{"id":22038,"date":"2026-10-29T15:04:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T15:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T15:05:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T15:05:39","slug":"ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"22038\" class=\"elementor elementor-22038 elementor-22027\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-809401a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"809401a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39a2b17 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39a2b17\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>From the salt marshes of Assilah to vials of crystallized tears, this young artist-researcher makes salt the central theme of a comprehensive body of work, transforming everyday gestures and human vulnerability into true architectures of memory.<\/b><\/p><p>By Houda Bensebaa<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc9f38f elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"cc9f38f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/9-Ville-en-sel-\u0645\u062f\u064a\u0646\u0629-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0644\u062d-_-Ahmad_Karmouni-.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-22031\" alt=\"Ville en sel, 2018, installation en sel, 1,5 \u00d7 3 m (dimensions variables). Courtesy de l\u2019artiste.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/9-Ville-en-sel-\u0645\u062f\u064a\u0646\u0629-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0644\u062d-_-Ahmad_Karmouni-.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/9-Ville-en-sel-\u0645\u062f\u064a\u0646\u0629-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0644\u062d-_-Ahmad_Karmouni--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/9-Ville-en-sel-\u0645\u062f\u064a\u0646\u0629-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0644\u062d-_-Ahmad_Karmouni--1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/9-Ville-en-sel-\u0645\u062f\u064a\u0646\u0629-\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0644\u062d-_-Ahmad_Karmouni--768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><i>Ville en sel<\/i>, 2018, installation en sel, 1,5 \u00d7 3 m (dimensions variables). Courtesy de l\u2019artiste.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-33fc3cf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"33fc3cf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A constant preoccupation with salt guides Ahmad Karmouni\u2019s work. This exploration of matter is also, inevitably, an exploration of societies: matter inhabits territories, domestic spaces, repeated gestures, and silences. There are countless stories surrounding salt. Its whiteness, its historical rarity, and its preservative and purifying properties lend it an almost magical quality. Used in the practice of mummification\u2014which can be defined as a struggle against death in pursuit of eternity\u2014it has also become, in certain traditions, a means of warding off the unseen. A string tied to a child\u2019s ankle may have a small bag of salt attached to it, as Amine Karmouni observed in a photo from his family archives. When the child asks his mother why the pouch is there, she might reply that it doesn\u2019t exist. Yet that same mother might slip another pouch of salt under his pillow. No one seems able to truly explain its purpose; the gesture is passed down without explanation.<\/span><\/p><p> <\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From his childhood, Ahmad Karmouni has cherished the memory\u2014or perhaps the fantasy\u2014of cities deeply rooted in their surroundings, where daily life is intimately connected to the world around them. Born in 1994 in Assilah, the youngest of a large family, he discovered almost by chance a drawing studio dedicated to reproducing the works of the masters. This experience led him to the School of Fine Arts in Tetouan, where he had to choose a personal project to develop. Ahmad Karmouni realized that this decision, with its far-reaching consequences, could seal his fate as an artist. He decided to look at what was right there, all around him: what seems so familiar as to become invisible, and which can only truly be understood through the gestures that produce and transmit it.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ac77b9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7ac77b9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-22033\" alt=\"Portait \u00a9 Stefano Marchionini\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini-300x400.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Stefano Marchionini<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f567ee elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f567ee\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>\u201cTransparent Worlds\u201d<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In northern Morocco, between Assilah and Larache, salt marshes stretch out at the foot of the Lixus archaeological site. This fragile ecosystem is home to a multitude of waterfowl and migratory birds. In this region, traditional salt harvesting has persisted. Evaporation, concentration, and then crystallization still follow the rhythm of the seasons and depend heavily on the climate. Ahmad Karmouni recalls these landscapes that shaped his childhood: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I still have vivid memories of scenes of whiteness stretching out along the road, scattered across salt pans shaped like small mountains and in scattered blocks. The salt pans between Assilah and Tangier were transparent worlds reflecting the image of the sky.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growing up surrounded by salt culture means learning to live with a substance that is everywhere\u2014not only in the landscape, but also in homes and in our bodies. Salt protects. It cleanses. It purifies. It can turn a home into a sanctuary and accompany certain rituals meant to ward off threats that never reveal themselves. Its mystical use does not necessarily need to be explained to be passed down. It exists in the fragile space that separates knowledge from belief, the visible from the inexpressible. Habit gives rise to belief.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c442cf elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2c442cf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5-Sans-titre-Ahmad_Karmouni.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-22029\" alt=\"Sans titre, 2019, installation en sel et sel gemme, dimensions variables. Courtesy de l\u2019artiste.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5-Sans-titre-Ahmad_Karmouni.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5-Sans-titre-Ahmad_Karmouni-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5-Sans-titre-Ahmad_Karmouni-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5-Sans-titre-Ahmad_Karmouni-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><i>Sans titre<\/i>, 2019, installation en sel et sel gemme, dimensions variables. Courtesy de l\u2019artiste.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-de01de2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"de01de2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Salt in All Its Forms<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a humble approach, Ahmad Karmouni seeks not so much to master salt as to understand what it can become. \u201c <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m interested in it as much for its symbolic, historical, and cultural dimensions as for its microscopic structure, chemical composition, and the formation of its crystals. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d In his studio, he observes the material, measures it, transforms it, and subjects it to various processes. It is accumulated and piled up until <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it replicates the mountains of the salt marshes. It comes into contact with the artist\u2019s body and forms ramparts around bare human legs that are as fragile as they are protective.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The various states of salt are meticulously dissected and documented. Engraved salt flowers, crystals transformed into pictorial material, interactions with paper, experiments with measurement: Ahmad Karmouni turns salt into a medium <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that allows us to conceive of and construct space. He reproduces landscapes and architectural forms with it. He imagines cities of salt, a turtle shell representing a house that one could carry everywhere with oneself. Shoes sink into a salty expanse as if into a swamp; movement seems to become impossible.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Matter becomes at once landscape, architecture, protection, and constraint. What was <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">surrounding him becomes something he can move, reconstruct, fragment, and reinvent. These transformations accompany the approach of an artist attentive to the transitional states of matter: if matter were to change and adopt a new state, what would be the impact on the organization of human lives? Ahmad Karmouni then poses a question that remains a defining theme for the rest of his work: if the Mediterranean were to crystallize, how would we redefine our language, and what meaning would we ascribe to borders?<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3281e81 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3281e81\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/8-Ville-Tortue_Ahmad_Karmouni_1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-22030\" alt=\"Ville-Tortue, 2018, sculpture en pl\u00e2tre, 15 \u00d7 20 \u00d7 13 cm. Courtesy de l\u2019artiste.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/8-Ville-Tortue_Ahmad_Karmouni_1.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/8-Ville-Tortue_Ahmad_Karmouni_1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/8-Ville-Tortue_Ahmad_Karmouni_1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/8-Ville-Tortue_Ahmad_Karmouni_1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><i>Ville-Tortue<\/i>, 2018, sculpture en pl\u00e2tre, 15 \u00d7 20 \u00d7 13 cm. Courtesy de l\u2019artiste.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-81db095 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"81db095\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>An Archive of Emotion<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The work currently on view in the group exhibition \u201cAu-del\u00e0 de toutes les mers\u201d (Beyond All Seas), co-curated by Le Cube independent art room (Rabat) and La Condition Publique (Roubaix), marks a decisive shift in Ahmad Karmouni\u2019s artistic practice. Created in 2021\u201322 during a residency at the Fiminco Foundation in the Paris region, the installation *Le sel et des larmes* (Salt and Tears) emerged from a geographical constraint. The artist no longer has the same access to salt. The material, once abundant in his familiar surroundings, must now be sought elsewhere. The quest for salt thus becomes a quest for encounters. It shifts the focus from the landscape to the human, leading to this fundamental discovery: salt is also present in what is most intimate and vulnerable within us\u2014our tears.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The work takes the form of an ongoing performance. For five years, Ahmad Karmouni has been handing out small vials to visitors in which they can collect their tears. These liquid fragments of individual lives gradually become a shared substance. Preserved and then subjected to a crystallization process, the tears <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in turn transform into salt. \u201c <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By collecting volunteers\u2019 tears in vials\u2014like an archive of emotional moments captured before and after evaporation\u2014my research has shifted toward exploring the spiritual and ritual dimensions contained not only in these moments of release but also in the tear fluid itself.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c685b93 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c685b93\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"841\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-22034\" alt=\"Capture d\u2019\u00e9cran de vid\u00e9o, 2019. R\u00e9sidence de recherche \u00e0 la Maison d\u2019art contemporain d\u2019Assilah (MACA). Courtesy de l\u2019artiste\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3-2.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3-2-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3-2-1024x574.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3-2-768x431.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Capture d\u2019\u00e9cran de vid\u00e9o, 2019. R\u00e9sidence de recherche \u00e0 la Maison d\u2019art contemporain d\u2019Assilah (MACA). Courtesy de l\u2019artiste<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-56be708 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"56be708\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>What Matter Tells Us<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the exhibition space at La Condition Publique, salt takes over the venue. Sea salt, the salt of the body, the salt of tears: the material seems to form silent altars that visitors approach with the same reverence as holy sites. Complementing this installation are several ceramic pieces shaped around the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lambout<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a term used in northern Morocco to refer to a funnel. The shape evokes the Greco-Roman lacrimatory, a small, elongated vessel made of glass or terracotta intended, according to certain traditions, to collect the tears shed during funeral rites.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This loyalty to the material is a relationship in which failure is embraced, where the passage of time does not frighten the artist but rather strengthens what has become the beating heart of a creative exploration. The collection of tears comes up against the reality that it is difficult for the people encountered to cry and to give their tears. These moments of impossibility can, however, open the door to something else, such as the immateriality of oral testimony.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between territory and the body, between science and belief, between memory and displacement, Ahmad Karmouni thus pursues the same line of inquiry: what does a material tell us when we take the time to listen to it? And when the territory fades away behind us, perhaps there is still something left to take with us\u2014perhaps simply a few crystals settled at the bottom of a vial.<\/span><\/p><p><strong>\u2014 Exhibition \u201cBeyond All Seas,\u201d La Condition Publique, Roubaix, through November 1, 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d3f979 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2d3f979\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2247\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/12-Ahmad-Karmouni-Lambout-.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-22032\" alt=\"Lambout, 2022\u20132026, installation, pi\u00e8ces en c\u00e9ramique, flacons, larmes, \u00e9tag\u00e8res en cuivre, sel et sel gemme (dimensions variables). Courtesy de l\u2019artiste et La Condition Publique \/ Le Cube. Photo : \u00a9 Arto Victorri.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/12-Ahmad-Karmouni-Lambout-.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/12-Ahmad-Karmouni-Lambout--200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/12-Ahmad-Karmouni-Lambout--684x1024.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/12-Ahmad-Karmouni-Lambout--768x1150.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/12-Ahmad-Karmouni-Lambout--1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/12-Ahmad-Karmouni-Lambout--1367x2048.jpg 1367w, https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/12-Ahmad-Karmouni-Lambout--300x449.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><i>Lambout<\/i>, 2022\u20132026, installation, pi\u00e8ces en c\u00e9ramique, flacons, larmes, \u00e9tag\u00e8res en cuivre, sel et sel gemme (dimensions variables). Courtesy de l\u2019artiste et La Condition Publique \/ Le Cube. Photo : \u00a9 Arto Victorri.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From the salt marshes of Assilah to vials of crystallized tears, this young artist-researcher makes salt the central theme of a comprehensive body of work, transforming everyday gestures and human vulnerability into true architectures of memory. By Houda Bensebaa Ville en sel, 2018, installation en sel, 1,5 \u00d7 3 m (dimensions variables). Courtesy de l\u2019artiste. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[929],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy &#8212; Diptykmag<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy &#8212; Diptykmag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From the salt marshes of Assilah to vials of crystallized tears, this young artist-researcher makes salt the central theme of a comprehensive body of work, transforming everyday gestures and human vulnerability into true architectures of memory. By Houda Bensebaa Ville en sel, 2018, installation en sel, 1,5 \u00d7 3 m (dimensions variables). Courtesy de l\u2019artiste. [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Diptykmag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-29T15:04:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-29T15:05:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Fatine Elkharrim\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Fatine Elkharrim\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Fatine Elkharrim\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/727f9776be067b65285172eaf025f1ec\"},\"headline\":\"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-29T15:04:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-29T15:05:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1403,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Story\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/\",\"name\":\"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy &#8212; Diptykmag\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-29T15:04:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-29T15:05:39+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":2000,\"caption\":\"\u00a9 Stefano Marchionini\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Diptyk Magazine\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Les \u00c9ditions Art En Stock\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Logo-Diptyk-Black.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Logo-Diptyk-Black.svg\",\"width\":435,\"height\":141,\"caption\":\"Les \u00c9ditions Art En Stock\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/727f9776be067b65285172eaf025f1ec\",\"name\":\"Fatine Elkharrim\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db650746256e9329b2e068caa3ab452b08b4176515c69f59799cc726e7b5d0ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db650746256e9329b2e068caa3ab452b08b4176515c69f59799cc726e7b5d0ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db650746256e9329b2e068caa3ab452b08b4176515c69f59799cc726e7b5d0ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Fatine Elkharrim\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diptykmag.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/fatine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy &#8212; Diptykmag","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy &#8212; Diptykmag","og_description":"From the salt marshes of Assilah to vials of crystallized tears, this young artist-researcher makes salt the central theme of a comprehensive body of work, transforming everyday gestures and human vulnerability into true architectures of memory. By Houda Bensebaa Ville en sel, 2018, installation en sel, 1,5 \u00d7 3 m (dimensions variables). Courtesy de l\u2019artiste. [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/","og_site_name":"Diptykmag","article_published_time":"2026-10-29T15:04:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-29T15:05:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":2000,"url":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Fatine Elkharrim","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Fatine Elkharrim","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/"},"author":{"name":"Fatine Elkharrim","@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/727f9776be067b65285172eaf025f1ec"},"headline":"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy","datePublished":"2026-10-29T15:04:50+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-29T15:05:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/"},"wordCount":1403,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg","articleSection":["Story"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/","url":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/","name":"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy &#8212; Diptykmag","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-29T15:04:50+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-29T15:05:39+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ahmad_Karmouni_HD_03_-Credit-_-Stefano-Marchionini.jpg","width":1500,"height":2000,"caption":"\u00a9 Stefano Marchionini"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/ahmad-karmouni-between-chemistry-and-fantasy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ahmad Karmouni: Between Chemistry and Fantasy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/","name":"Diptyk Magazine","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/#organization","name":"Les \u00c9ditions Art En Stock","url":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Logo-Diptyk-Black.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Logo-Diptyk-Black.svg","width":435,"height":141,"caption":"Les \u00c9ditions Art En Stock"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/727f9776be067b65285172eaf025f1ec","name":"Fatine Elkharrim","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db650746256e9329b2e068caa3ab452b08b4176515c69f59799cc726e7b5d0ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db650746256e9329b2e068caa3ab452b08b4176515c69f59799cc726e7b5d0ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db650746256e9329b2e068caa3ab452b08b4176515c69f59799cc726e7b5d0ec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Fatine Elkharrim"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/author\/fatine\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22038"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22045,"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22038\/revisions\/22045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diptykmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}