Alicja Kwade

The work of Alicja Kwade (*1979) is inspired by scientific, philosophical and social questions. By exploring models and constructs that form our perception of time, space and matter, her large-scale installations question the possibilities of objective and subjective knowledge.

Kwade frequently use materials like gold, coal, rocks and symbolically charged objects such as clocks and lamps to draw attention to aspects of time, energy and matter or to specific ways of attributing value. In arrangements that combine conceptual precision with poetic magic, she is able to expose things that seem obvious to us as deceptive and to unsettle our sense of perception. With Kwade’s installation designed specifically for our first big exhibition hall, the Berlinische Galerie has added another work to its successful format of in-situ projects by contemporary artists working in Berlin. Kwade studied at Berlin’s University of the Arts from 1999 to 2005 and is now one of the most sought-after artists in the international arena. She has recently exhibited in Tours, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Zurich, Barcelona, Shanghai, Reykjavik, Venice, New York and London.