FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834

September 11, 2007

GRINNELL'S FAULCONER GALLERY INSTALLS MULTIMEDIA EXHIBITION BY MOROCCAN ARTISTS

Grinnell College's Faulconer Gallery will install a multimedia exhibition of works by seven international artists with ties to Morocco, opening Sept. 28. The installations of sculpture, photography, mixed media, interactive computing, and film draw inspiration from art, politics, and culture around the world, according to Faulconer curator Kay Wilson.

"Each of the artists is grappling with the complex issues of globalization facing North Africans," Wilson said. "The works in the installation take into account the viewer's complete experience, using natural materials and new media."

The Moroccan artists and their works include: " Casablanca artist Hassan Darsi with his installation of an interactive Internet photography piece titled "OFF des Elections, maquette politique" " Photographer Hicham Benohoud who will install 40 black and white photographs of Marrakech school children " Filmmaker Mounir Fatmi with his installation "Out of History," which was inspired by the Black Panther movement " Mixed media artist Safaa Erruas with an installation of thousands of pins and needles with white gauze and silk titled "Poils sur le Mur" " Tangier native Abdelali Dahrouch with his work "Homo Sacer," which explores torture, violence and grief in relation to human spirituality through projection and sound " Sculptor Mohamed El baz with "Second Life in City Light," an installation of images, neon and wall painting " And marble sculptor Ikram Kabbaj who is currently at work on the Grinnell campus, transforming seven tons of Alabama Cremino marble into "Osmosis." Kabbaj's completed sculpture will be located on the east side of the Grinnell campus, expanding the college's collection of public art. The new sculpture will be dedicated on Sept. 24 at 4:15 p.m., east of the Joe Rosenfield '25 Center at 1115 8th Ave. in Grinnell.

Curators for the Moroccan installation are Wilson, curator of the collection, Faulconer Gallery, and Aziz Daki, professor of art history and journalism at the University of El Jadida. Exhibition designer is Grinnell graduate Milton Severe.

Other events related to the seven-artist installation include: " A talk by Aziz Daki on "The History of Contemporary Art in Morocco," at noon on Sept. 27 in the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, Room 152. " A gallery talk by the installation artists at 4:15 p.m. on Sept. 28 in the Faulconer Gallery. " An opening reception for the "Seven International Artists with Roots in Morocco" installation at 5 p.m. on Sept. 28 in the Bucksbaum Center Rotunda.

The Moroccan artist exhibition will be on display Sept. 29 - Dec. 16 in the Faulconer Gallery in the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts on the Grinnell College campus. Gallery hours for the exhibition (beginning Sept. 29) are Sunday-Wednesday, noon to 5 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information or directions, call 641-269-4660 or visit www.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery.