In the framework of the exhibition The Canticle of the Birds, a talk with artist Katia Kameli and the curator of the exhibition Valerie Chartrain took place on 13 May 2023.
The work is inspired by The Conference of the Birds, an epic poem by the Sufi poet Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār, who lived in 12th century Persia. It follows the initial migratory voyage of thousands of birds in search of the mythical winged creature Simorgh. In reference to the title of a new French translation of the work, with Das The Canticle of the Birds Katia Kameli presents her very own translation of the epic poem, appropriating various narrative elements in novel forms and combinations while simultaneously adding layers of music, dance and geography.
The exhibition combines Katia Kameli’s ceramic sculptures, watercolors, silk paintings, her sketches, and the film into one poetic whole. Kameli invites visitors on an inner journey imbued with spirituality and beauty, a reflection on our own quests and identities. What are we if not the sum of all the stories that came before us?
