Football Pitch as Political Arena in 'Prolongations' at Institut des Cultures d'Islam

The group exhibition 'Prolongations' at the Institut des Cultures d'Islam in Paris, curated by Horya Makhlouf, transforms the football pitch into a site of memory, racial politics, and embodied resistance. Featuring works by M'barka Amor, Ouassila Arras, and Dalila Dalléas Bouzar, the show runs until 26 July 2026. Through painting, textiles, installation, and sculpture, the artists explore tensions between aspiration and limitation, visibility and erasure, and the burden on racialised bodies. Amor's work oscillates between momentum and immobilisation, using materials like ceramics and sound. Arras focuses on the fatigue of representing more than oneself, with pieces like 'Hagra' and 'Marques blanches' addressing structural violence and erasure. Dalléas Bouzar highlights scars of racism and paths toward grace via painting and embroidery. The exhibition grew from a dialogue among the three artists, each working independently but sharing concerns about how certain bodies are constantly required to prove legitimacy. The football field is presented as a microcosm of society, where Arab and Black male footballers face systemic racism. The artists resist dominant narratives by multiplying perspectives and treating intimate traces as political elements. The show aims to leave viewers with a physical sensation of tension and a keener awareness of invisible power dynamics.