Mouna Karray's 'Nobody Will Talk About Us' Reveals A Deeply Moving Encounter with Loneli
“I went back to the Tunisian southwest, its silent poverty, its mineral loneliness, its arid and forgotten soils whose foundations were rich with minerals, which have been confiscated and stripped from these oppressed – but not submissive – souls”
– Mouna Karray
The mesmerising landscapes bear the scares of an almost forgotten region where marginalisation and lack of investment are familiar occurrences. Yet the harshness of the vast deserts and crumbling buildings are shot in vivid colour, creating images that are beautifully impactful. On entering the modest Tyburn Gallery you are met by the sun scorched sands and rolling hills that throw into the doubt the perceptions of barren isolation. There is no doubt the landscape has character and creates a sense of exoticism to the Western eye, which works to undermine the common associations to poverty as a result of Southern Tunisian’s socio-economic status.
Nobody Will Talk About Us marks Mouna Karray’s first UK solo exhibition, showing the series that was started during her residency at Dream City Biennial of Contemporary Art in Public Space (Tunis, 2012), in its entirety for the first time. The pictured desolate landscapes and the people that call this harsh environment their home are part of Karray’s own encounters whilst wandering through the region. The photos feature a figure shrouded in a white sheet, appearing in each scene as an ambiguous outsider, a stranger in amongst the rural backdrop.
The veiled figure disrupts photographic conventions not always being the focal point, hidden by plumes of smoke or amongst white sacks of sand. The viewer’s gaze is challenged as eyes dart to seek out the figure whilst also trying to find some form of familiarity in the desolate landscape. Karray uses the anonymous subject in stark contrast to the unquestionable beauty of the country, juxtaposing the faceless figure with the vastness to personify the alienation that has become a deep-rooted part of the communities within the region.
The stillness of the gallery with the almost oppressive white walls and harsh lighting becomes lost, as when standing in front of each photograph you cannot help getting lost in the complex landscape. Karray’s work instils a sense of curiosity that makes each image even more intriguing. Despite the static atmosphere of the setting I found in this instance it worked in the artist’s favour, with the landscapes invading the space as I could almost feel the blistering sun on my skin. There is an intense richness to the photographs as the figure moves through the series acting as a symbol of resistance, in a push towards freeing the burdened souls that are confined to silent poverty amongst the dusty lands.
Jessica Rayner
Nobody Will Talk About Us runs until May 21st, 2016. All images copyright the artist, courtesy of Tyburn Gallery
http://www.tyburngallery.com/
