Akram Zaatari, To Samir, 2008, Color light-jet print, 156 x 120 cm.
Akram Zaatari, This Day. Unmaking the Desert Panorama, 2007, Color light-jet print, 112 x 91 cm. |
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Kunstverein München
Galeriestraße 4
+ 49-(0)89-221 152
München
Akram Zaatari
28 March-24 May 2009
In Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari's first international survey exhibition of Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari (*1966 Saida, Lebanon) his feature length video This Day, 2003 Zaatari presents a geographical and mental voyage that comments on the production and circulation of images across the Middle East.
Zaatari studies the cultural and political conditions of the Lebanon’s postwar society, dedicating parts of his research to the phenomenon of the national resistance movements, underlining the shortcomings in the representation of territorial conflicts (All Is Well on the Border, 1997, In This House, 2005 and Nature Morte, 2008).
As co-founder of the Arab Image Foundation in Beirut, collecting, archiving and analysing the visual history of the Middle East forms the basis of Zaatari´s work. His Madami Project for example, is an extensive investigation into the archive of photographer Hashem el Madani (*1928), studying social relationships in relation to portrait photography and the urban history of the city Saida.
Akram Zaatari´s artistic practice is an ongoing study of historical photographic documents, and their relationship to personal histories — confronting personal with historical political events. Presenting the history of intimate everyday experiences, as a parable for the political and cultural shifts taking place in Beirut and across the Middle East.
Akram Zaatari (*1966 Saida, Lebanon). Lives and works in Beirut.
Solo exhibitions: 2007, Galery Sfeir-Semler (Hamburg), Art Basel; 2006, Paris Photo La Caixa (Barcelona); 2005, Grey Art Gallery (New York); 2004 Portikus, Frankfurt; 2002, Palais des Beaux Arts (Brüssel). Group exhibitions: 2008, Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris); 2007, 52. Biennale, Venice; 2006, Sao Paulo Biennale, Gwangju Biennale (Korea), Sydney Biennale; 2003, Worldwide Video Festival (Amsterdam). |
