Iman Rezai

Iman Rezai (born 1981 in Shiraz, Iran) is an artist currently living and working in Berlin, Germany.

In March 2012, Rezai attracted international attention for his conceptual artwork "Die Guillotine" (German for: The Guillotine)

Early life[edit]

Rezai began his artistic career at art school in Tehran, studying in Tokyo and London before moving to Berlin where he became a masters student at the University of Arts in the class of Leiko Ikemura from 2006 to 2012.^[1] In January 2015, his brother Ardavan Rezai published the autobiographical book "We are all mouses" (original German title "Wir sind alle Mäuse" and a translation mistake in the word 'mouses' was kept) that releases insights of the childhood of the two brothers and their migration to Berlin.^[2]

Art[edit]

Die Guillotine[edit]

In 2012, Iman Rezai and Rouven Materne, who were at this time master students at the Berlin University of Arts, have built an execution instrument and started a public vote concerning the killing of a sheep to assess and represent the current state of democracy. The construction of the machine and the literature surrounding the life or death of the sheep was already met with resistance at the University whilst still in its planning stage. In a democratic vote, with rules established by the artists, the public could decide whether a sheep will be executed by a colourful instrument of death devised by him. Over a period of four weeks 4.2 million people voted from all over the globe and over 500 different international media reported on the uproar.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12] The artists announced the controversial project was sold for $2.3 Million.^[13] This was later revealed as fake news.^[14]

Cyber War 2012[edit]

Using the email address of the New National Gallery Berlin, Iman Rezai invited guests to the fictional exhibition named "The performative post-modern as an expression of modern austerity in the age of precarity."^[15]

With "BundesInvest", Rezai demonstrated how easy it is to establish a company that appears to specialise in the sale of nuclear waste.^[16]

Waterboarding 2012[edit]

With his performance "Waterboarding" as part of an exhibition, Rezai invited volunteers who could be subjected to the procedure in a rack created by him – to find out for themselves whether Waterboarding should be judged as a painful experience or merely a harmless shower.^[17]^[18]^[19]

Exhibitions[edit]

2023 “EXITUS”, Berlin, Germany
2022 “DIALOGUE WITH THE OTHER” O GALLERY, Tehran, Iran
2020 “SPRAY III”, Alte Muenze Berlin, Germany
2019 “SPRAY MOUNTAIN", Berlin, Germany
2018 “OFFBEAT”, Schaufenster, Berlin, Germany
2018 “THAT’S ALL RIGHT MAMA”, XXY-ROOM, Berlin, Germany
2018 “SPRAY", VOODOO55 Art Space, Berlin, Germany
2018 LUFTHACKEN /Virtual /Robot
2017 I AM E-WASTE /Virtual
2013 “QUAL & WAHL”, KUNSTVEREIN Wolfsburg, Germany
2012 “CYBER WAR”, Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin /Virtual
2012 "Illusion H2O", von Marten, Berlin^[20]
2012 "1965,85 °C", Spinnerei, Leipzig
2012 "Die Guillotine", Virtuell
2012 "Licht und Schatten", Beta-Haus, Berlin
2011 "Neu West Berlin", Berlin
2011 "Veilchen", Uferhallen, Berlin
2011 "Zu Gast bei Connex", Connex, Leipzig
2011 "Bubble Projects", (NL)
2010 "MEETING POINT", Forum Kunst und Architektur, Essen
2010 "Artpoint", Bereznitsky Gallery, Donetsk (UA)
2010 "Musashino Art Festival", MAU, Tokio (JP)
2010 "No Limit", MAU, Tokio (JP)
2010 "MEETING POINT", Kommunale Galerie Berlin, Berlin
2010 "Dragonz, come out to play", Tapetenwerk, Leipzig
2010 "Rough&Tough", UdK Berlin, Berlin
2010 "Forgotten Bar II", Berlin Kreuzberg
2010 "Kongress für Anders", Hamburg
2010 "Forgotten Bar I", Berlin Kreuzberg
2010 "Hands and friends II", Pels Leusden, Berlin
2010 "Hands and friends I" UdK, Berlin
2009 "Nacht & Nebel Neukölln", Berlin

References[edit]

^ Jeni Fulton: UDK Rundgang – Iman Rezai. auf: BerlinArtLink. 2. August 2011.
^ We are all mouses Google Books February 20, 2015.
^ ([1] The Telegraph, UK, April 24, 2012)
^ ([2] Nigeria News, Nigeria, April 24, 2012)
^ ([3] Zprávy, Czech Republic, April 24, 2012)
^ ([4] Volkskrant, The Netherlands, April 24, 2012)
^ ([5] Mente Aberta, Portugal, April 24, 2012)
^ ([6] Austrian Times, Austria, April 25, 2012)
^ ([7] Croatian Times, Croatia, April 25, 2012)
^ ([8] Herald Sun, Australia, April 25, 2012)
^ ([9] Kunstbeeld, The Netherlands, April 26, 2012)
^ ([10] Huffington Post, USA, April 27, 2012)
^ ([11] The Huffington Post, USA, May 5, 2012)
^ ([12] PR ON THE GO, Greece, November 9, 2023)
^ ([13] BLOUIN ARTINFO, USA, November 5, 2012)
^ ([14] BundesInvest, 2012)
^ ([15] Der Freitag, Germany, December 5, 2012)
^ ("Die Vollmacht | Krzysztof W. Rath". Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015. Die Vollmacht, Germany, December 2012)
^ ([16] YouTube documentation, 2012)
^ "Illusion H2O, 2012". Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.

External links[edit]

[1] Jeni Fulton: UDK Rundgang – Iman Rezai. auf: BerlinArtLink. 2. August 2011.

[2] We are all mouses Google Books February 20, 2015.

[3] ([1] The Telegraph, UK, April 24, 2012)

[4] ([2] Nigeria News, Nigeria, April 24, 2012)

[5] ([3] Zprávy, Czech Republic, April 24, 2012)

[6] ([4] Volkskrant, The Netherlands, April 24, 2012)

[7] ([5] Mente Aberta, Portugal, April 24, 2012)

[8] ([6] Austrian Times, Austria, April 25, 2012)

[9] ([7] Croatian Times, Croatia, April 25, 2012)

[10] ([8] Herald Sun, Australia, April 25, 2012)

[11] ([9] Kunstbeeld, The Netherlands, April 26, 2012)

[12] ([10] Huffington Post, USA, April 27, 2012)

[13] ([11] The Huffington Post, USA, May 5, 2012)

[14] ([12] PR ON THE GO, Greece, November 9, 2023)

[15] ([13] BLOUIN ARTINFO, USA, November 5, 2012)

[16] ([14] BundesInvest, 2012)

[17] ([15] Der Freitag, Germany, December 5, 2012)

[18] ("Die Vollmacht | Krzysztof W. Rath". Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015. Die Vollmacht, Germany, December 2012)

[19] ([16] YouTube documentation, 2012)

[20] "Illusion H2O, 2012". Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.

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