Sculpture, photography and design come together in a series of genre-defying works at Tarik Kiswanson’s new solo show “Contact Sheet” at Carlier/Gebauer in Berlin.Born in Palestine, Kiswanson grew up in Sweden, but his education and artistic practice took him to London and Paris. Kiswanson’s multicultural upbringing leaves an imprint on his works. Inspired by his family photographs from the 1970s, the artist takes a motif from the traditional dresses worn by his family members and transforms it into an abstract, sculptural design.The works are executed with the use of stainless steel, handwoven by the artist into geometrical shapes and patterns. The simplicity of the homogenous material is contrasted with the complex web of light and shade, creating an almost architectural effect.At the same time, the works are removed from the realm of pure abstraction because of the mirror-like quality of the steel. The viewer finds himself or herself reflected in the artwork, especially “2016” (stainless steel, 2016). The work is reduced to a minimalistic rectangle, unobstructed by the sculptural elements which Kiswanson includes in the rest of the objects.In “Contact Sheet,” Kiswanson succeeds in combining the drive towards geometrical abstraction with the sentiment for figurative representation. The exhibition serves as a meditation on the influence of one culture upon another, as well as the active part the viewers plays in the creation of the work’s meaning. Tarik Kiswanson’s “Contact Sheet” runs at Carlier/Gebauer, Markgrafenstraße 67, 10969 Berlin from March 30 until April 23, 2016. More information at http://www.carliergebauer.com/current.
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