Dominique Hurth is re-staging at La Halle a work originally presented at L’appartement 22 following several months of exploring the Rif’s coastline and mountains alongside the communities that still live there. The artist addresses the themes of war and struggle, land and poison, illness and resilience.
in unseen caves is a rich visual ecosystem: it brings together a film—told as a two-voice travel narrative through landscapes and archives—along with a publication and sculptures in ceramic or terracotta. To create the sculptures, the artist worked closely with the Rouadi women’s pottery cooperative, digging clay directly from the mountain and firing it in an open-air kiln. The sculptures depict the leaves of the prickly pear cactus. This cactus, widespread in the region, stands as an emblem of a system of power as well as of decay. Indeed, today the plant is suffering from a disease spreading throughout the Mediterranean basin due to a parasite native to Latin America. In this work, nature and landscapes are not settings for contemplation, but rather reflect past and recent dynamics of domination.
in unseen caves is a rich visual ecosystem: it brings together a film—told as a two-voice travel narrative through landscapes and archives—along with a publication and sculptures in ceramic or terracotta. To create the sculptures, the artist worked closely with the Rouadi women’s pottery cooperative, digging clay directly from the mountain and firing it in an open-air kiln. The sculptures depict the leaves of the prickly pear cactus. This cactus, widespread in the region, stands as an emblem of a system of power as well as of decay. Indeed, today the plant is suffering from a disease spreading throughout the Mediterranean basin due to a parasite native to Latin America. In this work, nature and landscapes are not settings for contemplation, but rather reflect past and recent dynamics of domination.
dans des caves inacessibles
(in unseen caves)
2024
Installation with ceramics, terracotta sculptures, a 19:44-minute video in Arabic and French (voices: Omar Nicolas and Dominique Hurth), and artisanal plant-based dyes made from prickly pear pads and flowers, stinging nettles, birch, and iron.
The dyes were produced in 2026.
Terracota sculptures produced in collaboration with Farida Elazzouzi and Khaddouj Ichouikhen of the Rouadi Women's Cooperative, Maison de l'artisanat de Rouadi, August 2024.
Installation shots:
D’un massif à l’autre, La Halle, Pont-en-Royans (FR), Blaise Adilon
29.09-19.12.2026
(in unseen caves)
2024
Installation with ceramics, terracotta sculptures, a 19:44-minute video in Arabic and French (voices: Omar Nicolas and Dominique Hurth), and artisanal plant-based dyes made from prickly pear pads and flowers, stinging nettles, birch, and iron.
The dyes were produced in 2026.
Terracota sculptures produced in collaboration with Farida Elazzouzi and Khaddouj Ichouikhen of the Rouadi Women's Cooperative, Maison de l'artisanat de Rouadi, August 2024.
Installation shots:
D’un massif à l’autre, La Halle, Pont-en-Royans (FR), Blaise Adilon
29.09-19.12.2026
