Salwa Aleryani
Far from closing the circle
28 Jan–12 Mar 2023
Moving between a water tank, a fountain, a roundabout, and a penny press, Salwa Aleryani’s exhibition Far from closing the circle follows a trail of artefacts and symbols, which serve as protagonists of national narratives, or as carriers of value, marked by events that express political aspirations and power relations across geographies. Stops include: the printing plate of a postage stamp that was created to commemorate Yemen’s admission to the United Nations, but never released. Another presents a correspondence between the Royal Mint and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen central bank, Masraf Aden, as well as illustrations on banknotes, which trace back to a German composer and photographer.
Aleryani shifts from bird’s-eye view to close-up, giving attention to the individual stones of a building and the individual coins of a currency; the inconspicuous carriers of built landscapes and capital, from which in turn social spaces and their structures arise. How could they be shaped and minted, so that they become the substance of the narratives, needs and desires of those who inhabit these spaces?
Far from closing the circle is Aleryani’s first institutional solo exhibition in Germany.
Thanks to Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum – cultures of the World, Cologne, for the loan of photographs by Hans Helfritz.
The exhibition is supported by:
Image: Postage stamp printing plate, (commemoration of the admission of Yemen to UN), 1947–49, detail
Programme
Fri, 27 Jan 2023, 7 pm
Opening Night with an Introduction by Heinrich Dietz
Thu, 2 Feb 2023, 7 pm
Curator’s Tour with Heinrich Dietz
Thu, 23 Feb 2023, 7 pm
Artist talk with Salwa Aleryani
Sun, 26 Feb 2023, 2–4 pm
Workshop for Children 6–12 years
Printing Workshop with Buchkinder Freiburg e.V.
Tue, 28 Feb 2023, 7:30 pm
Film Screening
Zum Vergleich (Harun Farocki, 2009)
Location: Kommunales Kino Freiburg
Thu, 9 Mar 2023, 7 pm
Guided Tour with Theresa Roessler