Talk is Cheap

In Talk Is Cheap, Adel Abdessemed repeatedly crushes various things, including a lemon, a Coca-Cola can and a skull. The structure of this somewhat violent video is both a tribute to and a reflection on the practices of American artists in the 1970s.

Through its inherent tension, Talk Is Cheap critiques the impossibility of voicing an opinion that is not commonly accepted by society and runs counter to political correctness. The artist highlights his rejection of Western society’s supposedly soft façade. “I come from a country where thought and artists are suspect,” he says. He expresses his desire to make his views as an artist heard in France, where he lives and works.

Adel Abdessemed's video Talk Is Cheap was screened by the Pinault Collection during the 2008 “Passage du temps” (“Passage of Time”) show at the Tri Postal in Lille.