opening: 6th May 2008, 7 - 9 p.m. duration of the exhibition: 7th May - 28th June 2008
ADEL ABDESSEMED born in Constantine, Algeria in 1971, lives and works in Paris.
Adel Abdessemed's art work is a marriage made not in heaven, but in the grit and gravel of solid earth. It is one that weds violence, destruction, and anxiety with formal elegance and biting wit. For Abdessemed, a union "until death do us part" is inaccurate since his work is a bond created at the brink of death. This theme is clearly not uncharted artistic ground, but Abdessemed’s engagement with such provocative subject matter is unlike any other artist working in France or elsewhere. (quot. after Alanna Heiss, director of P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center New York, 2007)
Third Room: SISLEJ XHAFA born in Peja, Kosova in 1970, lives and works in New York.
Sislej Xhafa is known for his artistic investigation into the social, economical and political realities associated with the various complexities of modern society, such as tourism and forced illegality. Xhafa's works are minimal, as well as ironic and subversive. He operates in various media, from sculpture and drawing to performance and photography. His works aim to challenge viewers to recognize the symptoms and cracks of contemporary global society.
