Exhibition program 2016 - Deutsche Bank KunstHalle

Exhibition program 2016 - Deutsche Bank KunstHalle

Exhibition program 2016
Basim Magdy:
The Stars Were Aligned for a Century of New Beginnings
Deutsche Bank 'Artist of the Year' 2016
29.04.2016 – 03.07.2016
Basim Magdy is named Deutsche Bank’s “Artist of the Year” 2016 and will present
his first institutional solo exhibition at the Deutsche Bank KunstHalle in Berlin next
spring.
The artist, who was born in 1977 in Assiut, Egypt, and now lives in Basel and Cairo,
has created a multifaceted oeuvre in recent years encompassing film, photography,
slide projections, installations, and works on paper. At the center of all of his works
are structures of seeing, remembering, and archiving.
Many of Basim Magdy’s works, which are based on observations of reality, are akin
to surreal tales full of cryptic humor. With paintings and assemblies boasting
psychedelic-looking colors, the artist investigates collective utopias and formulates
his doubts in dogmas and ideologies. At the same time, he appeals to the viewer’s
imagination and reveals alternative realities and social blueprints. “Maybe I’m more
interested in issues that are not particularly pleasant,” he says about his artistic
production, “but I have to say that my favorite reaction to the work I make is when
people look at it and smile or laugh.”
Basim Magdy has participated in numerous international group exhibitions,
including the Sharjah and Istanbul Biennials in 2013 and La Biennale de Montreal
and MEDIACITY Seoul Biennale in 2014. Currently, he was prominently
represented in the highly regarded show “Surround Audience: New Museum
Triennial 2015” in New York and the exhibition “STADT/BILD (Image of a City) –
Welcome to the Jungle” at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin and is
currently on view at “Ocean of Images: New Photography 2015” at the MoMA, New
York.
Common Affairs
Revisiting the VIEWS Award - Contemporary Art from Poland.
21.07.2016 – 30.10.2016
In 2003 the Deutsche Bank Stiftung, Deutsche Bank Polska, and the Zachęta
National Gallery initiated jointly Poland’s most important art prize “Views”. The
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: Paul Achleitner
Vorstand: John Cryan (Co-Vorsitzender), Jürgen Fitschen (Co-Vorsitzender), Stuart Lewis, Sylvie Matherat, Quintin Price, Garth Ritchie, Karl von Rohr, Marcus Schenck,
Christian Sewing, Jeffrey Urwin
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft mit Sitz in Frankfurt am Main, Amtsgericht Frankfurt am Main, HRB Nr. 30 000, Umsatzsteuer-Id.-Nr. DE114103379; www.deutsche-bank.de
objective of the prize, awarded every other year, is to promote young artists and
bolster the artistic infrastructure in Poland. Furthermore, the exhibition at the
Zachęta connected with the prize gives young artists a high-publicity platform. Thus,
“Views” helps garner the contemporary Polish art scene more international
attention.
The cooperation project “Common Affairs” was spawned by this idea. In the
exhibition, Deutsche Bank KunstHalle, Berlin, Zachęta - National Gallery of Art,
Warsaw, and the Polish Institute Berlin jointly present a selection of current
positions. At the same time, the show celebrates the 25th anniversary of the
German-Polish Treaty of Good Neighborship and the town twinning between
Warsaw and Berlin. All of the works will be created by “Views Award” nominees or
winners, including Tymek Borowski, Robert Kusmirowski, Anna Molska, Janek
Simon, Karol Radziszewski, Rafal Jakubowicz and Karolina Bregula. The exhibition
will be curated by Julia Kurz and Stanisław Welbel.
By revisiting past “Views” exhibitions and their commissioned contributions, the
invited artists will mainly focus on “updating” the pieces commissioned at that time
as well as their artistic practices. This process will enable the artists to highlight the
most interesting phenomena and urgent problems they deal with. “Common Affairs”
will present artistic perspectives on the shifts and changes in the Polish and the
international art scene, from the “long nineties” up to the present day. It will promote
positions that deal with the history and politics of memory and representation, with
transformation and approaches to change.
Bhupen Khakhar: You Can’t Please All
18.11.2016 – 05.03.2017
‘…when I feel I’m telling the truth, then there is no restraint.’
Bhupen Khakhar in an interview with Sadanand Menon, 2003
Bhupen Khakhar (1934–2003) played a central role in modern Indian art and was a
recognised international figure in 20th century painting. Active from the 1960s
Khakhar was part of a lively new wave of narrative painting and figuration by artists
in India that became known as the Baroda School. His practice evolved from the
careful study of art from South Asian and European sources, even while he
continued to work as an accountant part-time. After early experiments with Pop art
Khakhar developed a style of painting that combined both high and low, popular and
painterly aesthetics, cleverly subverting popular iconography. He confronted
complex and provocative themes with candour: class difference; desire and
homosexuality; and his personal battle with cancer. Also a writer, his critical
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: Paul Achleitner
Vorstand: John Cryan (Co-Vorsitzender), Jürgen Fitschen (Co-Vorsitzender), Stuart Lewis, Sylvie Matherat, Quintin Price, Garth Ritchie, Karl von Rohr, Marcus Schenck,
Christian Sewing, Jeffrey Urwin
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft mit Sitz in Frankfurt am Main, Amtsgericht Frankfurt am Main, HRB Nr. 30 000, Umsatzsteuer-Id.-Nr. DE114103379; www.deutsche-bank.de
observations and literary sensibility were evident in his sharp, often ironic depictions
of difficult subjects.
The title of the exhibition comes from the iconic painting “You Can’t Please All” 1981
from the Tate collection. A naked figure stands with his back to the viewer,
overlooking a dramatic scene, the depiction of a cautionary tale about a father and
son who lose their prize donkey because they heed the meddlesome comments of
passers-by. Thought to be a self-portrait, this painting was completed a few years
after the artist returned to India after a short period in Britain. Khakhar courageously
decided to be open about his homosexuality in his life and work. His intuitive
understanding of the tensions between beauty and the grotesque resulted in
unabashed depictions of human love and desire, weakness and suffering. His
powerful work from this period is highlighted in this exhibition, bringing his unique
and still relevant voice back into international circulation.
The first posthumous survey of Khakhar’s career, this exhibition - previously on view
at Tate Modern from June 1st till November 6th, 2016 - will bring together his work
from across five decades and from collections around the world. In his lifetime
Khakhar exhibited frequently in India and abroad, including Documenta IX in Kassel
in 1992. While he has been included in group exhibitions at Tate in the past, this
retrospective will shed new light on his practice by presenting well known works on
canvas and paper alongside rarely seen experimental works including textile, glass
and ceramics. In cooperation with Tate Modern
Photo material on the exhibitions can be downloaded free of charge for press
purposes at photo-files.de/deutschebankkunsthalle.
For further information:
Deutsche Bank AG
Press & Media Relations
Frank Hartmann
Deutsche Bank KunstHalle
Sara Bernshausen
Phone: +49 69-91 03 22 49
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +49 30-20 20 93 14
E-mail: [email protected]
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: Paul Achleitner
Vorstand: John Cryan (Co-Vorsitzender), Jürgen Fitschen (Co-Vorsitzender), Stuart Lewis, Sylvie Matherat, Quintin Price, Garth Ritchie, Karl von Rohr, Marcus Schenck,
Christian Sewing, Jeffrey Urwin
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft mit Sitz in Frankfurt am Main, Amtsgericht Frankfurt am Main, HRB Nr. 30 000, Umsatzsteuer-Id.-Nr. DE114103379; www.deutsche-bank.de