Born in 1970 in Vendôme, France, Saâdane Afif lives and works in Paris and Berlin. His practice can be characterized as a process of cultural sampling and self-reflexive remix. His sculptures, scale models, installations, sound pieces, and texts are often re-interpretations of older works into new forms. Afif’s continuous process of (re)covery wrenches the event-form from nostalgia and secures it firmly into the presentness of objects, while transforming his exhibitions into unique experiential events. His installation ‘Power Cords’ (2004) consists of eleven electric guitars hooked up to an orchestrating computer programme that plays single power cords, thus replicating the basic compositional structure of rock’n’roll. Afif later commissioned a lyricist to transform this piece into a text, which he also exhibits as a separate work entitled ‘Pop (Power Cord)’ (2005).

Recent solo exhibitions include “Technical specifications” at Witte de With, Rotterdam (2008), “Two...” at FRAC Basse-Normandie, Caen, France (2008), “One” at FRAC Pays de Loire, Carquefou, France (2008) as well as the curatorial project "Promenade au ZOO" conceived in collaboration with Valerie Chartrain, which was presented at the Lyon Biennial (2007). His work has been shown as part of “Ready-made” at galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris (2008), “Learn to Read” at Tate Modern (2007), “Airs de Paris” at Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (2007) and French kissing in the USA at The Moore Space, Miami, USA (2007). Noteworthy international group exhibitions include Documenta 12, Kassel (2007), the Busan Biennial, Korea (2006), the 2005 Lyon Biennial (where he won the Young Artists prize) and the 1st Moscow biennial (2005). He is a recipient of the International Contemporary Art Award, Fondation Prince Pierre, Monaco (2006) and a "Villa Medicis Hors les Murs" award-winner (2002).

Sadaane Afif is represented by Galerie Michel Rein, Paris, Xavier Hufkens, Brussels and Mehdi Chouakri, Berlin.