“I try to be a time traveller and blend the future and the past because you always get an interesting result.”
—Mous LamrabatIn the present work Ceci n'est pas une Magritte, Mous Lamrabat (b.1983) reimagines René Magritte’s 1964 surrealist masterpiece Le fils de l'homme to question traditional associations within the art historical canon. ‘I like to connect different parts of the world, namely “the West” and “the East” because I am both,’ the artist notes. He also recalls thinking about ‘how art has evolved’ and wondering ‘if Magritte was alive today, would he use duct tape to tape the apple?’ Here, Lamrabat’s playful approach is further evidenced in the subtle inclusion of the model’s tattoos and body jewellery. As a Moroccan native who spent every summer in Temsaman while growing up and studying in Belgium, the artist’s visual language centres around themes of identity and inclusion. Taken in 2019, Ceci n'est pas une Magritte is among his most sought-after works and is featured in his debut monograph Mousganistan, published in Spring 2024.
Mous Lamrabat: A(r)mour, Mode and Design Brussels, 9 June - 2 September 2023 Mous Lamrabat: Blessings from Mousganistan, Foam, Amsterdam, 27 May - 4 December 2022 Mous Lamrabat: Welcome to Mousganistan, Galerie Le Château d'Eau, Toulouse, 2 June - 27 August 2023
2019 Archival pigment print, mounted. Image: 150 x 100 cm (59 x 39 3/8 in.) Frame: 153 x 103 cm (60 1/4 x 40 1/2 in.) Signed in ink, printed, title, date and number AP2/2 on a Certificate of Authenticity accompanying the work.
This work is AP2 from the sold-out edition of 4 + 2 APs.