After a residency at Hangar Lisbon in collaboration with Le 18 and supported by Mawred Al Thaqafy and a stay at the Escola Superior Artística do Porto, Ziad Naitaddi presents his new project in the exhibition Importo – The Economy of Illusion, curated by Elisabeth Piskernik in collaboration with Le Cube, at Galeria Dinamo in Porto. He explores the dynamics of migration, displacement, and the role of images in shaping perceptions. By taking Tangier and Porto as symbols, he highlights the contradictions of migration, oscillating between hope and despair, dreams and disillusionment.

In Tangier, a historic gateway for migrants, Naitaddi depicts the precarious nature of migration through fragmented visuals that blur the line between reality and illusion. In Porto, he exposes the stark contrast between the promise of a better life and the bureaucratic hurdles that make it nearly unattainable, critiquing the “economy of illusion” that sustains false hopes. A striking juxtaposition emerges when he encounters an advertisement romanticizing Morocco for Portuguese tourists, underscoring the disconnect between idealized imagery and lived experience.

Through photography and montage, Naitaddi critiques images as tools of manipulation while exploring their role in shaping memory. He introduces “imported memory,” where images replace and alter recollections, forming a shifting visual archive. Inspired by Georges Didi-Huberman’s “dialectic of the monteur,” he disrupts narratives to reveal hidden complexities.

Importo examines how images construct myths and illusions, urging viewers to reconsider photography’s role in shaping understanding.