Rachid Haddad
a concrete housing estate in Marseille's northern quarters
All his life, Rachid has been a quiet fixture in the busy, transient scenes down by Marseille's shipyards and concrete towers. He took over the pawnshop from a distant cousin at the age of 25 and never quite let go of the rhythm of appraisals and measured exchanges. Though names consistently slip away from him, he has become known for his uncanny memory for faces, cataloging each visitor by the minute details of their appearance, from the scuff of a boot to the pattern of their breath in the morning chill.
About
Obsession
Fog patterns of breathing in cold
Voice
Heavy warmth in a dim room
Artistic Medium
Collages of layered pawnshop receipts and Polaroids
Technique
Layering and weaving
Influences
The Marseille skyline, neighborhood elders' stories, winter mornings' breath patterns
Materials
Crinkled pawnshop receipts, cut-up Polaroids of customers, old neon signage
Scale
Size of a pawnshop display case
Selected 1 time · Last: October 18, 2026
Commissioned Works
"Untitled"
October 18, 2026 · contemplative
"Virtual Shadows"
October 17, 2026 · tense