Basim Magdy: Would a Firefly Fear the Fire that Burns in Its Heart? Artist of the Year 2016

Basim Magdy (geb. 1977 in Assiut, Ägypten) - "Künstler des Jahres" 2016 der Deutschen Bank - war mit seinem vielfältigem Werk bereits an zahlreichen internationalen Gruppenausstellungen beteiligt. Hierzu zählen unter anderem die Biennalen in Schardscha und Istanbul 2013 und die Biennale von Montreal 2014, aber auch die Ausstellungen Welcome to the Jungle im KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, und Ocean of Images. New Photography 2015 im MoMA, New York.

Im Mittelpunkt seiner Filme, Fotografien oder Zeichnungen stehen Strukturen des Sehens, Erinnerns und Archivierens. Häufig lassen die Werke an surreale Erzählungen voll abgründigen Humors denken. Mit in ihrer Farbigkeit psychedelisch anmutenden Bildern und Montagen hinterfragt Magdy kollektive Utopien und formuliert Zweifel an Dogmen und Ideologien. Zugleich appelliert er an die Imaginationskraft des Betrachters und lässt alternative Realitäten und gesellschaftliche Entwürfe aufscheinen.

Ausstellung: Deutsche Bank KunstHalle, Berlin 29.4.-3.7.2016 Basim Magdy ( born 1977 in Assiut, Egypt)-the Deutsche Bank's 2016 "Artist of the Year"-has already presented his multifaceted oeuvre in numerous international group exhibitions. These include the biennales in Sharjah and Istanbul in 2013, the Biennale de Montréal in 2014, as well as the exhibitions Welcome to the Jungle at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, and Ocean of Images: New Photography 2015 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Magdy's films, photographs, and drawings focus on structures of seeing, remembering, and archiving. His works often call to mind surreal narratives full of abysmal humor. The artist uses his psychedelically colored pictures and montages to scrutinize collective utopias and express doubt about dogmas and ideologies. At the same time, he appeals to the viewer's power of imagination and causes alternative realities and designs for society to shine out.

Exhibition: Deutsche Bank KunstHalle, Berlin 29.4.-3.7.2016

Erster Überblick über das Schaffen Basim Magdys

Basim Magdy (*1977 in Assiut, Egypt)-the Deutsche Bank's 2016 "Artist of the Year"-has already presented his multifaceted oeuvre in numerous international group exhibitions. These include the biennales in Sharjah and Istanbul in 2013, the Biennale de Montréal in 2014, as well as the exhibitions Welcome to the Jungle at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, and Ocean of Images: New Photography 2015 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Magdy's films, photographs, and drawings focus on structures of seeing, remembering, and archiving. His works often call to mind surreal narratives full of abysmal humor. The artist uses his psychedelically colored pictures and montages to scrutinize collective utopias and express doubt about dogmas and ideologies. At the same time, he appeals to the viewer's power of imagination and causes alternative realities and designs for society to shine out.

Exhibition: Deutsche Bank KunstHalle, Berlin 29.4.-3.7.2016