Michael Najjar
Michael Najjar (born October 31, 1966 in Landau in the Palatinate ) is a German photo artist and adventurer. He has lived and worked in Berlin since 1988.
Life
Michael Najjar studied from 1988 to 1993 at the Berlin bildo Academy for Media Art, where he was trained in cross-media and artistic working methods. During this time he dealt intensively with the media theories of Vilém Flusser, Paul Virilio and Jean Baudrillard, which shape his artistic work to this day. Michael Najjar was the Hasselblad ambassador from 2012 to 2017 .
plant
Michael Najjar belongs to an artistic avant-garde that deals in a complex and critical way with the technological developments that determine and drastically change the early 21st century. Najjar develops his photo and video works from an interdisciplinary understanding of art. He links science, art and technology to artistic visions and utopias of future social systems that are developing under the influence of new technologies.
His group of works netropolis (2003–2006) thematize the future development of our big cities. For this series, Najjar climbed the tallest building in twelve megacities . The digital amalgamation of different panoramic perspectives transforms the urban landscape into an abstract, palimpsest-like network of relationships. The images show the infinite ocean of information as an omnipresent, all-pervasive network, a compression of time and space that shows us the constantly growing interconnectivity of our modern society.
For the high altitude series (2008-2010), Najjar climbed the Argentine Aconcagua , the highest mountain in the world outside the Himalayas at 6,961 meters. The recordings were subjected to a rigorous change in that the mountain ranges were precisely adapted to the course of the international stock markets. What the works show is the ups and downs of the world economy. Similar to the international trading floor, it is difficult to distinguish between reality and simulation in Najjar's works. The movement of the tectonic plates of the world economy in the past twenty to thirty years is visible, during which new mountains pile up and erosion is inevitable. Najjar shows the sublime in the age of an all-powerful information technology.
In his series outer space (since 2011) the performative aspect of Najjar's work comes to the fore. Najjar announced that he would be flying into space on a space glider in the near future. In preparation, he underwent intensive space training in the Russian star city in 2013 . These included jet flights into the stratosphere , zero G , centrifugal and spacewalk training, as well as computer simulations in the Soyuz spaceship. Najjar exposed himself to extreme experiences and tested his mental and physical limits in the context of highly complex, technical environments. He used his own body as a medium of performance and created unique photo and video works from these experiences. Since 2017, as part of his outer space series , Najjar has been dealing with the topic of terraforming , the transformation of alien planets into habitable, earth-like celestial bodies.
Projects Studio Michael Najjar
In 2015, the Kameha Grand in Zurich opened the world's first “Space Suite” designed by Studio Michael Najjar.
In 2016 Studio Michael Najjar was nominated as a finalist for the European Hotel Design Award for the design of the “Space Suite”.
Exhibitions (selection)
2020
- National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne, Australia
- Auckland Art Gallery, Australia
- Le Fresnoy - Studio National des Arts Contemporains Tourcoing, France
- Wittenstein Igersheim Innovation Factory, Germany
2019
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Berman Museum of Art, Pennsylvania, USA
- Wittenstein Igersheim Innovation Factory, Germany
- BANK / MABSOCIETY, Shanghai, China
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
- Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
2018
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
- Haupt Collection, Reinbeckhallen, Berlin, Germany
- BANK / MABSOCIETY, Shanghai, China
2017
- 7th Moscow Biennale, Russia
- Palazzo del Monte di Pietà, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Noorderlicht Festival, Groningen, Netherlands
- Des Moines Art Center, Des Moins, USA
- MARTA Herford, Herford, Germany
- Alfred Ehrhardt Foundation, Berlin, Germany
2016
- MARTA Herford, Herford, Germany
- Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany
- Palazzo da Mosto, Reggio Emilia, Italy
2015
- Museo Es Baluard, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Kunstverein Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
2014
- Multimedia Art Museum Moscow, Russia
- Zachęta National Gallery of Art Warsaw, Poland
- Fotoverhalen, Gemeentemuseum The Hague, The Netherlands
- Laboral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial, Gijón, Spain
2013
- Somerset House, London, United Kingdom
- Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey
2012
- Ballroom Marfa, Marfa, USA
- Salone degli Incanti, ex Pescheria, Trieste, Italy
- Centro de Arte Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain
2011
- ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Deichtorhallen Museum, Falckenberg Collection, Hamburg, Germany
- Museum of Arts and Crafts, Hamburg, Germany
- Art Stations Foundation, Poznań, Poland
- CAC Málaga, Spain
2010
- CAC Málaga, Spain
- Biennial for Art and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- TEA - Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, Tenerife, Spain
2009
- Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, USA
- New Media Art Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Leopold Hösch Museum, Dueren, Germany
- 5th Darmstadt Days of Photography, Darmstadt, Germany
2008
- GEM Museum of Contemporary Art / Fotomuseum Den Haag, Netherlands
- Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
- Museo Es Baluard, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Birmingham, United Kingdom
2007
- FORMA_Centro_Internazionale_di_Fotografia, Milan, Italy
- Kunstverein Heidelberg, Germany
- Museum artwork, Stuttgart, Germany
2006
- Cities, architecture and society, Venice Biennial - 10th international architecture exhibition, Italy
- 9th Havana Biennial, Cuba
- Museo DA2 Domus Artium 2002, Salamanca, Spain
- Center pour l'Image Contemporaine, Geneva, Switzerland
- Edith Russ House for Media Art, Oldenburg
2005
- Foreign Office, Berlin
- House of World Cultures, Berlin
- National Museum of Science, Thaipei, Taiwan
- Convergence Biennale, Beijing, China
2004
- Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, Spain
- Science Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Photokina, Cologne
2003
- Deichtorhallen, International House of Photography, Hamburg
- Willy Brandt House, Berlin
- Traphold Museum, Kolding, Denmark
2002
- Kunsthalle Hamburg, contemporary gallery, Hamburg
- Museum for Arts and Crafts, Hamburg
2000
- Galerie Cato Jans, Hamburg, Germany
- Museum of Arts and Crafts, Forum Photography, Hamburg
1999
- Museum Ludwig, Cologne
1998
- Museum of Arts and Crafts, Forum Photography, Hamburg
Literature (selection)
- Lukas Feireiss, Michael Najjar (eds.), Planetary Echoes. Exploring the implications of human settlement in space , Leipzig 2017
- Michael Kröger et al. (Ed.): Green disturbs - in the focus of a color. Marta Herford, Germany 2016, ISBN 978-3-938433-24-9 . ( Online )
- ZKM Karlsruhe (ed.): Globale - Exo-Evolution. ZKM Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe 2015.
- Lukas Feireiss (Ed.): Memories of the Moon Age. Berlin 2015.
- William Ewing (Ed.): Landmark: The Fields of Photography. London 2014.
- Wim van Sinderen (Ed.): Fotoverhalen. Exh. cat., Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Hague 2014.
- Michael Najjar - outer space. Distance Verlag, Berlin, 2014, ISBN 978-3-95476-055-8 . ( Online )
- Güzin Tezcanlı & Kathleen Forde (eds.), "Datascape", Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul 2013.
- Philipp Bollmann (Ed.): Im Blick - Photography from the Wemhöner Collection. Bielefeld 2012.
- Michael Najjar - high altitude. Bielefeld 2011
- Identity, or on a variety of perspectives. Exhibition catalog, Poznań 2011
- Augmented realities - Michael Najjar 1997–2008. Eikon, Vienna, Austria 2008.
- Harald Szeemann (Ed.): The Beauty of Failure / The Failure of Beauty. Fundació Joan Miró, Madrid 2004.
- Sandra Kemp (Ed.): Future Face - Image, Identity, Innovation. Science Museum London, London 2004.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin: Till Krause, Michael Najjar - All Inclusive , January 31, 2014, accessed on October 4, 2016. Michael Najjar belongs to the group of "Pioneer Astronauts" from Richard Branson's company Virgin Galactic
- ↑ Michael Najjar - outer space, Distance, Berlin 2014
- ↑ Michael Najjar - outer space, Distance, Berlin 2014
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed October 5, 2016
- ^ Art Forum International, Globale ZKM Karlsruhe, Issue # 237/2015
- ↑ ART Magazine: Camilla Péus, Michael Najjar - World Views, May 2013
- ↑ Michael Najjar, netropolis, Berlin 2006
- ^ The New York Times, Michael Najjar. Markets and Mountains, With Dangerous Peaks, April 18, 2010
- ↑ Wallpaper, Michael Najjar. Case Studies, February 2012
- ^ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Freddy Langer: Michael Najjar. Of highs and lows, March 8, 2012
- ↑ Kunstforum International, edition 237/2015
- ^ Wall Street Journal, Space Art: Photographer Trains For the Final Frontier, New York, March 31, 2016
- ↑ Artdaily, Artist Michael Najjar completes first phase of cosmonaut training , accessed on March 12, 2013.
- ↑ archived ( memento from January 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) by anti-utopias. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- ↑ Andreas Beitin: A Question of Perspective, in: Michael Najjar - outer space, Berlin 2014
- ↑ Lukas Feireiss, Michael Najjar, Planetary Echoes. Exploring the implications of human settlement in space, Leipzig 2017
- ↑ Monopol Magazin, Elke Buhr, Die Private Weltraumkabsel: Artist designs space suite in Zurich hotel, 2015
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed October 5, 2016
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Najjar, Michael |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German media artist and photographer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 31, 1966 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Landau in the Palatinate |