Meriem Bennani - Sole Crushing

Exhibition catalogue for Meriem Bennani – Sole Crushing, presented at Lafayette Anticipations – Fondation Galeries Lafayette, Paris (22 October 2025 – 8 February 2026).

Meriem Bennani explores communal living and the individual’s place within the community. In chorus, as soloists, in unison or responding to one another, these flip-flops evoke individuals in a moving crowd, at a demonstration, in a stadium or during a dakka marrakchia, a traditional Moroccan musical ceremony.

A simple, everyday gesture, the clapping of these flip-flops unites the group in a shared rhythm, generating a force that transcends the individual.

In her sculptures, installations and videos, she explores the possibilities of storytelling by elevating reality through an approach that blends magical realism and humour.

Born in 1988 in Rabat, Morocco. Meriem Bennani lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Her works have been exhibited in numerous institutions, including the Fondazione Prada in Milan, the Whitney Museum and the High Line in New York, and Nottingham Contemporary in Nottingham. She took part in the latest Toronto International Film Festival with her animated feature film Bouch.