Exhibitions: M. Azarmgin, S. Banerjee, H. Betzwieser

Mamak Azarmgin
Illuminations

The art of illumination has been employed in every era to gild and decorate the most varied religions’ holy scriptures. While good examples of this are the Bible and the Torah, the art’s apex is arguably the miniature Korans in Iran, where illumination developed into its own artistic discipline. In its representation, illumination follows a unifying multiplicity – so the whole is represented in detail, and detail in the whole. Occidental artists thus attempt to precipitate development and perfection. The images give the viewer the impression that everything is found in a balance.

Mamak Azarmgin (*1968 in Teheran/Iran) studied design, painting and photography in Teheran. She worked for 12 years in the field of book illustration and as a freelance illustrator and painter. Her artistic career began in 1989; numerous exhibitions in Iran, Sweden and Germany followed. Azarmgin is a 2007 Akademie fellow.

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Sarnath Banerjee
The Bottleneck Syndrome and Other Stories

In his drawings, Sarnath Banerjee sees a kind of forensic exploration of Indian history’s most recent period. With the changes the country experienced in the past few years, brought about through globalization and liberalization, there is increasing capitalization that leaves its traces behind in all areas. As in every capitalistic system, there are winners and losers … which can be recognized in Banerjee’s drawings. They present a graphic essay on the present development of Indian society.

Sarnath Banerjee (*1972 in West Bengal, India) studied media and communications studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Banerjee worked as an author and filmmaker in New Delhi. His books Corridor: A Graphic Novel and The Barn Owl’s Wondrous Capers appeared through Penguin. Banerjee is a 2006/07 Akademie fellow.

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Hagen Betzwieser
Institut für Allgemeine Theorie – Freie Feldforschung
Institute for General Theory – Free Field Research

The Institute for General Theory – founded by Hagen Betzwieser in 2001 – sees itself as a laboratory for all kinds of experiments in thought. It deals with the most varied phenomena; exploring, questioning and translating them into an artistic vocabulary in objects, photographs, installations and videos. One feels reminded of every scientist who dares to conduct experiments whose results he could not fathom in advance. Betzwieser shows a selection of his research projects “From yesterday to tomorrow with the major portion of the indefinite now” in an experimental arrangement in the Akademie’s lower Hischgang. Merz&solitude’s book Institute of General Theory appears in time for the exhibition. It presents numerous work from the years 2001-2007.

Hagen Betzwieser (*1974 in Neckarhausen) studied visual design with Heidemarie von Wedel at the Merz Akademie – Hochschule für Gestaltung Stuttgart and earned a Master of Arts at the University of Portsmouth in Great Britain. He worked as a conceptualist and designer for video and media in Stuttgart, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Based in Stuttgart, he has worked as a freelance artist since 2005. He was a 2005/2006 Solitude fellow.