Reimagining Modernity Through Surrealist Aesthetic: Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine and the Berber Renaissance

Abstract: Long before the French conquest of Algiers, the Maghreb had begun to emerge as a conceptual entity, redefined through colonial discourse as distinct from both Africa and the Middle East. With the end of colonial rule, the urgency to renegotiate borders and redefine identity became pressing. In this context, the Moroccan poet Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine emerges as a leading figure, shaping and influencing the broader movement. This study examines his literary contribution to demonstrate how postindependence surrealist aesthetics were employed to dismantle and reconfigure the colonial construction of the Maghreb. Through a comparative reading of his works, this study traces the emergence of a land-based philosophy in which the earth serves as a repository of ancestral knowledge. Khaïr-Eddine calls for a "return to the future," a reconnection with the land accessible only to the poet-prophet. By shedding light on the philosophical and aesthetic stakes of his work, this study highlights the ongoing relevance of postindependence surrealist thoughts in today's recontested cultural geographies.