uhammad Akbar embarked on the Il Fait Bleu series while on residency at La Rochelle, France. The artist was struck by the shade of blue of the evening sky in France – a shade not altogether alien to him, given his background in video production. A blue field or screen suggests the backdrop against which all manner of special effects can be created; it is also what one sees when there is a lack of a signal. This ‘blank slate’ and suggested disconnection is an apt metaphor for the artist’s experience of being in a foreign locale. Il Fait Bleu is a video capturing the changing sky, from sunrise to sunset. It is a meditative piece, almost as if the artist was trying to clear his mind of preconceptions so as to fully immerse himself in his new environment. Hints of La Rochelle’s historic and classical architecture frame the patch of sky, giving the viewer the impression of standing in an enclosed courtyard while looking up at the heavens. Projected onto the ceiling, the work also calls to mind the tradition of European fresco painting.
