Siham Halli: “El arte no tiene fronteras”

The artist Siham Halli exhibited her work entitled "Le poids des frontières" at the Fondation de Promotion Mohammed VI des Oeuvres Sociales de l'Education - Formation in Rabat. From 18 March to 8 April this year, the works of the Rifian artist were on display in the Moroccan capital.

"Le poids des frontières" is a collection of works by the artist Siham Halli, who has been dealing with the theme of borders for a long time. With an abstract and mixed art, in which she introduces real objects and in which she only uses three colours: black, white and red, the artist wanted to reflect the feeling that borders produce. She talks to Atalayar about her work.

What is it that you wanted to capture in this exhibition?

It has taken me a few years, referring to borders and all their forms and perspectives, not only as physical barriers, but also within the mind... The first exhibition I did on borders was in Casablanca at the Villa des Arts in 2012, I saw that the critics were good and so I decided to continue. I lived for a long time in Tetouan and another time I was doing courses in Melilla, I crossed the border as if it was nothing because I was an artist, but I saw others having a hard time trying to do the same. That hurt me and I said "why does the same path take different forms? I stopped the courses because every time it happened my heart ached, so I started to work through art.

I have been working on this theme of borders for a long time, but this time I decided to work with only three colours, black, red and white. It was a challenge for me, black is more negative, white offers hope and positivity, while red represents both pain and love.  

How did you choose the works exhibited?

What is it that inspires you when you make art? Not only in this exhibition, but in all the themes you usually work on.

I am the daughter of two artists, although they don't have any diplomas, and I grew up surrounded by decorations, paper and colours to distract me. For example, when my mother broke a plate, she would fix it and decorate it, so I was influenced by this. However, I never thought I would become an artist.

Society is what inspires me to create art. For example, in Nador you can't go to a restaurant or a café in peace. Nador is full of 12-13 year old children who are not fed, who are not well dressed and who are in a situation of social exclusion. These children are busy begging and trying to sneak in (across the border from Nador to Melilla). You see that they have no goals, only to sneak in and risk their lives, and this hurts me. 

What other subjects have you worked on in your art?

I have worked on the environment. There was a time when forest fires were very common, they could be natural or artificial, but I have been moved by the loss of so much flora and fauna. That's why I did an exhibition on this topic, to raise awareness about plants, trees and all of nature. They are the ones who provide us with the oxygen we breathe.

I also worked on women's footprints, i.e. what women can do with just their hands. I didn't use artistic tools, I used my hands. I have also worked on human spirituality, everything that gives peace and joy to our soul. It could be a book, a poem or the Koran itself. And later on I started to work on the theme of borders and I have been working on it since 2012 until today. 

Have you started to think about other work?

Yes, I work every day decorating my house or anything else. As long as I'm alive, I'm sure I'll work in art to leave my mark and make my name remembered.

Has your work crossed borders?

Yes, I've had exhibitions in Tunisia, Egypt, France and Spain. There are places I visit and others I don't. I've also done workshops and painting animation in relation to the environment. I have worked in Belgium doing integration workshops for teenagers who have problems because art unites between races, art has no borders and can bring joy to everyone. I've done exhibitions and animations... The last one was to be held in Bangladesh, but I couldn't attend due to COVID-19.

Your exhibition took place in the middle of a pandemic, how has that affected your art?

The truth is that it has been difficult because you can't move from one place to another, but nevertheless the Internet has given us the tools to work. COVID has made us stay at home and pay attention to the things we like, such as art.

In your artistic journey, what is the experience that has surprised you the most?

There is nothing better than what Allah has written to me, there is nothing better than having become an artist. Even if it's difficult in Morocco, your country deserves to suffer. Besides, having everything prepared and ready without complications is not good either. Difficulties benefit you, your art becomes pure and joyful. I have no problem being in Morocco, what I have in my heart I will bring out anyway. The most important thing for me is to live in my homeland, I have had many opportunities to live abroad, but my wish is to stay and live here.

Tell us, when did your interest in art begin? You mentioned that your parents are artists, but how did you realise you wanted to be one?

When I was a little girl at school I entered a competition, I used to join all the competitions and I always came first. My father - may he rest in peace - would jokingly say to me "I'm sure someone better has come along and won the prize". After a while, I received a letter saying that I was going to study plastic arts in Oujda as an intern. At first I didn't want to, I was happy to study in Nador and I didn't want to leave. But my father's friends told him that what I had done was unique and that I should go and try it. I went to Oujda and did the baccalaureate in plastic arts and after three years I asked myself "am I going to dedicate myself to art? I decided to try something else, so I went to university and after two or three weeks I realised that it wasn't my thing. The people, the atmosphere and the attitude was different, I didn't like it. People say that we artists are crazy, but people in University were also crazy, but in a bad sense.

At that time I studied Fine Arts in Tetouan, a very difficult course to get into and it was very rare for a student from Morocco to enter that faculty. I fell in love with the city, its plants, its colour and everything in general. My teachers were my friends, we went to exhibitions together, I experienced the artistic atmosphere in Tetouan and it was there that I realised that I wanted to be an artist. I didn't think about getting marks, I enjoyed working and studying art. 

Since you started, what was your dream?

Honestly, at that time I didn't have anything in mind, I just lived for the moment. All I thought about was that at the end of the course I would go to see my parents with honours and a good mark. I like studying culture, going to the library and everything that has to do with learning. But at the same time I was open-minded for everything like exhibitions and workshops. I met a lot of Moroccan, Spanish and French artists, a cultural bridge. When I finished the faculty I did that in Nador, I brought exhibitions with the Ateneo de Málaga, the Casa de la Cultura Hispano-Moroccan.

I spent about four years working in Nador, but I had to stop since it was very difficult to work in Nador, so I went back to Tetouan. I did a training in applied art and became a teacher for university preparation.

And finally, what is your dream now?

My dream now is to become an important name in art, to leave a good mark on the world. I am an artist, I have already achieved that. But now I want to make my name known not only in Nador and Morocco, I want to be known all over the world. Because borders don't only exist in Morocco, they exist in Palestine, Yemen and Mexico. Moreover, we all have mental borders that hold us back and prevent us from moving around the world