Patrick Altes – ‘A Story of Revolutions’: public lecture review

In this post, Kelsey Suggitt reviews the public lecture given by Patrick Altes to mark the opening of his art exhibition, ‘A Story of Revolutions’, at the University of Portsmouth’s Space Gallery.

On Tuesday 28 October 2014, students and staff from the University of Portsmouth gathered to hear Patrick Altes’ thoughts on his art exhibition, ‘A Story of Revolutions’, which opened at the Space Gallery (Eldon Building, University of Portsmouth) on Monday 20 October. As previous blog posts have discussed, Patrick was an Artist in Residence at the University of Portsmouth, courtesy of the Leverhulme Trust, and worked with Dr Natalya Vince from the School of Languages and Area Studies. Here he was able to generate ideas and gather research for an art collection that would explore the complex question of identity in post-colonial Algeria.

Patrick’s talk opened with a very brief history of the French in Algeria, but he particularly focussed on questions of citizenship and identity, themes his exhibition seeks to address. On this basis of this, Patrick explained his initial thoughts on his project, for which he felt the need to think about identity, and as an artist, how to use creativity to express it. He has long perceived himself as being stuck between two cultures, not feeling entirely French because of his Spanish origins, but not quite Algerian since he left his birth country at a very young age. From these reflections, Patrick was able to recognise the importance of land and origin, and their impact on identity and one’s sense of history. Furthermore, he contemplated associated images and the importance of symbols, such as soil and sky, religion and even liberation. He also perceived an ‘awakening’, in the sense that colonisation could be looked at in real terms, and removed from the mythology and nostalgia which often surrounds it.

As part of his residency, Patrick returned to Algeria, for the first time since he first left as a child, to conduct research. It was at this time that he began to experiment with various mediums, including photography. Patrick uses individual methods within his work, with a combination of paint and drawings, and also mixed media. This is a medium he has found particularly frustrating to work with, yet it has produced fascinating results. It was also during his time spent in Algeria that Patrick became aware of the importance of avoiding nostalgia, seeking instead to use various mediums in order to reflect the interconnections between the past and present. An example of this is the way in which he uses photographs supplied by Europeans from Algeria in order to interpret their role in the narrative. In his work, he endeavours to present a lost generation, something he feels a part of and thus reflects throughout his work.

During his talk, Patrick stated that the reality today is that few in Europe have a completely distinct national identity. Many people can trace links to other countries and ethnicities. Furthermore, he argued that places, like people, are not homogeneous.

His work also portrays other themes, such as exoticism and the notion of the other, as presented by Edward Said[1]. In order to depict these ideas, he uses representations of the colonial exhibition. He also engages with the theme of fragmentation and the idea that the French state has a tendency to ignore fragile situations, something that has been highlighted in popular culture in France with the film La Haine[2], yet continues to be prominent in French society.

Patrick’s work makes particular use of symbolism, using pre-colonial symbols such as ancient languages throughout his work. Colour is also used for symbolic purposes, with bright colours, black and white used to express various emotions and times. In addition, Patrick’s work addresses how some symbols have had their meanings altered over time, such as certain gardens, which were once viewed as colonial and oppressive, but later became symbols of liberation.

Through this collection, Patrick attempts to move away from the prevalent idea of two narratives, seeking instead a subtler interconnected history of identity in France and Algeria.

Patrick Altes ended his public talk with questions from the audience, giving him the opportunity to discuss his collection in more depth, as well as his artistic influences that include, amongst others, Anslem Kiefer, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

Patrick Altes’s exhibition continues as part of the Being Human festival, weekdays in Eldon building until 26 November 2014. There is also a meet the artist event on the 14th November.

[1] Said, E. (1978). Orientalism. London: Penguin.

[2] Kassovitz, M. (Director). (1995). La Haine [Motion Picture][DVD]. France: Tartan. (1996)

Being Human: Screening of the film “The Battle of Algiers” & panel discussion

Since its release in 1966, Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers has become one of the most influential political films in cinema history. Recounting a key episode in the Algerian anti-colonial struggle, the film depicts the urban terror campaign waged by the National Liberation Front (FLN) in Algiers in 1957 and the French army’s merciless – but ultimately futile – fight to regain control of the capital. As a document on guerrilla warfare, the film was a source of inspiration for the Black Panthers and the IRA. In 2003, as the US and the UK invaded Iraq, The Battle of Algiers was screened at the Pentagon, with employees invited to come and learn ‘how to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas.’ As a lesson in filmmaking, Pontecorvo’s documentary style, use of music and direction of non-professional actors has influenced a wide range of contemporary directors, including Paul Greengrass, Spike Lee, Ken Loach, Mira Nair, Steven Soderbergh, Oliver Stone and Quentin Tarantino are among those who cite the film as a reference.
The screening of the film will be followed by a panel discussion of its national and transnational significance and legacy, both in film studies, and in terms of Franco-Algerian relations. Panellists are Natalya Vince and Walid Benkhaled of the University of Portsmouth (co-authors of a book in preparation on The Battle of Algiers); Neelam Srivastava, Senior Lecturer in Post-Colonial Literature at Newcastle University who interviewed Pontecorvo before his death and has published a number of articles on his work; and Martin Evans, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Sussex, and author of Algeria: France’s Undeclared War (Oxford University Press, 2012). An exhibition by artist Patrick Altes, a French artist born in Algeria, who was Leverhulme Artist in Residence in the School of Languages and Area Studies at the University of Portsmouth in 2012-13 will also be available to view before the film screening (admission free, running 20 October-26 November, Eldon Building).
Entry to the film screening is free for students and concessions, but tickets need to be booked in advance. Book your ticket for the film screening here.