1000 Socialist Villages

The “1000 Socialist Villages” was a political and architectural project initiated by the Algerian government in the mid-1970s as part of the Agrarian Revolution aimed at redeveloping the agricultural sector of Algeria’s economy. Despite its stated socialist aim and idealist aspirations to give the land back to its workers, the initiative largely failed. Algerian contemporary artist Massinissa Selmani became fascinated by the way the project’s failure transformed it into a rumor: people knew some villages had been built, but few had been to construction sites and even fewer know why the project had been suspended. The proposed research project is travel to Algeria with Massinissa, who is based in Tours in central France, and visit as many of these villages as possible. We would also conduct interviews with people involved in their construction or part of the communities they were meant to serve. The outcome would either be an exhibition in Algiers or a publication of our combined research. (2021)