Mariam SaintDenis

BIOGRAPHIE

Mariam Benbakkar (female) project manager and video-maker. Mariam is an artist, working under the pseudo of Mariam SaintDenis, using photography and video to work around the emerging themes of post-colonial hybrid identities in the Western World. She is the director of the 23’’ movie « Mixed Brain » 2018, about her intimate perspective of being a double-culture child : both from a former colony and from France. Since 2017, she co-founded the feminist collective Filles de Bledards (Daughters of Immigrants) between Paris and Marseille. The aim is first of all to highlight artists that work on their own hybrid identities through politics, urbanism and mental health topics. Furthermore the collective intend to generate networking between artists that are descendants of immigrants from former Colonies, as well as migrants artists throughout Europe in order to improve their visibility and to break massive isolation. Mariam has been the general coordinator of the « IDENTIFIE.E.S? » festival in Paris (Mains d’Oeuvres, 2019) which brought together over 50 artists. She is also initiating and leading talks and gatherings with artists, cultural and policy makers. She is invited by art schools (Villa Arson in Nice, Fine Art School of Caen,etc..) to sensibilize the students on the topics of inclusion of non white imaginaries in art reprezentation as well as representativity and empowerment of POC communities in France.

FILMOGRAPHIE