Art as resistance in Ahlem Mostaghanemi's bridges of Constantine (1993)‎

Abstract EN

This paper explores how Khaled, in Ahlem Mosteghanemi’s the bridges of Constantine (1993), is a prototype of Algerian people who are left homeless after independence and who have opted for exile as an escape from the disillusionment that overwhelmed the atmosphere of the newly independent Algeria.

being a revolutionary in the Algerian liberation war, Khaled has lost his arm, which arouses a sense of alienation inside him since he can no longer take part in the war.

Khaled resorts to painting and writing in order to overcome his physical pain and to voice all his social, political and psychological grievances; however, his art has not been appreciated in his country, which leads him to search for his missing hope in France.

accordingly, this paper reveals how art becomes both a source of nostalgia and a form of invasion for Khaled who attempts to survive the trauma of exile by painting his city Constantine and his lover Hayet.