Hassan Hajjaj to bring expansive solo show to Nottingham's New Art Exchange

Printed Pages star and long-term It’s Nice That favourite Hassan Hajjaj is set to launch a new solo show in early April. The Path will take place at Nottingham’s New Art Exchange between 6 April and 23 June. It has been curated former ICA director Ekow Eshun.

The Path will feature work both old and new by the Moroccan photographer, designer, and filmmaker. A new collection of previously unseen travel photographs, titled Between will make their first gallery appearance, as will Le Salon, which sees Hassan transmuting the NAE’s Mezzanine Gallery into “an open space for local performers, musicians and spoken word artists to share their creativity with others”.

One of the artists’ previous series, My Rock Stars, forms the basis of a new site-specific original photographic commission. Everyday Superstars is, says the NAE, “a project that invited the local community to nominate remarkable individuals from the city; calling for activists campaigning for social change, supporters of young people, individuals who have accomplished in the face of adversity, or simply amazing talents worthy of recognition.” The winner will be revealed at the exhibition’s launch, as will the no-doubt wonderful portrait of them that Hassan Hajjaj has produced in his indomitable style.

The Path confronts Hajjaj’s dual-identity through the bold use of colour, shape and pattern. "The exhibition title references Hajjaj’s personal journey from his birthplace in Larache, Morocco, to London, UK and beyond, into his experience working around the world,” is how the press release accompanying the news of the exhibition puts it. The gallery goes on to add that, “the showcase draws inspiration from the album The Path by the jazz-fusion musician Ralph MacDonald, which pays artistic testament to the diasporic scattering of people of African descent around the globe, a common theme in Hajjaj’s practice.”