The Leila Alaoui Foundation has organized a monumental exhibition of Alaoui’s photographs in honor of the artist’s life and work, as well as for the preservation of human dignity through the arts.

Alaoui’s death came at an unexpected time in the photographer’s blossoming career, as she sustained fatal injuries during a terrorist attack in Ouagadougou in January 2016. Alaoui, who was 33-year-old, was in Burkina Faso on a photographic assignment focusing on women’s rights when the terror attack broke out.

Installation view of Leila Alaoui’s exhibition at Galleria Continua, Les Moulins. Courtesy the gallery.

Only a few months after the incident, Galleria Continua in Les Moulins is hosting a massive exhibition of Alaoui’s photographs titled “Je Te Pardonne” (I forgive you). While the exhibition might appear as a tribute to the artist due to its timing and sentimentality, it is meant to utilize Alaoui’s photographs for a wider purpose: to highlight humanity in the wake of such in-humane events.

The French-Moroccan photographer initially trained as a documentary photographer with a particular interest in documenting marginalized communities. She did so in an attempt to empower these communities by exploring their individuality, and in the process her own eccentricity also became apparent.

Alaoui’s work walks on the fine line between documentary and fine art photography as her pictures exude a radiance evocative of a unique personal style.

Installation view of Leila Alaoui’s exhibition at Galleria Continua, Les Moulins. Courtesy the gallery.

Leila Alaoui “Je Te Pardonne” is on view at Galleria Continua, Les Moulins from May 21-September 25, 2016.