Alia Ali
07.11.2025 - 17.12.2025
Timespace
Galerie-Peter-Sillem
In her fifth solo exhibition with us, Alia Ali presents three interconnected groups of works that deal with the themes of history, perception and the future. BATIK examines the cultural and colonial history of batik textiles and links the ancient trade routes of the Indian Ocean with today's global exchange processes. With REFRACTED FUTURES, Alia Ali continues her exploration of Yemeni futurism, using photographic sculptures to create a speculative future in which individuals travel through time and space as resilient, futuristic figures. SHREDS combines text and textile to question the cyclical nature of history, memory and the fragmented perception of information in the digital age.
Alia Ali reminds us to look beyond the subjective and appreciate the multiplicity of perspectives that can exist simultaneously: Past, present and future.
Alia Ali (born 1985) is a multimedia artist with Yemeni-Bosnian and US-American roots. Her work deals with cultural contrasts and explores complex themes such as gender, politics, media and social belonging. She works in the fields of language, photography, sculpture, video and installation. Alia Ali addresses the politicization of the body as well as the history of colonialism, imperialism, sexism and racism through projects that use patterns as a central motif.
Textiles in particular are a constant element in her artistic practice. Her works evolve into immersive installations that use light and pattern to transcend language and convey an expanded, experiential understanding of self, culture and nation. Alia Ali's work also embraces aspects of Yemeni futurism by offering counter-narratives to appropriation, violence and disregard.
Alia Ali studied at Wellesley College (Political Science and Fine Arts) and the California Institute of the Arts (Photography and Media) and is a NIKON Global Ambassador. Her work can be found in the collections of the British Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago (MoCP), the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) and Princeton University. Her monument "al-Falak" was sponsored by the Andrew Mellon Foundation and is now on display at the Arab American National Museum. Her work has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Architectural Digest and the Financial Times. Alia Ali lives and works in New Orleans, Paris, Marrakech and Jaipur. She is currently a Jameel Art Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Galerie-Peter-Sillem
Dreieichstraße 2
60594 Frankfurt am Main
Tel. 069/61 99 55 50