HASSAN HAJJAJ - Until June 27, 2026

193 Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of its second exhibition of Hassan Hajjaj at its new Venice space.   

193 GALLERY   

Titled Venice, 1447, the exhibition takes its name from the Hijri (Islamic) calendar.   

The year 1447 corresponds to the current year in the Hijri calendar, which follows lunar cycles and begins in 622 CE with the Hijra-the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.   

This dual temporal framework is central to Hajjaj's practice: each of his works is dated according to both the Hijri and Gregorian calendars, reflecting the artist's navigation between cultural contexts and temporalities.   

The exhibition brings together a selection of the artist's most iconic works: vibrant, playful portraits framed with plastic mats, motorbike tires, and everyday consumer goods, such as harissa cans. His subjects-depicting everyday scenes such as a veiled woman on a motorbike or a street acrobat-are captured in dynamic poses, dressed in garments designed by the artist himself, merging traditional Moroccan elements with contemporary streetwear influences. Through these compositions, Hajjaj constructs a visual language that is at once celebratory and subversive, challenging stereotypical representations while embracing popular culture and artisanal practices.   

The exhibition, coinciding with the opening of the Venice Biennale and in dialogue with its theme In Minor Keys, can be understood as a reflection on the complexities of postcolonial identity and cultural fluidity, offering a nuanced exploration of the tensions and possibilities inherent in multiculturalism. Hajjaj's practice engages with the socio-political realities of our time, yet does so with humor, generosity, and a sense of play, sidestepping the didacticism and rigidity often associated with identity-based discourse.   

Born in 1961 in Larache, Morocco, and raised in London, Hassan Hajjaj is a contemporary artist whose work spans photography, fashion, music, video, and design. His work is currently on view at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris as part of the exhibition Africa Fashion, running until July 12, 2026. From July to September 2026, the Château La Coste in Provence, southern France, will dedicate a solo exhibition to the artist. 193 Gallery is also proud to partner on his major solo exhibition, My Rockstars: Hassan Hajjaj, at the Philharmonie de Paris, which will run from September 22, 2026, to April 25, 2027.   

Hassan Hajjaj's works are held in major public and private collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (USA); the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (USA); the Institute of Islamic Cultures (France); the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK); the Barjeel Art Foundation (UAE); the Brooklyn Museum (USA); the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (UAE); the Kamel Lazaar Foundation (Tunisia); the MACAAL - Musée d'Art Contemporain Africain Al Maaden (Morocco); and the National Gallery of Victoria (Australia).