At the 2026 Rencontres d'Arles photography festival, Algerian-French artist Katia Kameli is presenting a new installation that revisits the history of Algeria through archival images and contemporary video. The work, titled "The Algerian Novel," draws on colonial-era photographs and post-independence archives to question how history is written and remembered.
Kameli, who was born in Algiers and lives in Paris, is known for her multimedia projects that explore cultural hybridity and colonial legacies. Her Arles exhibition, which runs through September 2026, includes a film that juxtaposes French colonial postcards with current footage of Algerian landscapes, creating a dialogue between past and present.
The artist told reporters that she aims to "deconstruct the official narrative" and offer a more nuanced view of Algeria's complex history. The project was developed over several years with research in archives in both France and Algeria.
Critics have praised the work for its poetic yet critical approach, noting that it arrives at a time when France and Algeria are still grappling with the memory of colonization. The exhibition is part of the festival's broader focus on postcolonial perspectives.
