Tenté par d'autres Soleils is the solo exhibition of Bechir Boussandel debuting in Tunisia at the B7L9 Art Centre of the Kamel Lazaar Foundation on 23 January 2025, will travel to the Tabari Artspace in Dubai later that spring.
From Dunkerque, where Boussandel was born, to Bizerte, the hometown of his parents, the artist traces a vivid connection between his family’s migratory history and his creative journey. Rooted in memories of Bizerte and his childhood home, Boussandel’s work also draws energy from his urban surroundings. Now based in Bhar Lazreg, he explores themes of displacement and urban resilience through evocative installations.
The exhibition takes visitors on a sensory exploration of the city, combining painting, blown glass, metal, and organic materials. These pieces reflect the ebb and flow of migration and the constant transformation of our world, prompting viewers to rethink their connection to urban spaces and nature. At its heart, the work offers a poetic reflection on human endurance, where every act of movement becomes an invitation to change.
Boussandel’s creative process originates on the rooftop of his family home, where he submerges canvases in water and paint, evoking fluidity and unpredictability. This initial gesture forms the basis of his work, over which he layers oil paint to create landscapes where sky and earth blend into a reimagined horizon.
One of the exhibition’s centrepieces is a site-specific installation inspired by those who scour urban spaces for empty plastic bottles. Blown glass sculptures are paired with birds crafted from brass, copper, and aluminium. These grounded perches symbolise the dual reality of survival—plastic as a resource for the vulnerable and as an emblem of environmental devastation. The fragile medium of blown glass underscores the precarity of those living on the edge and the vulnerability of our ever-changing environment.
Boussandel’s paintings further this dialogue by reinterpreting perspectives. Through a bird’s-eye view, he dissolves traditional boundaries between earth and sky, offering a layered vision of the landscape. Grounded perches challenge their usual association with flight, calling visitors to reconnect with the earth. Birds, often seen as symbols of elevation, appear rooted, reinforcing the urgency of realigning with our environment and natural cycles.
This project is part of a collaboration, realised with the support of students and instructors from the Centre Sectoriel de Formation aux Arts du Feu (Fire Arts Training Centre) in Nabeul, led by Mr Sofiane Ben Amor. Their artisanal expertise enriches Boussandel’s work, merging traditional crafts with contemporary artistic concern.