Saâdane Afif Soixante mille millimètres d’infinis possibles (Paroles, Room 15), 2018

The wall installation Soixante mille millimètres d’infinis possibles was first shown in 2018 as part of Saâdane Afif’s solo exhibition at WIELS, Brussels. It is a further development of his 2014 edition Deux mille millimètres d’infinis possibles. While the earlier work was conceived as a portable individual sculpture, this version expands into space and can be installed along a long wall or across multiple walls.The installation consists of 30 standard measuring sticks, each two meters long—amounting to a total of 60,000 millimeters—completely painted in signal yellow and devoid of scales or inscriptions. The industrial origin of the objects remains visible, but their reduction transforms them into open, visual symbols. In their new role, they create lines, angles, and structures that hover between sign system, spatial drawing, and poetry.

For the presentation in Brussels, Afif invited eight authors to write poetic texts that do not describe the objects but serve as associative emanations of the installation. These poems were applied directly to the wall, adding a literary layer to the work. The installation was complemented by a poster designed by Afif, which—as often in his work—announced a future concert or a yet-to-be-realized performance.