Mohamed El Mahdaoui’s artistic practice is primarily based on in-situ installations and performance (even though, when they are called for, he makes frequent use of drawing, photography and video for his actions). He mainly works with materials collected from the locations of his work. His artistic practice, always in keeping with the site, establishes poetic reflection around the act of creation. Starting with the history and current reality of the space he is occupying, Mohamed El Mahdaoui develops a unique work focused on the experience of time passing, an experience linked with major historical events, the geopolitics of the location and his personal memories. He thereby explores extreme locations (desert) and the public space (the gates to the city, the public square) during long walks or actions, giving each a specific time frame, an intimate time and space dimension. His actions speak of time through repeated movements and physical exhaustion, and the private world of the person experiencing it. His works mix water and fire; they are both contemplative and political. They always lead to an exploration of the sometimes painful socio-economic realities of the present.