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until 22.12. | #2270ARTatBerlin | Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery shows from 14th November 2018 the exhibition Half Flying by the artist Yassine Balbzioui.
Mysterious masked figures and creatures appear from shadowy backgrounds as if walking in from another universe or time. Yassine Balbzioui invites the viewer into the world of the in-between, the point where reality and the imagination meet. In this space, anything is possible, be it birds dressed in suits or the state of Half Flying. The Moroccan-based artist’s debut exhibition at the Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery Berlin presents a new body of work that challenges all distinctions.
Balbzioui’s work is typically theatrical, humorous and multilayered. Drawing on his own experience of performance, Balbzioui imagines scenes cinematically and often photographs subjects wearing masks and costumes. These images form the catalyst for an idea, eventually emerging as the curious characters we see in the artist’s paintings. Furthermore, the deliberate obscuring of identity opens up a multitude of possible narratives and associations. We might, for example, interpret the wearing of a mask as an act of hiding or deceit, or as a declaration of freedom in which the individual transcends the boundaries of their physicality to experiment with new ways of being. Thus, Balbzioui evades explanation, encouraging us to view without preconceptions. “I don’t want to teach people. I want people to be curious, I want people to ask questions,” commented the artist. “Each painting, contains three or four stories, not just one.” The birds — a recurring motif in Balbzioui’s work — are both symbolic of flight and the character’s inability to fly, whilst their ostentatious colours mock any attempts at hiding. Thinking about contemporary culture and photography, we might consider how we play roles in our everyday lives, perhaps even as we enter a gallery to view artwork.
Indeed, Half Flying is an exhibition that presents us, most significantly, with possibility. The possibility to exist in two worlds and states at the same time, to avoid definition or finality, and to
float between.
Yassine Balbzioui, Courtesy: artist und Galerie
About Yassine Balbioui:
Yassine Balbzioui was born in 1985 in Marakesh, Morocco, where he still lives and works. After graduation from School of Fine Arts in Casablanca in 1996 and the Superior National Diploma ART and MEDIA from the School of Fine Art in Bordeaux (France), Balbzioui has been exhibited in various institutions in Morocco and worlswide. His work is included in the collections of the The Museum of Bank al-Maghrib at (Rabat, Morocco) and the Iwalewahaus Musem (Bayreuth, Germany).
Vernissage: Tuesday, 13th November 2018, 6:00 bis 9:00 pm with performance at 7:30 pm
Exhibition period: Wednesday. 14th November – Saturday, 22nd December 2018
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Image caption: Yassine Balbzioui, Courtesy: artist und Galerie
Exhibition Yassine Balbzioui – Galerie Kristin Hjellegjerde | Contemporary Art in Berlin | Exhibitions Berlin Galleries | ART at Berlin
