Valentin Noujaïm + Space Afrika

Film: Valentin Noujaïm and Space Afrika (Joshua Inyang and Joshua Reid)
Live music: Space Afrika (Joshua Inyang and Joshua Reid)

Shot entirely on 16mm film by director Valentin Noujaïm, Opera Omnia develops a dreamlike atmosphere punctuated by the haunting melodies and evocative soundscapes of the artist duo Space Afrika. Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Inferno and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Petrolio, the film follows two young black boys on a strange nocturnal journey through the streets of Manchester, where mysterious and intriguing characters follow one another, representing the various stages of their urban and mystical adventure. More than just an external journey, their crossing of the labyrinthine Manchester landscape and the various encounters they have there give them the opportunity for a deeper, more intimate exploration, in search of their place and their identity.

At once a live performance, video and sound installation, this immersive audiovisual experience transports spectators to the heart of a sound and visual odyssey.

Created at ICA – Institute of Contemporary Art, this live and video performance will have its French premiere at the Fondation Cartier.

Biographies

Valentin Noujaïm (b. 1991, French-Lebanese) graduated from the Screenwriting Department of La Fémis in Paris and was a guest student at the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main. Valentin Noujaïm’s work challenges dominant narratives in society, shedding light on the lives of individuals and communities historically marginalized by systemic discrimination. The fantasized worlds he creates through his films also underline his commitment to explore different formats: 16mm film, archives, digital footage, and special effects. His films have been selected in numerous festivals, including CPH:DOX, Visions du Réel, IFFR, DocLisboa, BAFICI, DokuFest, BlackStar Film Festival and Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur. His work has also been presented in several group exhibitions: Nîmes Triennale (2024), Museo Madre (2024), Magasins Généraux (2023), CNAC Magasin (2022), Salon de Montrouge (2022), Air de Paris Gallery (2022), Exo Exo Gallery (2022), Saatchi Gallery (2021), among others. His works are part of the collections of the CNAP, FRAC Bretagne and Lafayette Anticipations.

Producers, contemporary composers, visual artists, performers and NTS Radio hosts, Space Afrika are pioneers of electronic music encompassing UK Dance, Ambient, Alternative, Trip-hop, Pop, Modern Classical and Experimental. To date, they have released two critically acclaimed albums, Somewhere Decent To Live (2018) and Honest Labour (2021). In spring 2021, Space Afrika stepped into film by releasing Untitled (To Describe You), a collaboration with photographer, filmmaker and poet Tibyan Mahawah Sanoh, creating what has been described as “a living, breathing study of the duo’s Northern working-class Black British reality”. In 2022, the duo was selected as one of The 15 Top Live Acts Of The Year 2022 by Mixmag, performing at world-renowned art institutions and festivals across Europe and North America. Expanding on their work into film and cinema, the duo provided music for Pacific Club, a short-film documentary directed by Valentin Noujaïm.