Bodybuilders,
Printed from a damaged negative showing
Munir elDada in Saida, 1948, 2011
Inkjet print, 220 x 145 cm, Edition 5 + 2 a.p. |
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Akram Zaatari is a video artist and curator who lives and works in
Beirut. Author of more than 30 videos, and video installations, Zaatari
has been exploring issues pertinent to Lebanese postwar condition,
particularly the mediation of territorial conflicts and wars through
television, and the logic of religious and national resistance such
as in his documentary "All is Well on the Border" (1997), the circulation
and production of images in the context of a geographical division
of the Middle East, such as in his feature length “This Day” (2003)
and “In This House” (2005). Zaatari has also been exploring representations
of male sexuality particularly in "crazy of you" (1997), and later
in "How I love you" (2001).
Co-founder of the Arab Image Foundation (Beirut), he based his work
on collecting, studying, and archiving the photographic history of
the Middle East notably studying the work of Lebanese photographer
Hashem el Madani, as a register of social relationships and of photographic
practices. His ongoing research was the basis for a series of exhibitions
and publications such as "Hashem El Madani: Studio Practices" (with
Lisa Lefeuvre) "Mapping Sitting" (collaboration with Walid Raad).
He has text contributions in scholarly journals such as Third Text, Bomb, Framework, Transition, and Parachute. He is a regular contributor, writing on video, in Zawaya.
| *1966 |
Saida, Lebanon – lives in Beirut |
| 1989 |
B. Arch.,The American University of Beirut |
| 1995 |
Master of Arts in Media Studies, The New School University, New York |
| since 1999 |
heworks a an art curator worldwide (London, Beirut, Buxelles, Damascus etc.)
|
| 1995 - 2004 |
teaching at several universities in Beirut and abroad |
Curating
| 2006 |
Oberhausen Kurzfilmtage:
“Radical Closure: Send me to the seas of Love, I’m drowning in my Blood”, 11 programs of films and video from the Middle East.
|
| 2004 |
Videobrasil, Sao Paulo: “The Possible Narratives" |
Installations/ Solo Exhibitions
| 2012 |
"The End", Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Hamburg
The Uneasy Subject, MUAC, Mexico |
| 2011 |
Composition for Two Wings, Kunsternes Hus, Oslo, Norway
The Uneasy Subject, Museo del Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, Spain
This Day, Moderna Galerija Ljubljana, Slowenia |
| 2010 |
Play van Abbe Part 3. The Politics of Collecting – The Collecting of Politics, Van Abbe Museum Eindhoven, Netherlands |
| 2009 |
Earth of Endless Secrets, Kunstverein München
Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Beirut
Ludlow38, New York
|
| 2007 |
Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Hamburg
ART Basel, ART Statements booth with Sfeir-Semler Gallery |
| 2006 |
“Hashem el Madani: Pomenades and Studio Practices” La CaixaForum, Barcelona
|
| 2005 |
“Mapping Sitting” , Grey Art Gallery, New York |
| 2004 |
Portikus, Frankfurt
Photographers’ Gallery, London
Centre Pour l'Image Contemporaine, Genève
Musée Nicéphore Nièpce, Chalon-sur-Saône
(France) |
| 2002 |
SK Die Photographische Sammlung, Köln
Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels
|
| 2000 |
The Townhouse Gallery, Cairo |
| 1999 |
Darat al Founoun, Amman |
| 1998 |
Goethe Institute, Beirut |
Group Exhibitions
| 2011 |
"Estrella Distante", Kurimanzutto Gallery, Mexico
"Estrella Distante", Regen Projects, Los Angeles, USA
"Beirut", Kunsthalle Wien project space, Wien, Austria
Seeing is believing, KW Berlin
SESC & Videobrasil - 17th International Contemporary Art Festival, Sao Paulo, Brasil
Beirut, project space, Kunsthalle Wien, Austria
“Jean Genet”, Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, England
12. Istanbul Biennial, Turkey
Told – Untold – Retold, Mathaf, Qatar |
| 2010 |
Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin/Madrid, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany |
| 2009 |
“Traum und Wirklichkeit”, Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern
“Lisson Presents I”, Lisson Gallery, London
|
| 2008 |
T2 Torino Triennale, Turin
Éclats de frontières, FRAC Provence-Alpes_Cote d’Azur
“Les Inquiets. Cinq artistes sous la pression de la guerre“, Centre Georges
Pompidou, Paris
|
| 2007 |
“Oh Girl, It’s a Boy!”, Kunstverein München
52. Venice Biennial, Italy
8. Sharjah Biennial, UAE
|
| 2006 |
Sao Paulo Biennale
Gwangju Biennale, Korea
Sydney Biennale
OUT OF BEIRUT, Modern Art Oxford
A Picture of War is not War, Wilkinson Gallery, London
|
| 2005 |
Leaps of Faith, Cyprus
Masculinities, NBK Berlin
Flight 405, Sfeir Semler Gallery, Beirut
|
| 2004 |
CAC Ticino, Italy
SENI, Singapore art Museum
Nam June Paik Award exhibition, Dortmund
|
| 2003 |
Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo - as part of "Substream"
Worlwide Video Festival, Amsterdam
Videobrasil, Sao Paulo - as part of "The Possible Narratives"
Haus der Kulturen der Werlt, Berlin - as part of
"Disorientation"/curated by Jack Persekian
|
| 2002 |
Homeworks, Beirut
Die Appel, Amsterdam - "Haunted by detail" -
Title of piece: "The Desert Panorama" |
| 1998 |
Ayloul Festival, Beirut |
Public Collections
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
Tate Modern, London
Arco Foundation, Madrid
TBA21, Vienna
Kadist Foundation, Paris
Global Arts, London
Publications
"Akram Zaatari: El Molesto Asunto/The Uneasy Subject", 2010, a project co-produced by MUSAC, León and MUAC, México
"Earth of Endless Secrets", 2009, published as a postscript to the exhibition Akram Zaatari: Unfolding; and for the exhibition: Akram Zaatari: Earth of Endless Secrets, Kunstverein München, Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Beirut, Beirut Art Center
“Hashem el Madani: Studio Practices,” (2004 – MTG – AIF – TPG).
“Mapping Sitting,” (2002 - MTGé, Beirut) with Zeina Maasri and Karl Bacil, in collaboration with W. Raad.
“The Vehicle: Picturing Moments of Transition in a Modernizing Society,” (1999 - MTGé, Beirut)
“Portraits du Caire: Van Leo, Armand, Alban,” (1999 - Actes Sud, Paris)
“Another Resolution,” (1998 - MTGé, Beirut)
Awards and Residencies
| 2011 |
Video de Brazil in Videobrazil, First Prize for "Tomorrow Everything will be Alright"
Yanghun Prize, Korea |
| 2010 |
DAAD, Berliner Künstlerprogramm |
| 2008 |
Recollets, Paris.
Bellagio, The Rockeffeler Foundation |
| 2005 |
FAIR PLAY Video Art Festival Berlin, 1st Price for “Red Chewing Gum” |
| 2004 |
Prix Son – FID Marseille. For “This Day” |
| 2002 |
Grand Award – Ismailia short & Doc Film Festival (Egypt). For “Her + Him Van Leo” |
| 2001 |
Jury Award – VideoLisboa. For: “Red Chewing Gum” |
| 1998 |
Grand Award – Antalya Golden Orange Festival. For “Crazy of You”
Best documentary & best director, Beirut film festival, for "Crazy of You" |
| 1997 |
Banff Center for the Arts |
Film and Video Screenings/Festivals (Selection) |
| 2011 |
17. Internationales Festival Zeitgenössischer Kunst, SCSE Videobrazil, Sao Paulo |
| 2010 |
International Film Festival Rotterdam |
| 2009 |
Beirut Art Center
Images, Toronto |
| 2008 |
Oberhausen Kurzfilmtage
SANFIC, Santiago - Chile |
| 2007 |
Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes |
| 2006 |
Tate Modern, London |
| 2003 |
Videobrasil, Sao Paulo |
| 2002 |
Disorientation, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin |
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