Anna Boghiguian. YX – XYZ an autobiography – odd times in life

Opening on Thursday, 25th April 2013, 6-9 pm in the presence of the artist Sfeir-Semler Hamburg

Anna Boghiguian’s works are dense compositions often closely interwoven with text, images, collected photographs and other documentary material . The intense colors and her spontaneous and expressive drawings are reminiscent of diary entries. They seem to visualize and record momentary experience and perception in its various facets.

Boghiguian’s work was first discovered by Catherine David, who presented her to the world in her project Contemporary Arab Representations, beginning in 2003 in Rotterdam. Attracting much attention and acclaim, her drawings also stirred political debate and controversy, especially in her native Egypt.

Born in 1946 to a mixed heritage of Turkish, Greek, and Armenian, Boghiguian grew up in Cairo yet never adopted the city as her home. Living a nomadic life, the artist constantly moved through many cities across the globe from Egypt to Canada and India to France. Immersing herself in the sights and sounds of the city, as well as the literature, poetry and politics of its people, the artist nonetheless remained distant, an outsider in a busy metropolis. Her work offers a unique third person yet omniscient view of modern urban communities.

Boghiguian’s work was recently exhibited at dOCUMENTA (13), curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev. Her major installation in the Fridericianum consisted of her drawings and sculptural work, reflective of her sensitive and poetic perspectives on society, politics, and urban life.

The gallery will be showing both early and new works. The more recent works focus on the body in its representations of the ear, mouth and eye, as inescapable bases of existence, expression, and perception. The artist repeatedly rearranges and reworks the drawings created on her travels, thus producing an ever-changing series.

Anna Boghiguian studied political science at the American University of Cairo, Egypt and received her BFA in Fine Arts and Music at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

She has participated in international group exhibitions such as Contemporary Arab Representation, Rotterdam (2003-04) curated by Catherine David, which travelled through various European cities, the 11th Istanbul Biennial curated by WHW, Sharjah Biennale 2011 and dOCUMENTA (13). As part of her DAAD scholarship she had a solo show at the daadgalerie, Berlin in March 2013.

In the occasion of the exhibition, the artist will be participating in the following events:

Thursday, 23th May 2013 at 7:30 pm, Kampnagel – Drawing Radical Storytelling Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev in conversation with Anna Boghiguian, lecture and discussion in English Friday, 24th May 2013 at 7 pm, Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Hamburg Exhibition walk with Anna Boghiguian and Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev

The show is on from 25. April 2013 until 22. June 2013

Anna Boghiguian
YX – XYZ an autobiography – odd times in life