In the series of happy happenstances that life brings, I met Abed Abidat during Unseen. He was there to present the books his Marseille-based publishing company “Images Plurielles” has produced. Marseille is the captivating Mediterranean port which serves as the gateway to Northern Africa, with a rich history and a diverse culture and population. The books presented reflect that connection to the Mediterranean world like for instance the marvelous “Son Oeil dans la Main”, a fortunate collaboration between Raymond Depardon and Kamel Daoud exhibited at L’institut du Monde Arabe en 2022 and presented in this blog. Abed caught my attention with a splendid book “Algeroid”, result of a remarkable work. Abed spent several years in Algiers, taking pictures of people and locations with an instant polaroid camera. This approach allowed him to weave direct links with his subjects as he was able to hand over the polaroids directly. His work went however one step further: retaining the negatives, scanning them and inversing them with a software gave the remarkable pictures presented in the book: stunning views and portraits with a slightly outdated and nostalgic flair.
