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DINA DANISH

Dina Danish was born in Paris in 1981.

 

Dina is an Egyptian artist and educator.

Her work is inspired by overlooked historical moments, by language and structure, incorporating humour and misunderstanding. Currently, Dina is working on translating Dadaist multi-lingual and visual poems into Arabic.

 

Dina holds a BA from the American University in Cairo, MFA from CCA in San Francisco, and has taken part in artist residencies including the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, Spinola Banna in Italy; PiST/// in Istanbul and A.i.R. Dubai; and was most recently an Affiliated Fellow at The American Academy in Rome.

 

Her work has been internationally shown most notably at Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna, IT; Stedelijk Museum Schiedam; Museum Boijmans, Rotterdam; Kunsthall Oslo; SFMOMA in San Francisco; Beirut and Nile Sunset Annex in Cairo; De Nederlandsche Bank and de Appel Arts Centre in Amsterdam. She performed at Pool Projects in Zurich; with de Appel at the Stedelijk Museum, at The Amsterdam Kunstverein, at the Projects Arts Centre in Dublin, and at the South London Gallery, UK.

 

She has been nominated for the Dutch Volkskrant Award, the Prix de Rome in the Netherlands; And Abraaj Art Prize in UAE; she is the recipient of the Illy Present Future Award at Artissima 18, Celeste Award and the Barclay Simpson Award in San Francisco.

 

Dina’s work is represented by Stigter van Doesburg (Amsterdam), Barbara Seiler (Zurich) and Rita Urso (Milan).

EDUCATION & Long Residencies

2009-2010    Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten/ Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

2006-2008    Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, US

2000-2005    Bachelor of Arts in Art, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, EG major: Visual Arts (Magna Cum Laude)

2004  BA course in Art History, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, GB, International Art History Summer School

SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2020 

  • duo exhibition with Jean-Baptiste Maitre, Victor Hugo was Here, Rita Urso, Milan, IT

2019 

  • Museo d’arte Moderna di Bologna (MAMbo)/ Villa Delle Rose, Whatever They Do May It All Turn Out Wrong with Jean-Baptiste Maitre, Bologna, IT

2018 

  • Stigter van Doesburg, Sports Memorabilia, Signed & Everything, Amsterdam, NL

2017 

  • PuntWG, The Admirer and the Admired: two person exh. with Jean-Baptiste Maitre, Cologne, DE

2016 

  • Stigter van Doesburg, The Poet Who Wanted to be Burried Underneath a Pinball Machine,  Amsterdam, NL

  • Europe by People, 7 Easy Blank Wall Solutions, Amsterdam, NL (commission)

  • Tyson, The Admirer and the Admired: two person exh. with Jean-Baptiste Maitre, Cologne, DE

2015 

  • Supplement Gallery, Dictated But Not Read, London, UK

  • Nile Sunset Annex, A Place in The Sun, Cairo, EG

  • SpazioA, To Be A Pinball, Pistoia, IT

2013    

  • Barbara Seiler Gallery, Double Bubble Gum, Doubles Bubble, Zurich, CH

  • De Nederlandsche Bank, Four Friends Fought Furiously For The Phone, Amsterdam, NL

2012  

  • SpazioA, Re-Play: Back in 10 Minutes, Pistoia, IT,

2011     

  • Barbara Seiler Gallery , A Matter of Time, Zurich, CH

  • Jeanine Hofland Contemporary Art, Dina Danish, Shmina Shmanish, Amsterdam, NL

2007   

  • PLAySpace Gallery, Howwa We Ana, However We Wanna, San Francisco (CA), US

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS and PERFORMANCES

2020 

  • Emptiness and Infinte Space V, Amsterdam, NL 

  • Stigter van Doesburg, The Hazenstraat Biennale, Amsterdam, NL

  • Martin van Zomeren, The Hazenstraat Biennale, Amsterdam, NL

  • Stigter van Doesburg, Online Artichoke Edition, Amsterdam, NL

  • The American Academy in Rome, Cinque Mostre, Rome, IT

  • Stigter van Doesburg, No Title, Amsterdam, NL

2019 

  • Perdu, Found in Translation, Amsterdam, NL (performance)

  • SALA DE ARTE SANTANDER, NO HABRÁ NUNCA UNA PUERTA. ESTÁS ADENTRO. OBRAS DE LA COLEÇÃO TEIXEIRA DE FREITAS, Madrid, ES

2018 

  • Western Front, Mouthfeel, Vancouver, CA

  • SpazioA, 10 Years of Love, Pistoia, IT

  • Kunstverein Langenhagen, Der erweiterte Blick - The Extended View, Germany

  • Martin van Zomeren, Editions & Multiples, Amsterdam, NL

2017  

  • Kunsthall Oslo, The Oslo Museum for Contemporary Art, Oslo, NO

  • Martin van Zomeren, THEY TOOK HIS FRIES HE TOOK THEIR LIVES, Amsterdam, NL

  • PINACOTECA COMUNALE DI CITTÀ DI CASTELLO, VIOLENTI CONFINI, Citta di Castello, IT

  • Nieuw Amsterdams Peil, Where Do We Go From Here? Amsterdam, NL

2016 

  • Hotel Maria Kapel, A Second Exhibition (By Other Masters, Around The Same Subject, New Date), Hoorn, NL

  • PuntWG, Failed to Sync, Amsterdam, NL

  • Salzburger Kunstverein, The People’s Cinema, Salzburg, AU

  • The Abraaj Group Art Prize, Syntax and Society, curated by Nav Hap, Dubai,  UAE

  • Travesia Curato, El Que Camina Al Lado, Madrid, ES

  • Ellen de Bruijne Projects, Performance Practices in the Gallery Context , Amsterdam, NL

  • Galerie Scharmann & Laskowski, Where The Sun Hits The Water, Cologne, DE

2015 

  • XII Baltic Triennial, Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art, A Million Lines, Kraków, Poland  

  •  Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen,  The Joycean Society, Rotterdam, NL, curated by Noor Mertens

  • Pool Projects (LUMA FOUNDATION), A Blind Man Sitting in His Garden, Zurich, CH

  • Gypsum Gallery , What Are You Doing Object,  Cairo, EG

  • Pinacoteca Nazionale, Too early too late: MIDDLE EAST AND MODERNITY, Bologna, IT

  • Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Volkskrant Beeldende Kunstprijs 2015, NL,  curated by Wilma Suto

2014 

  • South London Gallery, My Vocabulary Did This To Me (performance), London, UK

  • LEGION OF HONOR, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Artists and Editions, USA

  • Project Arts Centre, Dublin The Centre for Dying on Stage #1 curated by Kate Strain

  • de Appel Curatorial Programme; Stedleijk Museum, Amsterdam; NL Father, Can’t You See I’m Burning?  Stedelijk Museum/ Performance

  • Achenbach Foundation, Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco, Artists and Editions

  • Upominki, Rotterdam, NL Ways of Working According to an Office Desk , curated by Niekolaas Johannes Lekkerkerk

  • Co-Pilot Istanbul, All About These… Ladies and Gentlemen, Co-Pilot in collaboration with Gallery On The Move

2013    

  • Parallel Projects of Maracech Biennale, Marracech, Morrocco, With the Sound of Your Voice, curated by Niekolaas Johannes Lekkerkerk

  • Biennale Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, IDN Not A Dead End, curated by Agung Hujatnikajennong and Sarah Rifky

  • Beirut, Cairo, EG Beirut Season Four: Writing with the other hand is imagining

  • Castlefield Gallery, Manchester, UK  Some Misunderstandings, curated by CG Associate Sevie Tsampalla

  • De Appel Arts Center, Amsterdam, NL Bourgeois Leftovers

  • Wilfried Lentz Gallery, Rotterdam, NL To Scrap a proportion

  • LantarenVenster, Rotterdam, NL, Prospects & Concepts, curated by Wim Waelput

2012    

  • Tecoh Bruce Gallery, San Francisco,USA, We’re All Here Because We’re Not All There, curated by Dane Jensen and David Kasprzak

  • GallerieJ, We Are Rolling, Geneve, CH

  • Jeanine Hofland Contemporary Art, Amsterdam, NL  Not in A Million Years

  • Barbara Seiler Galerie, Zurich, CH A BRAND NEW BABY CARRIAGE STANDING THERE ON THE PORCH

  • Tegenboschvanvreden, On Demand 2, Amsterdam, NL

2011    

  • Spazio A, Pistoia, IT il gatto è sul tavolo’ The Cat is On The Table curated by Chris Fitzpatrick

  • Kunsthall Oslo, NO Run, Comrade, The Old World is Behind You curated by Will Bradley

  • Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam, NL, Two Versions of the Imaginary curated by Maria Barnas

  • videohOle project space, Dina Danish, 3 videos, San Francisco, USA

2010    

  • SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA, USA, ‘Shadow Shop’ a project by Stephanie Syjuko

  • Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam, NL, RijksakademieOPEN

  • Southern Exposure, San Francisco, USA, ‘Time After Time’ Curated by Taraneh Hemami &Valerie Imus

  • Kunsthall Oslo, NO, I Must Say That At First It Was Difficult Work, curated by Will Bradley

2009    

  • Queen’s Nails Annex,, Exercises in Seeing,  San Francisco, CA, US, curated by Post Brothers

  • Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam, NL, RijksakademieOPEN

  • CIC, Cairo, EG, Fantasy for Allan Kaprow , curated by Mai AbulDahab and Philippe Pirotte

  • San Francisco Art Commission Gallery, San Francisco (CA), US, Reconciling America: Miraculous Encounters with the Mundane

SELECTED FILM/VIDEO SCREENINGS

2016 

  • W8 <Dina Danish> hosted by Ellen de Bruijne Projects, Amsterdam, NL

2015 

  • A Tale of a Tub <The Migrant Moving Images> Rotterdam, NL

2014 

  • Kunstfilmtage <The Dispute and the Inquiry That Followed> Dusseldorf, DE

2011 

  • Bureau Des Videos program, Costes Centre Pompidou<Light Box> Paris, FR, curator C. Dirie

2010

  • 41st Poetry International Festival <Singing Reality> Rotterdam, NL curator Maria Barnas

AWARDS

2018 

  • Winner with Jean-Baptiste Maitre, Residenza per Artisti Sandra Natali, Bologna, IT

2016 

  • Shortlist, Prix K-Way Per4m, Artissima with Barbara Seiler Gallery, Torino, IT

2015 

  • Shortlist Artist, Abraaj Group Art Prize, Dubai, UAE

  • Longlist Nominee, Prix de Rome, Amsterdam, NL

  • Nominee, Volkskrant Art Award, The Netherlands

2012

  • Winner, Curator’s Choice Celeste Prize, Rome IT

  • Finalist, illy Art Rotterdam Prize, with Barbara Seiler Gallery

2013 

  • Longlist Nominee, Prix de Rome,  Amsterdam, NL

2011

  • Winner, illy Present Future award,   Artissima 18 with Jeanine Hofland Contemporary Art, Turin, IT

2008

  • Finalist, Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship, San Francisco (CA), US

  • Winner, Barclay Simpson Award, San Francisco (CA), US

2007 

  • Finalist, SECA Art award, SFMOMA, San Francisco (CA), US

RESIDENCIES AND WORKSHOPS

2019             Project Studio Rome (The American Academy in Rome/ KNIR), Mondriaan Fonds, Rome, Italy

2018             Rose Residency Programme at MAMbo, Bologna, Italy

2013             A.I.R. Dubai, by Delfina Foundation, Tashkeel, Art Dubai, and Dubai Culture

2011-2012    PiST///, BKVB, Istanbul, TR, 2011,

2012             ResO Fondazione Spinola Banna per l’Arte, Poirino, Italy

FELLOWSHIPS/STIPENDS

2020             Mondriaan Fund, Talent Development for Established Artists Grant, NL

2020             Mondriaan Fund, International Presentation, NL

2019             Mondriaan Fund, work budget Grant, NL

2018             Mondriaan Fund, International Presentation, NL

2016             Mondriaan Fund, International Presentation, NL

2015             Mondriaan Fund, Talent Development for Established Artists Grant, NL

2013             Mondriaan Fund, work budget Grant, NL

2011             BKVB Startstipendium, NL

2010             Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ICE), NL

2009             Institut Français des Pays-Bas

                     Van den Berch van Heemstede Stichting, NL

2008             Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin (CA), US, Headlands Graduate Fellowship
 

SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Museum of Modern art in Bologna, Bologna, IT

SFMOMA, San Francisco (CA), US

The Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA

Texeira de Fritas Collection, Lisbon, Portugal

The Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, California

The Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco (CA), US

The Henry Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 

De Nederlandsche Bank, The Netherlands

The Getty Art Museum, Los Angeles, California

Nomas Foundation, IT

ABN Amro Collection, NL

 

SELECTED CATALOGUES AND PUBLICATIONS

WHATEVER THEY DO MAY IT ALL TURN OUT WRONG, Artist Book & Exh. Catalogue MAMbo Editions, 2019

Sportsmemorabila met een twist (review), Het Parool, May 2018

Alves, Barbara Neves, Relocations: The Idiot as a Figure of Miscommunication, Parse (peer reviewed journal), issue #3, 2017  (http://www.parsejournal.com/article/relocations-the-idiot-as-a-figure-of-miscommunication/)

Danish, Dina, Syntax and Society, Sternberg Press, 2016

Working Geographies (review), Mousse Publishing, Turin, Italy, 2015

Danish, Dina, On Chewing Gum, artist book, 2015

Father, Can’t You See I’m Burning? (exh. Catalogue) De Appel Arts Center, Amsterdam, NL, 2014

With the Sound of Your Voice (vinyl record), The Office for Curating, Cura, Marrakech Biennale, 2013

Not A Dead End (exh. Catalogue), Biennale Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, IN, 2013

Bourgeois Leftovers (the Reader), De Appel Arts Center, Amsterdam, NL, 2013

il gatto e sul tavolo -The Cat is On The Table (exh. Catalogue), SpazioA, Pistoia, IT, 2011

RijksakademieOPEN (exh. Catalogue), Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam, NL, 2010

Danish, DinaThe Sis These S (second edition, artist book), Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam, NL, 2010

RijksakademieOPEN (exh. Catalogue), Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam, NL, 2009

Fantasy for Allan Kaprow (exh. Catalogue), Objectif Exhibitions/ Kunsthall Bern , Antwerp, BE, 2009

Danish, Dina, The Sis These S (first edition, artist book/ MFA thesis), California College of the Arts, San Francisco (CA),     US, 2008

ISR-Institute of Social Research, Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart, DE, 2008

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