KENZI كنزي BENABDALLAH, CONCEPTUAL ARTIST; b. 1989, BATNA, ALGERIA.




NICHT GEBOREN AUF DEUTSCHEM GRUND/
NICHT GEBOREN AUS DEUTSCHEM GRUN

"HOW DO LABOUR SYSTEMS TRANSFORM THE BODY IN FRAGILE SITUATIONS?" –

A CENTRAL QUESTION OF MY RESEARCH AND WORK "NICHT GEBOREN AUF DEUTSCHEM GRUND/NICHT GEBOREN AUS DEUTSCHEM GRUND" THAT MATERIALISES INTO A SERIES OF INSTALLATIONS. IT BEGINS WITH PERSONAL STORIES AND ARCHIVAL MATERIAL OF MY FATHER AND MOVES INTO THE PRESENT.




01

PRECAST CONCRETE PANEL, INK14 CM X 9 CM X 4 CM

THE IDENTITY DOCUMENT OF AN ALGERIAN CONTRACT WORKER – A NUMBER, PRINTED ONTO A CONCRETE SLAB IN THE EXACT DIMENSIONS OF THE ORIGINAL. THE SLAB PEELS AWAY AT THE SIDE, EXPOSING WHAT LIES BENEATH. PREFABRICATED CONCRETE PANELS WERE THE PRIMARY BUILDING MATERIAL OF THE GDR:
STANDARDISED, RAPIDLY PRODUCED, REPLACEABLE. LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT WITH THEM.



02

ALUMINIUM MEDAL (ORIGINAL)
ALUMINIUM EMDAL (REPRODUCTION)
3 CM X 3,5 CM

THE SECOND INSTALLATION REPRODUCES A GDR MEDAL FOR "BEST WORKER" – ITS ORIGINAL INSCRIPTION READING: "FOR EVERY MARK, EVERY HOUR OF WORKING TIME AND EVERY GRAM OF MATERIAL A GREATER BENEFIT." A TITLE AWARDED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY TO GDR-BORN CITIZENS. THE REPRODUCTION READS "GASTARBEITER" AND CARRIES AN ALTERED INSCRIPTION: "FOR EVERY HUMAN, EVERY HOUR OF LIFETIME AND EVERY GRAM OF BODY A GREATER BENEFIT." THE SAME LANGUAGE TURNED AGAINST ITSELF.










03

ALUMINUM CARPET
112 CM X 59 CM X 4 CM



A PRAYER RUG CAST IN SCRATCHED ALUMINIUM – SHARP-EDGED, IMPASSABLE, REFUSING THE BODY. IT SPEAKS OF HOW ADAPTATION GIVES WAY TO SELF-ERASURE WHEN PERSONAL BELIEF BECOMES A PUBLIC MATTER. WHERE FAITH SHOULD MEET THE GROUND, THE MATERIAL MAKES CONTACT IMPOSSIBLE. A QUESTION OF BELONGING, IDENTITY, AND WHAT SOCIALIST EVERYDAY LIFE WOULD AND WOULD NOT TOLERATE.




05

1167 DDR 1-PFENNIG ALUMINIUM COINS
175 CM X 1,7 CM X 1,7 CM




A STACK OF 1,167 GDR 1-PFENNIG COINS, REACHING 1.75 M – THE APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF MY FATHER'S BODY. IN THE SPACE, IT APPEARS AS A FINE, FRAGILE LINE, ALMOST INVISIBLE. THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF A HUMAN BODY, REDUCED TO COUNTABLE UNITS.
THE PEOPLE SURVIVED THE SYSTEM. THE INJUSTICE DID NOT CLOSE WITH IT. CONTRACT WORKERS WERE NOT FAIRLY COMPENSATED. ALGERIA WITHHELD PARTS OF THEIR WAGES. MOST RETURNED TO THE PRECARIOUS CONDITIONS THE SYSTEM FIRST FOUND THEM IN. MANY ARE STILL FIGHTING, WITHOUT SUCCESS, FOR RECOGNITION OF THEIR LABOUR AND THEIR PENSIONS. THEIR STORIES, ENTANGLED IN THE GDR, REMAIN INVISIBLE.


06

OFFICE CHAIR, CASTED ALUMINIUM
89 CM X 62 CM X 50 CM


AN OFFICE CHAIR, CAST IN ALUMINIUM, IN THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF PRODUCTIVITY. THE SPIKE AT ITS CENTRE RENDERS IT A REVERSAL OF ITS OWN FUNCTION – UNUSABLE. THE BODY FINDS NO PLACE HERE. EXPLOITATIVE SYSTEMS, LIKE THAT OF CONTRACT LABOUR, CONTINUE TO EXIST. THEY HAVE CHANGED FORM. THE LOGIC REMAINS.