Facing Forward

In the video Facing Forward time flows in reverse. Fayçal Baghriche stands immobile on a street corner; the artist appears as the only sensible figure in a world functioning backward. Nothing distinguishes him from the other individuals accept this immobility which places him at a distance from the rest and transforms the scene into a choreography. The spectator’s attention is drawn to the repetitive gestures of passer-bys, the absurdity of walking without an apparent destination, and the authoritative trajectories imposed by urbanism. Society is stigmatised by its use of energy and the blindness engendered by its frenzied pace. The impassive presence of the artist in the heart of this urban agitation leads us to ask what he is up to and how his intervention may disrupt the system.