Paris, France, the “Mutation” at the Museum -(CAPC)-
of Contemporary Art in Bordeaux, France and also at the ZKM, Art and Media
Museum in Karlsruhe, Allemagne, at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio Janeiro, Brazil,
at the Kochi Musiris Biennale, in Kerala India, the Venice Architecture Biennale and
many other artistic events. Several private collectors from France, Morroco and
abroad have acquired his work.
CV
Born in 1972 in Fez (Morocco)
Lives and works in Bordeaux and Paris
email : mohamedthara@gmail.com
web : https://mohamedthara.squarespace.com
EDUCATION /
2014 – 2017 : Ph.D. in Theory of Art: (Film and Audiovisual Studies) Bordeaux-Montaigne University.
2013 : Master’s Degree in Visual Arts from Bordeaux-Montaigne University (France)
2011 : 35mm camera extensive training at Arscipro (Professional Film School), Paris (France)
2010 : Films and photography technics, at INA SUP (Audiovisual National Institute) Paris (France)
2002 : (D.N.S.E.P) National Diploma of Arts and Media, “Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts” in Bordeaux.
2000 : (D.N.A.P) National Diploma of Visual Arts, “Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts” in Bordeaux (France)
1995 : (CAPES) Diploma of the national center of the Teachers of Visual arts in Rabat (Morocco)
2015 – 2018 : Teacher in Aesthetics and Theory of the Arts at Bordeaux-Montaigne University (France)
1995 – 1998 : Teacher in Visual arts at the Marrakech Academy, Ministry of National Education (Morocco)
2017 – 2018 : Curateur (FIAV) 24th International Festival of Video Art of Casablanca (Morocco)
2018 – 2019 : Curateur 11th « Rencontres Internationales de la Photo de Fez » (Morocco)
2018 : Curator of the (WAC) Week-end of the Contemporary Art of Bordeaux at the CAPC Museum of
Contemporary Art, Bordeaux (France)
RESIDENCY & AWARD /
2018 : Artist in residence for the creation of the movie “La Seconde Zone” Creative Agency, Bordeaux
(France)
2017 : As Long As I Can Hold My Breath, finalist for the best short film. African International Film Festival,Lagos (Nigeria)
2016 : Creative Residence in Takafes the Center for Art and Cultural Innovation, Fez (Morocco)
2016 : Laureate of artists’ studios of the city of Bordeaux in l’Annexe B with the Creative Agency and the City of Bordeaux (France)
2001 : Creative residency for the film “De la Place Aux Etoiles” Utopia Cinema, Bordeaux (France)
2001 : Artist’s residency at the Village des Arts, Dakar (Senegal)
1989 : Winner of the first prize of drawing, Saudi Arabian Society for Research and International Marketing, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
SOLO SHOWS and GROUP EXHIBITIONS /
2018
Bodies, 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, The Room Contemporary Art Space (Italy)
The W:OW Project Show, Torrence Art Museum, Los Angeles (USA)
Exil & Mémoire, AGORA, Biennal of Architecture, Rabat / Salé (Morocco)
Surfaces, Venise 2018, Its Liquid Art And Architecture Festival, Venise (Italy)
Alteration, Millepiani Space, Loosen Art Gallery, Rome (Italy)
#1 Video Art, The First International Video Art Forum, Eastern Province, (Saudi Arabia)
De Profundis, George Pompidou Center, La Nuit Européenne des Musées, Paris (France)
Silent Territory, L’Uzine Art Center, Touria & Abdelaziz Tazi Fondation, Casablanca (Morocco)
Group show, EX-NEW Contemporary Art Center, Milan (Italy)
Experiments in Cinema, International Film Festival, Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA)
Silent Territory (FIAV) International Festival of Video Art of Casablanca (Morocco)
Ibrida, Festival of Intermediate Arts, La Fabbrica Delle Candele, Forli (Italy)
We Are One World, Municipal Art Gallery Kharkiv (Ukraine)
TIME is Love.11, CCA Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow, (United Kingdom)
As Long As I Can Hold My Breath, Lily Agius Gallery, Sliema (Malta)
22 Contemporary African Artists, DEPART FOUNDATION, Malibu, Los Angeles (USA)
2017
Milk vs Whiskey, Addis Video Art Festival, Museum of Modern Art, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
The Wow Point of View, Center for Media communications and visuel studies, Kharkiv (Ukraine)
Strangloscope, Mostra Internacional Film Festival, Florianópolis (Brazil)
Official Selection, (AFRIFF) 7th Africa International Film Festival, Lagos (Nigeria)
Nos désirs font désordre, La Friche la Belle de Mai, Marseille (France)
New Landscape, (WAC) Weekend of contemporary art, Bordeaux (France)
DOBRA, Modern Art Museum, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Milk vs Whiskey HIEDRA Gallery, Buenos Aires (Argentina)
As Long As I Can Hold My Breath, (Solo Show) Metavilla Gallery, Bordeaux (France)
Art is Resistance, Werkstatt gallery, Berlin (Germany)
TIME is Love.10 MCube Gallery, Lalitpur (Nepal)
Group show, (CACT) Center of Contemporary Art, Ticino (Italy)
Sofia Underground, International Performance Art Festival, Sofia (Bulgaria)
Seconde Peau, Biennale of Contemporary Art Organo, Bordeaux (France)
AnneXafriques, Rocher de Palmer Gallery, Cenon (France)
As Long As I Can Hold My Breath, Institut Français de Casablanca (Morocco)
7ème édition, Camaguey International Video Art Festival, La Havane (CUBA)
Wake UP! CologneOFF & The New Museum of Networked Art, Cologne (Germany)
Future Imperfect Symposium, Plymouth University, Plymouth (United Kingdom)
Lipos, (Solo Show) Tinbox Gallery, l’Agence Créative, Bordeaux (France)
Milk vs Whiskey, Artspace gallery, Tel Aviv (Israel)
Sélection internationale, International Festival of Video Art of Casablanca (Morocco)
Milk vs Whiskey, ZKM Museum, Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe (Germany)
Art, Activism & Archives, Biennale of Kochi Musiris, Kochi-Kerala (India)
The Refugee Film Collection, New Museum of Networked Art, Cologne (Germany)
Art in The Time of Crisis, Palais Dar Pacha Tazi, Fez (Morocco)
2016
Trait d’union, 10ème Fez International Photo Meetings (Morocco)
1th Festival International Les Nuits Photographiques, Essaouira (Morocco)
Economie l’Expo-Jeu, Cap Sciences gallery, Bordeaux (France)
Dans le ventre de la médina, Takafes, The Center for Art and Cultural Innovation, Fez
(Morocco)
2014
Ritus, (Solo show) Cité Frugès-Le Corbusier, Pessac (France)
Lipos, (Solo show) la Maison des Arts, Pessac (France)
2002
Partage des Crêpes, Théâtre des Salinières, Bordeaux (France)
DNSEP, (Group show) Triangle gallery, Bordeaux (France)
2001
De la Place Aux Etoiles, (Solo show) at Cinéma Utopia, Bordeaux (France)
Sociétés d’ici et d’ailleurs, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture et de Paysage, Bordeaux
(France)
Mutation, CAPC, Museum of Contemporary Art, Bordeaux (France)
2000
Table Optimiste, the French Institute of Dakar, 4thedition of the Off Dakar Biennale, (Senegal)
1999
Sous Pression, Jeune Création, Grand Palais, Paris (France)
Portes ou vertes, residence Jean Zay Hall, Paris (France)
The Soho International Art Contest, Soho gallery, New York (USA)
1995
2th Biennale Sharajah Biennale of contemporary art, Sharajah (United Arab Emirates)
Group show for the benefit of Unicef, Art 54 Gallery, New York (USA)
Jeune Peinture Borj Nord, National Museum of Weapons, Fez (Morocco)
ART PUBLICATIONS, INTERVIEWS, PRESS /
Art A Part of Culture, Ibrida Festival delle Arti Intermediali, Italy :
https://www.artapartofculture.net/2018/05/05/ibrida-festival-delle-arti-intermediali-3a-edizione/
Contemporary And Magazine C& / 26 avril 2018 : Silent Territory: 24th Edition Casablanca International
Video Art Festival Morocco : https://www.contemporaryand.com/fr/exhibition/silent-territory-24th-editioncasablanca-
international-video-art-festival-morocco/
Revue Point Contemporain, Paris, avril 2018 : http://pointcontemporain.com/territoires-silencieuxselection-
internationale-fiav-2018-casablanca-maroc
Experimental Cinéma, Spain, 12 April 2018 : https://expcinema.org/site/en/events/silent-territory-24thedition-
casablanca-international-video-art-festival
EX–NEW Contemporary Art Center Milan (Italy) 3 to 6 May 2018 : https://www.exnew.
com/en/timeislove/
Artillery Magazine – Los Angeles – USA – January 27 – February 28, 2018 features “Video Art from Africa”
at Depart Foundation. https://artillerymag.com/events/video-art-from-africa-at-depart-foundation/
Ibrida festival 2018 | video selection : http://www.vertovproject.com/news/ibrida-festival-2018-videoselection
L’Agence Créative : Résidance d’artiste de Mohamed Thara au quartier du Grand Parc à Bordeaux, 2018
http://www.lagence-creative.com/news-218-R_sidence_d_artiste_MOHAMED_THARA_quartier_du_Grand-
PArc___Bordeaux.html
La revue Turbulences Video ≠ 98, janvier 2018, « Papales, Fatales, Normales Vidéos » article de Jean-
Paul Fargier.
Transverse-Art (Répertoire de l’art contemporain) As long As I Can Hold My Breath, décembre 2017,
article de Caroline Corbal.
Average Art Magazine N° 17, December 2017, Liverpool, United kingdom.
A5 Art Magazine Portfolio #9, December 2017, London, United Kingdom.
Instants Video, Marseille, Novembre 2017 : http://www.instantsvideo.com/blog/fr/archives/3043
WAC Bordeaux Septembre 2017 : https://wacbordeaux.com/2017/09/25/une-selection-internationale-devideo-
au-capc-sur-une-proposition-de-mohamed-thara/
Journal Al Bayan, 6 septembre, 2017. «Je ne fais pas de l’art politique, je fais de l’art politiquement» :
«Je ne fais pas de l’art politique, je fais de l’art politiquement»
Diptyk magazine n° 39, juin-sept, 2017. Art Vidéo / “5 nuances de bleu” par Marie Moignard :
http://diptykblog.com
Galerie Tinbox : http://www.bordonor.org/du-12-juin-au-21-aout-2017-projet-focus-1-artiste-1-tinbox-1-
structure/
Galerie Metavilla #9 Caroline Corbal : http://metavilla.org/mohamed-thara/
Culturetoute N°221 du 30 janvier 2017 : Entretien avec Pascual Jordan, commissaire de l’exposition
collective L’Art en Temps de Crise.
Biennale Organo #4 : http://www.totocheprod.fr/organo4_totocheprod.html
Le site info, 25 avril 2017, entretien avec Olivier Rachet à propos du Festival International d’Art Vidéo de
Casablanca et de l’art vidéo en général au Maroc: http://www.lesiteinfo.com/cultures/mohamed-thara-lartvideo-
art-mineur-maroc/
Wake UP! artvideoKOELN & The New Museum of Networked Art, Cologne, Allemagne :
http://self.engad.org/2016/mohamed-thara/
Le Journal Aujourd’hui le Maroc, lundi 17 avril 2017 par Siham Jadraoui :
Une programmation riche au festival international d’art vidéo
Experimental Cinema, Spain, 2017 | http://expcinema.org/site/en/events/time-love10-international-videoart-
program – TIME is Love.10 at ARTSPACE, Tel-Aviv 18 February 2017 :
http://furtherfield.org/community/calendar/time-love10-artspace-tel-aviv
Le Site Info 25 Janvier 2017, Olivier Rachet : http://www.lesiteinfo.com/cultures/rencontre-internationaledes-
artistes-de-fes-lallemagne-a-lhonneur/
Le journal le TAZ, Tageszeitung,« Kämpferische Künstlerische Rituale » Berlin, Allemagne, le 18 janvier
2017.
Art Video koeln The “REFUGEE!” Film Collection ArtVideokoeln, Cologne, Allemagne, 2017 :
http://refugee.engad.org/the-collection/
Journal Aujourd’hui le Maroc, Siham Jadraoui, Rabat, le 13 janvier 2017 :
«Fez Gathering» : Un débat autour du rôle de l’art en temps de crise
INHA (Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art) Séminaire “Identités, des minorités et du multiculturalisme
dans le film choral depuis les années 2000” avec l’association des doctorants “Les Trois Lumières”
organisé par l’Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, France.
Institut Français de Fès, 10ème Rencontres Internationales de la photo de Fès au Maroc : http://ifmaroc.
org/fes/IMG/pdf/programme-rip-2016-version-finale.pdf
Journal l’Economiste n°: 4859 Le 20/09/2016 : Les premières Nuits photographiques d’Essaouira Par
Stéphanie Jacob : http://www.leconomiste.com/article/1002577-les-premieres-nuits-photographiques-dessaouira
Journal Libération, du 7 septembre, 2016. Photographie : Dans le ventre de la Médina. Par Mohammed
Hamdouni. http://www.libe.ma/Photographie-Dans-le-ventre-de-la-Medina_a78436.html
Journal Aujourd’hui Le Maroc, du 07 août 2016, Interview « Ce qui m’inspire c’est l’être humain dans
toute sa complexité »: http://aujourdhui.ma/culture/ce-qui-minspire-cest-letre-humain-dans-toute-sacomplexite
In The View, Photography : in the heart of the Fez Medina / Mohamed Hamdouni reports. 15 septembre
2016.
http://riadzany.blogspot.fr/2016/09/photography-in-heart-of-fez-medina.html
Télérama, n° 2699 / octobre, 2001. « De la place aux étoiles » Mohamed Thara artiste en résidence.
Revue Etapes Graphiques, Juin – Juillet, Paris 2002. « Ah ! La belle idée »
Quinzaine africaine, l’école nationale supérieure d’architecture et de paysage de Bordeaux.
Jeune Création 1999, Paris : http://www.jeunecreation.org
Magazine Sayidaty, Avril 1989, Riyad, Arabie Saoudite, Mohamed Thara lauréat du premier prix de
dessin, organisé par la Société Saoudite pour la recherche et le Marketing International.
