Exploring Collective Identity: A Philosophical Journey with Meriem Bennani’s For My Best Family

The installation, spread across the two floors of Fondazione Prada’s Podium, immerses us in a visual and auditory world full of irony and social critique. On the ground floor, the installation Sole Crushing comes to life: 192 slippers and flip-flops animate the space in a mechanical and symphonic dance. Arranged on platforms of various heights and configurations, these shoes move in rhythm with a collective symphony, evoking both an orchestrated choreography and a chaotic ritual. Colorful pneumatic systems, visible and vibrant, give the objects an apparent vitality, as if they were characters engaged in an autonomous ritual.

Each slipper is connected to a motorized structure that controls its movements, striking different materials with each step. The resulting sounds blend into an enveloping crescendo, transforming the shoes into symbols of a community in action, balancing between protest and celebration. Visitors are enveloped in lively rhythms that evoke the Moroccan musical tradition of deqqa marrakchia, amplified by a soundtrack created with Cheb Runner. The vibrations and beats, enhanced by wooden platforms and resonant materials, surround the audience in a pulsating soundscape, evoking an atmosphere of collective catharsis and trance.

Ascending to the first floor, the atmosphere shifts dramatically: the installation gives way to a cinema room where the film For Aicha, directed by Bennani with Orian Barki, is screened. In this dark and silent space, the audience is welcomed into a more intimate and reflective setting, contrasting sharply with the energy below. The film blends documentary with 3D animation, depicting the relationship between Bouchra, a Moroccan filmmaker in New York, and her mother Aicha in Casablanca. Represented as anthropomorphic jackals, the two discuss complex issues surrounding sexuality and acceptance, mixing humor with deep emotional vulnerability. The animation lends a symbolic quality to the characters, allowing the artist to address sensitive topics in an accessible and lighthearted way.

The strength of the installation lies in Bennani’s ability to transform everyday spaces and objects into elements rich with meaning, merging the mundane with the surreal. The result is a multisensory environment that invites reflection on the dynamics between collective and personal identity through an immersive experience. The mechanical structures, colorful tubes, rhythmic sounds of the slippers, and cinematic atmosphere create a visual and conceptual dialogue between the two floors of the exhibition, offering a multifaceted perspective on her exploration of belonging and the tensions between individuality and collectivity.

Observing the dynamics Bennani brings to life, we are prompted to consider where the boundaries lie between self and group. How can we be part of a collective without losing our essence? These questions, though universal, resonate strongly in today’s society, where the need for connection often clashes with the affirmation of personal uniqueness.

Philosophically, Bennani’s exploration recalls Hegel’s concept of “recognition”: the idea that individuals realize their full potential only through the acknowledgment of others. In For My Best Family, the artist seems to play with this tension between personal authenticity and the desire for acceptance. Her work suggests that every identity is a continuous dialogue with the collective, a process of confrontation and negotiation. This invites us to reflect on how social contexts often define who we are, in a reciprocal exchange between self and others.

Themes of fluid identity also emerge, especially relevant in today’s globalized and rapidly changing societies. Bennani invites us to view identity not as something fixed but as a construction that adapts and transforms. She explores the postmodern “mask,” showing how we adopt different identities depending on context. This raises the question: how sincere are we in our interactions? What parts of ourselves do we truly reveal?

The work encourages reflection on “collective memory” and social habit. The repetitive actions and gestures depicted evoke a “collective subconscious,” made up of daily rituals that strengthen a sense of belonging. This reflection recalls Pierre Bourdieu’s “habitus,” where repetitive behaviors build a common identity. Bennani seems to suggest that even in the most banal gestures, a symbolic charge unites us, reminding us that our daily actions carry the weight of history and culture.

The use of animation and non-human characters to explore these themes is particularly effective. By representing animals grappling with human dilemmas, the narrative becomes universal, transcending boundaries of gender, age, or culture. Through these characters, Bennani shows that the search for belonging and meaning is intrinsic to existence itself. The use of animal “avatars” makes the questions raised by the work more accessible and profound, offering an “alien” perspective that allows us to view our world with fresh eyes.

In today’s context, For My Best Family also invites us to consider the value of presence and physical connection in an era dominated by virtual interactions. Bennani prompts us to ask whether identity can exist without a collective context, without that real contact that gives substance to our existence. This reflection resonates powerfully in a time when digital connections seem to replace real relationships, leading us to question whether a “virtual community” can truly replace a physical one.

Ultimately, Bennani’s work reminds us that humans are simultaneously individual and collective. Personal identity, the artist suggests, is never isolated: it is a mosaic of social, familial, and cultural ties. This exhibition serves as an ode to interdependence, inviting us to explore the beauty and complexity of human relationships and to rediscover the value of empathy, understanding, and cohesion, even when they appear challenging or contradictory.