He studied at the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and attended classes in philosophy at École Normale Supérieure in Paris. He also studied at Barcelona's Escola de Artes Applicades "la Massana". He held his first solo exhibition in 1996 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and since then has exhibited regularly throughout the world. Attia participated at the 50th Venice Biennale (2003), and the Lyon Biennale [2005). At the latter he created, Flying Rats, featuring seed-filled sacks shaped like children being devoured by 250 pigeons. Other works include The Landing Strip, the culmination of Attia's work with Algerian transsexuals within wider French society. In November 2007 he held his first solo exhibition in the USA, Momentum at the Boston ICA, and the large-scale New Works opened in February 2008 at the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle. Other recent projects include solo shows as Square Dreams at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Newcastle, or at the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo in Huarte —Spain, residency at IASPIS— Sweden, in 2008, participation to major exhibitions like “La Force de L’Art” / Paris Triennial and Havana Biennale, and curating the exhibition "Periferiks" at Centre d'Art de Neuchâtel in Switzerland in 2009. In 2010, Attia will take part, among other projects, to the Sydney Biennial. He is currently one of the recipients of the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship in Washington DC, where he is currently developing his researches about his concept of Signs of Re-appropriation. Attia is one the winners of the 2010 Abraaj Capital Art Prize