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Alaa Abu Asad
B. 1989 Nazareth, based in the Netherlands

aboasad.alaa[at]gmail[dot]com

EDUCATION

2016 – 2018       Master of Arts, Dutch Art Institute (DAI), Arnhem (NL), supported by Rana Sadik and Samer Younis, and A. M. Qattan Foundation

2009 – 2013     Bachelors of Fine Art in Photography (Cum Laude), Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem

2008 – 2009   Department of Animals Science, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

2007                    Graduated High School, St. Joseph High School and Seminary, Nazareth

EXPERIENCE

2022 – 2023     Fellow, TXT department, Gerrit Rietveld Academie (NL)

2023                    External Expert, WDKA Rotterdam (NL)

2020 –                Learning coordinator assistant, Dutch Art Institute (NL)

2018 – 2019       WALTER books in Arnhem (NL)
2017 – 2019       Communication team, Dutch Art Institute (NL)

2015 – 2016       Assistant Curator, Never Part exhibition, The Palestinian Museum (PS)

2013                     Assistant Curator, The Long Journey - UNRWA audiovisual archive for Palestine refugees (JLM)

2013                     Bezalel Academy Dean of Students Office (JLM)

2011 – 2013        Bezalel Academy Library (JLM)

ART RESIDENCIES

2024                    The Konrad and Paweł Jarodzki Artist In Residence Programme, Krzyżowa (PL)

2022                    Timelab, Ghent (B)

2021                     Mophradat, Athens (GR)

2021                     C. Rockefeller Centre for Contemporary Arts, Dresden (DE)

2019 – 2020      Jan Van Eyck Academy, Maastricht (NL)

2019                     Kulturkontakt Austria, Vienna (AT)

2018                     Dream Art Institute (with Ulufer Çelik), Arnhem (NL)

2016                     UNIDEE – University of Ideas (The Shifting Place), Cittadellarte, Biella (IT)

2014                     GAP-Global Art Programme Waiting for Expo 2015, Artegiovane Milano (IT)

2014                     Arbeitsgruppe Gästeatelier Krone Aarau (CH)

MEDIA

2024                    Durch den Asphalt gewachsen: Beikraut als Kunst, Cleo Wächter und Lusin Reinsch, Kultur Mitte

2023                    A conversation and film on the political power of image and beauty, EastEast

2023                    How long is this state gonna last?, misted.cc

2023                    Alaa Abu Asad’s Wild Plants: An Interview, J Carrier, Asymptote

2023                    World Fine Art Professionals and their Key-Pieces, 409 - Alaa Abu Asad, Marbella Marbella

2023                    373 words to insult a plant, Luna Thissen in conversation with Alaa Abu Asad
2023                    When local plants die out, Japanese Knotweed becomes the new companion, Walter van Teeffelen, if then is now

2022                    "فن للحياة: أولوفير تشيليك وعلاء أبو أسعد يشرحان القصة وراء كلمة "طز, BBC News عربي

2022                    The triffid’s day has come: designing with invasive plants, Debika Ray, Financial Times

2021                     WORDPLAY AS ACTIVISM: Interview with Alaa Abu Asad & Ulufer Çelik, ArtAsiaPacific

2021                     Plants, Language and Politics: Victoria DeBlassie in Conversation with Alaa Abu Asad, SUMAC SPACE

2020                    عن عمل "حلقة مفرغة" المشارك في معرض الهيمنة على الحشائش في مؤسسة القطّان في رام اللّه
2019                     Renouée : une histoire d’invasion, de colonisation, d’épuration, Le Monde
2019                     
علاء أبو أسعد وأولوفير تشِليك: تأمُّلات في إرث لغوي، العربي الجديد

PUBLICATION & TRANSLATION

2024                    On Foraging in Palestine, Japan & Maastricht, Limestone, Maastricht (NL)

2023                    Coreia, experimental publication printed on paper, Lisbon (P)

2022                    Under the Tower, artist’s book, Arabic translator, content and copy editor (B)

2021                     Moving narratives : Images de Palestine, Dazibao, Montreal | EN:AR translation (CA)

2021                     Psychic Refuge, Sophie Hoyle | EN:AR translation (UK & PS)

2018                     A hand I wished I’d never touched, Luleå biennal's fourth issue of the Lulu-journal (SE)
2017                     The Griefers of Bandung, DAI (NL)

2017                     Understanding Territoriality: Identity, Place and Possession, Fabrica et al., Brighton (UK)

2017 – 2021       Mudam, a cooperative online project of rethinking translation (PS)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS (SELECTION)

2024                    yellow brick, blue brick, perpetually, B32 Artspace, Maastricht (NL)

2024                    Dwaalkruis, stichting The Butterfly House, Zuid-Limburgse Bunde (NL)

2024                    A Stream of Echoes, BFI London Film Festival, London (UK)

2024                    We don't want to be stars (but parts of constellations), GROND, Amsterdam (NL/online)

2024                    Invasion Ecology, Radical Ecology, Southcombe Barn (UK/online)

2024                    Soundwalk Premiere, Fort Blauwkapel, Utrecht (NL)

2024                    Falastin: A Digital Monument, Chapter II: Crack in the Mosaic, Col\ecteurs, The Museum of Private Collections (online)

2024                    Foraging in Maastricht, Limestone, Maastricht (NL)

2024                    Palestine Teach Outs #4, DAI, Vleeshal, Middelburg (NL)

2024                    Solidarity screening for Palestine, House of Annetta, London (GB)

2024                    Knots, Weeds & Roots, Mediamatic, Amsterdam (NL)

2024                    In the Absence of the Invasive, The Mosaic Rooms, London (UK)

2024                    Forages + Wild Plants of Palestine, KASKcinema, Ghent (B)

2024                    Parables for the Future Sun, Images Festival, Toronto (CA)

2024                    Knowledge share, Herban Cura (online)

2024                    Farther Than the Eye Can See, Xinema, VIFF, Vancouver (CA)

2024                    Views from Palestine, Artcite, Windsor (CA)

2023                    De Aanschouw, Rotterdam (NL)

2023                    For All Things Spoken and Unwritten, Images Festival, Toronto (CA)

2023                    Confusions & Conclusions II, RIB, Rotterdam (NL)

2023                    Kortfilmprogramma Palestina & Sharing Corner, FOMU, Antwerp (B)

2023                    Artistieke en culinaire interventie met de Japanse Duizendknoop als toekomstige compagnon, Timelab, Ghent (B)

2023                    People of the Land, AFMI Arab Film and Media Institute (online)

2023                    Curves of Inquiry, Gym, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam (NL)

2023                    Performance Night, Varia, Rotterdam (NL)

2023                    Tongue Twisting Dinners | SESSION 2, an other world, Rotterdam (NL)

2023                    Instant Modernism, A. M. Qattan Foundation, Ramallah (PS)

2023                    What form do I take to be able to speak?, Beirut Art Center (LB)

2023                    Japanese Knotweed Festival, Mediamatic, Amsterdam (NL)

2023                    Museumnacht: Boek Klup #1, PrintRoom, Rotterdam (NL)

2023                    Autophagy: Eating in Its Destructive and Creative Nature, curatorial project (online)

2023                    Look Who’s Talking, socially collaborative art project (online)

2022                    earth nurture seed, storm studio, New York (USA)

2022                    Onder de Kerktoren, book launch, WARP (B)

2022                    Pink Whale, video screening program, Kunsthalle Bratislava (SK)

2022                    Wild Summer of Art, Brutus, Rotterdam (NL)

2022                    Imaginary Borders, Bel Art Gallery, Novi Sad (SRB)

2022                    Read the Room, Kaaitheater, Brussels (B)

2022                    I love it when translation can be found to agree with our weird desires, the mosaic rooms, London (UK)

2021                     Psychic Refuge: Commissions Programme, Forma, London (UK)

2021                     Blueprint, Antwerp (B)

2021                     Freedom is One: Palestinian-Black Kinship Then, Now and Tomorrow, mpp-DC, Washington (USA)

2021                     Toronto Palestine Film Festival TPFF (CA)

2021                     Moving narratives : Images de Palestine, Dazibao, Montréal (CA)

2021                     Noorderlicht International Photo Festival, Groningen (NL)

2021                     Rijnhoutplein Festival: Moedertaal / Beeldverhaal, PrintRoom, Rotterdam (NL)

2021                     Language & Plants, sound performance with Alwin Weber, C. Rockefeller Center, Dresden (DE)

2021                     Society of Nature, OnCurating Project Space, Zurich (CH)

2021                     Tejedora and Japanese knotweed, sound performance with Daniel Godínez Nivón (online)

2021                     Mudam in conversation with Franco "Bifo" Berardi (working title), Dar Jacir, Bethlehem (PS)

2021                     Under The Tower (4), The Arab Culture Association, Haifa (PS)

2020                   Practice Sharing, language-based artistic research (SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP)

2020                   With doors closed artists go viral 2, with Rana Hamadeh, Medrar for Contemporary Art, Cairo (EG)

2020                   Future Materials Bank, Nature Research department at the Jan van Eyck Academy (NL)

2020                   ACROSS THE WAY WITH..., series of informal readings, Shimmer, Rotterdam (NL)

2020                   Weed Control, group exhibition, A. M. Qattan Foundation, Ramallah (PS)

2020                   +4(0)800001216, a voice message project (CH)

2020                   Reel Palestine Shorts, Cinema Akil, Dubai (UEA)

2019                     Smart Culture Conference: Future of Nature, Naturalis, Leiden (NL)

2019                     Group Show: B, Belmacz, London (UK)

2019                     Nightwatch Maastricht (NL)

2019                     Toronto Palestine Film Festival TPFF (CA)

2019                    Sleeping with a Vengeance, Dreaming of a Life, Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart (DE)

2019                     Hidden Bar 2019, Art Basel (CH)

2019                     Translocal Scores, Project Space, Vienna (AT)

2019                     Transcultural Emancipation, Fluc, Vienna (AT)

2019                     Garden opening, #1 The Assembly, philomena+, Vienna (AT)

2019                     Home Alone & Oh Parents! Oh Son!, Arnhemse Uitnacht 2019, Arnhem (NL)

2018                     We Shall Be Monsters, Ramallah (PS)

2018                     Sleeping with a Vengeance, Dreaming of a Life, Institute for Provocation, Beijing (CN); Lítost, Prague (CZ); Yellow Brick, Athens (GR)

2017                     880 m ü. M. Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Palästina, Forum Schlossplatz, Aarau (CH)

2017                     Offline, Up & Coming, Zurich (CH)

2017                     Jornal, in the context of DAI Roaming Academy Teaching as a Form of Art, lead by Ruth Noack, Salvador de Bahia (BR)

2017                     Erotisch – Offsite show organised by Clementine Edwards, Rotterdam (NL)

2016                     OpenGround 2016, workshop for artists and curators, State of Concept, Athens (GR)

2016                     Humans from Palestine: The Karimeh Abbud Award, Dar Al-Kalima University College of Arts & Culture, Bethlehem (PS)

2016                     Cultural Policy Module, Cultural Management Palestine, Goethe-Institut Ramallah (PS)

2016                     Chapter 31:An Odd Piece of Research on the Many Virtues of the Oriental Imagination, P21 Gallery, London (UK)

2015                     The Gift - Exhibition & Silent Auction, Al Ma’mal Foundation, Jerusalem (PS)

2015                     FROM THE INTANGIBLE TO THE TANGIBLE, Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich (CH)

2015                     Artists from Nazareth, The House of Culture & Art, Nazareth Orthodox Community Council (PS)

2015                     GAP - global art programme waiting for EXPO 2015, La Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan (IT)

2015                     Alfilm - Arab Film Festival Berlin (DE)

2014                     Love Letters to Mars, Office of Contemporary Art, Oslo (NO)

2014                     The Lonely Crowd, Eye on Palestine - Arts and film festival, Pianofabriek, Brussels (B)

2014                     Being with/the Other, Bärengasse Museum, Zurich (CH)

2013                     5th Cairo Video Festival - Video Art & Experimental Films, Medrar, Cairo (EG)

2013                     /Si:n/ Festival, Ramallah (PS)

2013                     All the Other Lovers, 98 Weeks/Project Space, Beirut (LB)

2013                     Reduction, Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah (PS)

2012                     All the Other Lovers, Evagoras Lanitis Cultural Centre, Limassol (CY)

2012                     Crestfallen, Beit Al Karma, Haifa (PS)

2011                      Open Studio Exhibition, Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah (PS)

2011                      Palestinian Film and Queer Identity, Yale University and NYU (USA)

GRANTS & AWARDS 

2024                    Praktijkbijdrage, CBK Rotterdam (NL)

2023                    Artist Project, Monderiaan Fond (NL)

2023                    Praktijkbijdrage, CBK Rotterdam (NL)

2021                     Corona-overbrugging kunstenaar, Mondriaan Fonds, Amsterdam (NL)

2020                    Volumes Book Award 2020, Kunsthalle Zurich (CH)

2019                     Publication grant, Mophradat, Brussels (B)

2011                      Certificate for Excellence first year of BFA, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (JLM)

SOLO SHOWS

2015                     Image : Imagination, Resurrection, Al Ma’mal Foundation, Jerusalem (PS); Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre, Ramallah (PS)

2014                     Image : Imagination, Resurrection, Forum Schlossplatz, Aarau (CH)

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