It is undoubtedly expected that a gallerist shows what he likes and the artists he believes in. However, the open window Hamid Khellafi offers on Algeria for the years 2025-2026 is of a different kind of commitment. Through this cycle of exhibitions, which presents around twenty artists without any medium limitations, he introduces us to the richness and diversity of the contemporary Algerian and Franco-Algerian art scene. The idea came to him during a trip to Algiers, where he met one artist after another, through the dynamic interplay that a united artistic community and the effects of mentorship allow. The goal was to use the means provided by an exhibition space and visibility to help recognize a scene in full transformation and create a bridge.
CREATE, BUILD, LINK…
Several Franco-Algerian artists have managed to find their way to Parisian galleries, claiming their identity, but due to the strong presence of borders, few Algerian artists have been able to join them. Today, the aim is to create a rapprochement and present a more complete panorama. A panorama that, from photography to painting, design to sculpture, and video to drawing, demonstrates great vitality. Through varied means and distinct styles, these Algerian and Franco-Algerian artists show different facets of a country, different layers of history, and cultural strata. From different generations and spread across different cities, they freely express themselves between languages, playing with what English, Arabic, French, or Berber allow them to say and not say.
ALGERIAN CONTEMPORARY ART IN DIALOGUE WITH THE WORLD
This shift between cultures, made possible by a more open society, opens new perspectives for a young and connected scene. Ready to invest in them and support them on the art market, Hamid Khellafi aims to connect points from one side of the Mediterranean to the other, doing his part for the country where he spent his childhood and participating in cultural exchanges too often dependent on programs or political agendas. Perhaps one of the most personal projects he has undertaken, this cycle around Algeria allows Hamid Khellafi to affirm a part of himself, to not have to choose between his father and his mother. A work of reconciliation, discussion, and celebration, this programming is plural in every way.
THE CYCLE
In 2025, the Hamid Khellafi Gallery dedicated itself to the contemporary Algerian art scene with ‘One Year Twenty Artists’. Twenty artists were showcased through solo and group exhibitions.
Each exhibition was an encounter; each exhibition opened up a unique dialogue.
From Dalila Dalléas Bouzar’s reinterpretation of mythical figures and the female body to the pictorial and memorial explorations of Sadek Rahim and Katia Kameli, via the irony of Adlane Samet, the poetry of Mehdi Djelil and the ethical questions raised by Gouasmi Belkacem, Algerian artists possess a creative energy that a single exhibition cycle could not possibly contain.
The project was enthusiastically received by the press and the public. In the newspaper Le Monde, Philippe Dagen praised the gallery’s trajectory and highlighted Dalila Dalléas Bouzar for her ability to combine powerful expression with political significance. Artsy selected the gallery as one of the “10 Must-See Shows during Art Basel Paris 2025” and emphasised the strength of the programme. The Algerian media outlets Dzdia and Liik also published insightful articles celebrating Algerian art.
The gallery was also invited to exhibit at the international fairs 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair and AKAA 2025 – a real highlight.
As the cycle draws to a close, I reflect on the significance of this year. Algeria One Year Twenty Artists is a project that has given a voice to contemporary Algerian art, opened up dialogues between different generations and countries, and demonstrated just how much this scene speaks a universal, sensitive and visionary language.