Projects | News
Ali Kaaf’s Acts of Erasure
Frieze
Exhibition Review by Nadine Khalil in Frieze | 30 August 2023.
“Playing with the notions of shelter and void implicit in its title, Ali Kaaf’s I Know the Emptiness of This House (2023) is a cage-like sculpture in which metal bars frame a single entrance/exit. Made for his eponymous solo exhibition at Darat Al Funun in Amman, this site-specific interpretation of the eighth-century desert castle Quseir Amra upends the original building’s triple-vaulted ceiling to create three merged cylindrical forms.”
I Know the Emptiness of this House
عَرَفتُ المَنزِلَ الخالي
Darat Al Funun, Amman, JO | SOLO SHOW
Duration: 14 March –30 September 2023
Darat al Funun opens a new solo show for their artist-in-residence, Ali Kaaf, featuring new commissions and a range of selected works covering various artistic disciplines.
Press
Universes Magazine – Ali Kaaf: I Know the Emptiness of this House
Jordan Cultural Aagenda – I Know the Emptiness of this House, solo exhibition by Ali Kaaf
عرب ٤٨ – فنّ عليّ ق… نزع الكولونياليّة
العربي الجديد – علي ق.. عودة إلى قصيدة الوليد بن يزيد
الرأي – عرفت المنزل الخالي ل علي ق..أعمال فنية تتأمل في العمارة الأموية
Conceptual and Visual Intersections | Artist’s talk
Darat Al Funun, Amman, JO
20 March, 2023 | 6:00 PM | Main Building
Darat al Funun’s artist-in-residence, Ali Kaaf speaks about the development and production phases of works featured in his solo exhibition, detailing the themes and conceptual framework that inform his work, his use of materials, and experimental methods.
Those swept away by the waters / rose up as clouds
الذين جرفتهم المياه إلى الوادي ارتفعوا غيومًا
Documenta Fifteen, Kassel, DE
Film installation by Ali Kaaf and Khaled Mzher. On view at Documenta fifteen, the 15th edition of documenta in Kassel, Germany between June and September 2022. Venue: Hafenstraße 76.
Arbeitsstipendien Bildende Kunst für 2023
Jury member | The Visual Arts Research Fellowship | Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa
The scholarship is intended for further artistic development in the field of visual arts. This year, the jury for the Visual Arts Research Fellowship included: Nadja Abt, Lidiya Anastasova, Michael Hauffen, Ali Kaaf, Claire Koron Elat, Fabian Schöneich.
I AM A STRANGER. TWOFOLD A STRANGER.
Hatje Cantz Verlag
Published on the occasion of Ali Kaaf's exhibition “Ich bin Fremder. Zweifach Fremder” at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, the catalogue documents the sculptural intervention created in the context of the Mschatta Façade.
– Berlin. March 2022 | Pages: 224 (German, English, Arabic)
Hatje Cantz Verlag | ISBN 978-3-7757-5101-8
KUNSTFORUM International | Monograph
Der Teil und das Ganze
A monograph by Doris von Drathen via KUNSTFORUM International covering the exhibition “I Am a Stranger. Twofold a Stranger.” at the Museum for Islamic Art in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin. Pages: 215–225.
I AM A STRANGER. TWOFOLD A STRANGER.
Ich bin ein Fremder. Zweifach Fremder.
The Museum of Islamic Art – Pergamon Museum, Berlin, DE | SOLO SHOW
1.12.2021 – 20.2.2022
“Ich bin ein Fremder. Zweifach Fremder." is currently on view in the Mschatta Saal at the Museum für Islamische Kunst in the Pergamon Museum Berlin during official opening hours. You can book your visit and find out more about the exhibition here.
Qantara.de قنطرة | Interview
28.01.2022
Magdalena Heinrich of Qantara.de in conversation with Ali Kaaf about his Solo Show “I Am a Stranger. Twofold a Stranger.” at the Pergamon Museum, Berlin.
(German, Arabic and English Language)
Radio Eins RBB | Interview
01.12.2021 –19:30
Radio Eins in conversation with Ali Kaaf about his Solo Show “I Am a Stranger. Twofold a Stranger.” the Pergamon Museum, Berlin.
I AM A STRANGER. TWOFOLD A STRANGER.
Pergamonmuseum, Berlin, DE |Solo show. 2022.
"I Am Stranger. Twofold a Stranger.'' is the title of Ali Kaaf’s forthcoming solo show and intervention at the Pergamon Museum, Berlin.
(Work-in-progress) – installation in the context of the Mschatta Façade.
Kamal Boullata
Geometrie des Lichts
Panel Discussion at Galerie Pankow
09 September, 2021 at 7 pm.
Geometrie des Lichts – Kamal Boullata
Galerie Pankow, Berlin | Panel Discussion
09 September, 2021 at 7 pm.
Panel Discussion: as part of the late Palestinian artist and art historian Kamal Boullata’s retrospective exhibition “Geometrie des Lichts” at Galerie Pankow. Dr. Dorothea Schöne, Art Historian and Director of Kunsthaus Dahlem, Annette Tietz, director of Galerie Pankow, in conversation with Jeanno Gaussi and Ali Kaaf.
Panel Discussion: 09 September, 2021 at 7 pm.
Exhibition: 08 September – 07 November, 2021.
Opening: 07 September, 2021 at 6 pm.
The Byzantine Corner | Interview
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Ali Kaaf had to cancel his artist in residency’s closing reception. Here he talks to the Head of the Department for Culture and Communication, Andreas Görgen, about his work and his time in the Federal Foreign Office.
"Zwischen Ja und Nein fliegt die Seele"
C&K Galerie Soft Opening 04.09.2020 17-21 Uhr - ALI KAAF "Zwischen Ja und Nein fliegt die Seele" - Arbeiten auf Papier/works on paper
A portrait by Thomas Fitzel of rbb cultural radio on Ali Kaaf , recipient of the 2020 AArtist in Residence program of the Foreign Office in Berlin, in cooperation with the National Association Galleries (LVBG).
@Faisal Attrache
AArtist in Residence 2020
An artist residency program initiated by the German Federal Foreign Ministry in Berlin in corporation with Landesverband Berliner Galerien (lvbg).
@Janine Schmitz
Artist’s Talk and Studio Visit
20 February, 2020, at 6 pm
Address: Künstler-Atelier on the roof of the German Federal Foreign Ministry in Berlin.
Entrance: Kurstraße 36, 10117 Berlin
The Byzantine Corner
Kala Art Institute, Berkley (CA), US | Artist’s Talk
18 October, 2019
Lecture and Artist’s talk at the Kala Art Institute in Berkley (CA), US.
Helmet خُوذةَ N 12. 2018. glassblowing. 27 × 51 × 30 cm. Berlin
Faraway so close (In weiter Ferne so nah)
Haus Am Lützowplatz, Berlin, DE
AArtis in Residence Program 2016-2020
August 27 – November 08, 2020
Haus Am Lützowplatz, Berlin
The exhibition brings all the fifteen scholarship holders together who have been supported by the AArtist in Residence program since 2016. With works by:
Said Baalbaki, Catherine Biocca, Yvon Chabrowski, Manaf Halbouni, Kerstin Honeit, Ali Kaaf, Ahmed Kamel, David Krippendorff, Andréas Lang, Beatrice Minda, Peles Empire, Yafei Qi, Henrik Strömberg, Susa Templin, Walter Yu
In cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the Berlin Galleries Association (LVBG).
Symposium and Lecture at The British Museum — Yemen and Syria: making art today
British Museum, London, UK
7 July, 2019 | from 10:30 to 16:30
Artists’ panel: Anna Wallace-Thompson, Buthayna Ali, Fadi Yazigi, Ali Kaaf and Kevork Mourad.
Interview with Nanda Mohammad on her radio show “Min Ba’eed L’Ba’eed”
Maazoul Network (Arabic).
Beyond the Painting: Artist’s Talk
Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings (MT), US
October 24, 2019 at 5:30 pm
Workshop with the students of MSU Billings
Montana State University Billings, Billings (MT), US
25 October, 2019
8 Künstler, 8 Unikate, 8 neue Editionen
Raum 2810, Bonn, DE
Opening: 16 November 2019 |duration: 17 November, 2019 – 18 January, 2020
youngcollectors zu Gast in raum 2810
Group exhibition with Jáchym Fleig, Martina Geccelli, István Haász, Ali Kaaf, Vera Molnar, Franziska Reinbothe, Christine Reifenberger, Vera Röhm.
For Birds’ Sake
— C&K Galerie, Berlin, DE
Opening 26 October, 2019 |duration: 26 October – 30 November, 2019
The „Vogelmänner“ (Birdmen) of Istanbul: 30 years a gallerist, an anniversary exhibition by Christiane Bühling-Schultz.
Group exhibition with Sonja Alhäuser, Amador, Andreas Amrhein, Axel Anklam, Angelika Arendt, Said Baalbaki, Norbert Bisky, Ali Kaaf, Michael Kalmbach, Helge Leiberg, Jan Muche, A.R. Penck, Franziska Reinbothe, Cornelia Schleime, Nadja Schöllhammer, Niels Sievers, Roland Stratmann, Matthias Stuchtey, Lubomir Typlt, Roger Wardin, Jan Wattjes, Maik Wolf, Filip Zorzor.
FOURFOLD. Positions from Berlin: Exhibition
Salon Galic Gallery, Split, HR
Opening 7 June, 2019 | duration: 7 June - 7 July, 2019
Group exhhibition with Silvina Der-Meguerditchian, Ali Kaaf, Anton Roland Laub and House of Taswir.
Curated by A.S. Bruckstein Çoruh & House of Taswir.
Studio Visit | Interview
Atassi Foundation | The Journal, Spring 2019 edition
Studio visit and interview by Anna Wallace-Thompson and Atassi Foundation.
„Die Byzantinische Ecke“
G&K Galarie, Berlin, DE | Solo Show
Opening: 20 April, 2018 | duration: 21 April - 26 May , 2018
Press
On Air – rbb kulturradio – Ali Kaaf “Die byzantinische Ecke”
Der Tagesspiegel – Mehr Berlin, Ali Kaaf (German)
Dins un garbell no es pot guardar el sol
Galeria Maior, Palma, ES| Solo Show
Opening: 28 March, 2018
Press
Diario de Mallorca – "Mi trabajo trata de conectar con mi identidad y mis raíces"
Festival ME_MMIX 2018
Es Baluard Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Palma, ES
Video Installation accompanied to the 48 Variations for Two Pianos by John McGuire.
Interview: BOX OF PAIN – Ali Kaaf
BOX OF PAIN
— Kühlhaus, Berlin, DE
Opening: 3 September 2016 | duration: 3 September - 3 October, 2016
Solo show: video installation at Kühlhaus during Berlin Art Week.
Program
8 September, 2016 at 7pm – Poetry by Golan Haji and Claudia Basrawi. Music by Meragi Ensemble.
18 September, 2016 at 7pm – Artist’s Talk: Jurriaan Benschop in conversation with Ali Kaaf.
The Red Gaze
Zilberman Gallery, Berlin, DE
Opening: 11 October, 2016 | duration: - 23 December, 2016
Group exhibition with Ahmet Elhan, Memed Erdener a.k.a. Extramücadele, Erdem Gündüz (text), Ali Kaaf, Navid Kermani (text), Aisha Khalid, Şükran Moral, Erkan Özgen, Pablo Picasso (poem), Imran Qureshi, Rebecca Raue, Sarkis, Arnold Schoenberg, Eşref Yıldırım.
Curated by A. S. Bruckstein Çoruh.
As if, at Home - Artists in Europe
Freiraum in der Box, Berlin, DE
Opening: 24 June 2016, 6 pm | 25 June - 31 October, 2016
Group exhibition with Mirosław Bałka, Norbert Bisky, Michaël Borremans, Irina Botea, Valérie Favre, Lia Kazakou, Marie Lund, Šejla Kamerić, Flo Kasearu, Sean Scully, Ali Kaaf and other artists.
Curated by Jurriaan Benschop
Program
1 September, 2016 at 7pm
Artists’ Talk with Mirosław Bałka, Valérie Favre and Ali Kaaf.
Moderation by Jurriaan Benschop.
The Colour of Water is the Colour of its Vessel
The Bumiller Collection, Berlin, DE |Solo Show
Opening April 22, 2016 | 23 April – 4. June, 2016
in collaboration Taswir Projects
Press
Flux FM – “Die Farbe des Wassers ist die Farbe seines Gefäßes”
„Ortstermin mit Leoni Wirth - Modelle und Entwürfe aus dem Atelier von Leoni Wirth und zeitgenössische Positionen zu Abstraktion und Moderne“
Kunsthaus Dresden, DE
Group exhibition with Leoni Wirth and Rimma Arslanov, Susan Hefuna, Margret Hoppe, Ali Kaaf, Su-Ran Sichling, among others.
Curated by Torsten Birne and Christiane Mennicke-Schwarz.
Interview on Metropolis
ARTE and ARD | TV Program
Directed by Horst Brandenburg. | November, 2013