Omar D, Devoir de Mémoire / A Biography of Disappearance, 2007

As many as 20,000 people disappeared in Algeria in the decade following the cancellation of the 1992 general election. Using the testimony of the families of some of those who have disappeared, Omar D’s photographs present the places where events occurred, their relationship to the surrounding urban and rural landscapes and the lives of those who have been affected. Ultimately, these images seek to prevent a repressive state from obliterating the memory of so many of its citizens. A striking and forceful body of work, compiled during a single winter as a commission by Autograph, Omar D’s images tell the story of a practice that has become widespread throughout the world. With an essay by Lahouari Addi, and introduction by Kate Allen.