FADI AL-HAMWI
Biography
Fadi Al-Hamwi (b.1986, Damascus, Syria) lives and works in Berlin. He studied oil and mural painting at the Damascus Academy of Fine Arts (2006-2010). His practice began investigating the latent violence in societal constructs and evolved as actual violence began to take place around him in Damascus 2011. He explores the relationship between dormant and actualised expressions of violence and desire, as well as the dialogue between construction and destruction and and revealing a deeply personal / social process of reckoning.
Al-Hamwi’s practice spans, performance, installation, sculpture and painting and has exhibited wildly in the middle east, Europe and Canada, selected shows include "Glass Fountain" a site-specific performance installation in a public park, deals with glass as a main medium inside a stone fountain that has never been filled with water for over 10 years at Reuterplatz- Berlin, Germany; "Human Mistake", GlougauAIR project space, Berlin, Germany (2022); "Sugar forever" Performance installation, 48 Stunden Neukölln, Berlin, Germany (2020).
Education
2006 – 2010 Faculty of Fine Arts Damascus, Oil and Mural Paintings
Selected Exhibitions and participations
2022 - Glas Brunnen, Performance installation Projekt, Reuterplatz fountain, Berlin, Germany.
- Untergänge - Von Disription bis Dystopie, Europäische Kunstakademie Kunsthalle, Trier, Germany.
- Human Mistake, GlougauAIR, Berlin, Germany.
2020 - The Position of the Sun in the Sky, White Columns, New York, USA.
- bis hierher und nicht weiter, Galerie Nord | Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany.
- 48h Neukölln Art festival, Sugar Forever, Performance installation, at Alfred-Scholz-Platz (Public space), Berlin, Germany.
2019 - Lost in Translation, De Warande Expo, (Sugar forever, Performance installation), Turnhout, Belgium.
- Sugar forever, Performance installation, at CAA Berlin, Germany
- While You Were Sleeping II, Duo exhibition, at CAP Kuwait, Kuwait.
- Behind the Lines, Campbell River Art Gallery, BC, Canada.
- Ma3rad , at 33&5 gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
2018 - Solo booth, East of Elsewhere at The Others Fair, Turin, Italy.
- While You Were Sleeping, 2 person show, East of Elsewhere at Vardaxoglou, London, UK.
- Behind the lines at "The Reach Gallery Museum" , BC, Canada.
2017 -100 Masterpieces of Modern and Contemporary Arab Art, at the Institut du Monde Arabe
and Barjeel Art Foundation, Paris, France.
- Journey of Belonging, CAA Berlin, Positions Gallery, Berlin, Germany
- War Correspondence, Bucharest Art Week, at Palatal Stirbei, Bucharest, Romania.
- Mosaik Syrien, collective show at Gut Altenkamp Museum, Papenburg, Germany.
- L’Art en Mouvement, Nice Solidair du Monde, Nice, France.
2016 - Vacancies, Galerie Wedding, Berlin, Germany.
- Behind the lines, Contemporary Art from Syria, Penticton Art Gallery, Penticton, British Colombia, Canada.
2015 - Syrian Video Art, CPH:DOX, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Syria off frame, Venice biennale, Venice, Italy.
- NordArt 2015, NordArt, Hamburg, Germany.
2014 - Syrian crisis:The Art of Resilience, World Bank Group, Washington D.C., USA
- SYRIAN ART OF TODAY, Oxfam Mayfair, London, UK.
2013 - Syria Art Auction, Beirut Exhibition Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
- Syria Contemporary Art Fair, Beirut, Lebanon.
- Beirut Art Fair, Beirut, Lebanon.
- Mark Hachem Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon.
- JABAL 2013 (Jeunes Artistes des Beaux-Arts du Liban), Fransabank, Beirut, Lebanon.
2012 - Society minus 180 Degrees, ART HOUSE Gallery, Damascus, Syria.
- True Color, Trio show, Joanna Seikaly Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon.
- Kozah Gallery, Beirut Art Fair, Beirut, Lebanon.
- The Visual Scene, Kozah Gallery, Damascus, Syria.
- The Small Painting, Mustafa Ali Gallery. Damascus, Syria.
2011 - Studio 1 (In need), All Art Now Gallery, Damascus, Syria. 2010 In Silence, All Art Now Gallery, Damascus, Syria.
- Vital Spaces Festival for Contemporary Art, Damascus, Syria 2009 Video Art Exhibition, All Art Now Gallery, Damascus, Syria.
- Contemporary Islamic Art competition, Damascus National Museum, Damascus, Syria; Victoria and Alpert Museum, London, UK.
- Exhibition of Light Art, The Goethe Institute, Damascus, Syria.
2008 - The Annual Spring Exhibition, Khan Asa’ad Pasha, Damascus, Syria 2007 Mediterranean
Countries, Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus, Syria.
Workshops
2016 - Syrian Art in Exile (22 workshops), Danish Public Schools in collaboration with Danish Center for Culture and Development 2015 CKU, Denmark.
2014 - Performance Art Workshop with Martha Jovanovic, Art Residence, Aley, Lebanon.
2012 - Studio 1 (In need), All Art Now Gallery School of Contemporary Art, Damascus, Syria.
2010 - Workshop on Contemporary Islamic art and Heritage Revival, National Museum, Damascus,Syria.
- Workshop on light art and control, Dresden German University of Fine Arts in collaboration with University of Damascus,
Faculty of Fine Arts, Damascus, Syria.
2009 - Sculpture Workshop: Composition in Cement, French Cultural Center, Damascus, Syria.
- Plastic Art Workshop, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Damascus, Syria.
Artist talk
2017 - GlougauAIR, Belrin, Germany.
2017 - European Forum Alpbach, Alpbach, Austria.
2016 - Bucharest art week, Bucharest, Romania.
2015 - CPH:DOX, Copenhagen documentary film festival, Denmark.
Awards and Grants
2021 - Draussenstadt, project in public space, Berlin, Germany.
2020 - "Weltoffenes Berlin” Fellowship-Programm, Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa, Berlin.
2019 - Ettjahat independent Culture, Laboratory of Arts grant, in collaboration with Goethe-Institut Libanon.
2028 - Recherchestipendien, Senatsverwaltung for culture and Europe, Berlin, Germany.
- The specific prize, The others art fair, Turin, Italy.
- The Dean collection grant, California, USA.
2015 - British Council Art Grant, Beirut, Lebanon.
2014 - Atheum Gallery Grant, Beirut, Lebanon.
- British Council Grant, Damascus, Syria.