Identity in Transition examines Algerian identity in the years following independence through a growing collection of identification photographs within the wider Souvenir de l’Algérie archive. Drawn from Meriem Mecili’s family archive, including photographs preserved in relatives’ personal collections, the project considers how Algerians presented themselves during a period of political, social and cultural transformation.
Although created for administrative purposes, these photographs contain intimate expressions of individuality. Hairstyles, clothing, jewellery, facial hair and posture reveal the ways people negotiated modernity, tradition and self presentation within the restrictions of the identification photograph.
A central point of reference within Identity in Transition is a handmade bird shaped photographic frame created by Mecili’s uncle, Bakhouche, during his military service in Algeria. Preserved and displayed in the family home, the frame formed part of the domestic setting through which family photographs were kept, encountered and remembered.
Mecili’s grandmother, aunt and cousin in the family home, with the original bird frame made by her uncle Bakhouche visible in the background. Algiers, 1992. Courtesy of the Mecili family archive.
The frame held photographs of Mecili’s father, who had recently emigrated to the United Kingdom, alongside a portrait of her grandfather following his death. By bringing these photographs together within a single domestic object, the frame reunited family members separated by migration and loss.
Reimagining Bakhouche’s frame, Mecili recreated its distinctive bird form and decorated each new frame by hand. The floral motifs, colours and painted ornamentation draw from Algerian domestic interiors, including mirrors, painted furniture and the decorative traditions of the Casbah.
Late at Tate Britain: Zineb Sedira, Dan Weill Photography
Late at Tate Britain: Zineb Sedira, Dan Weill Photography.
Late at Tate Britain: Zineb Sedira, Dan Weill Photography
