Artist Statement
In staged photography, paintings, collages, sculptures, installations and performances, the artist Boris Duhm (* 1971) abducts the viewer into an imaginary wold of images. Hermetically terminated natural spaces turn to dramatic stages on which human mental deformations are performed. Like under a burning glass, different layers intensify into a distorted picture of society. Especially the media painting and photography are tools for the artist for creating collective places of memory. Hereby the „place“ shall be understood figuratively: it describes every viewer´s personal memories. In this way, the Boris crystallizes those (inner) landscapes from his personal biography, which have a social and finally political pertinence and he combines them to enigmatic and dream-like stagings.
The artist constantly tries to enhance his imagery horizon and transfers his aesthetic practice also into threedimensional space. In sculpture, (kinetic) room installations and wall objects he directly and in metaphors demonstrates a critical and poetic view onto the world.
In his latest series of paintings Mind Map Boris analyses the process of art creation itself: the artist becomes a medium of the colour which autonomously disperses, flows or interferes and finally creates random configurations and nets. The viewer creates the visual narrative herself / himself. The author of the artwork are the colours and substances, behaving in passing time and on the defined surface. The artist limits his painting-intervention to a minimum of gestural use of materials.
The artist has been teaching fine arts at the Moholy Nagy University of Arts Budapest as well as at art schools in Sweden, Finland and Armenia.
He is represented by numerous international museums, galleries as well as public and private collections and has had many solo and group exhibitions thoughout more than two decades.
Contact: borisduhm@hotmail.com
Selected Exhibitions
Solo shows:
2022.04.01 - 2022.06.30: Horrors of War . Schaufenster Röbel. Straße des Friedens 63, 17207 Röbel / Müritz.
2021.11.27 - 2022.03.31: The Sick Room. Schaufenster Röbel. Straße des Friedens 63, 17207 Röbel / Müritz.
2020.04.03: Opening Sommergalerie Burg 32 für Internationale Kunst. Burgweg 32, D - 17209 Stuer Vorwerk, Germany. Guest artist: Oskar Lindström ( FIN).
2020.03.12 - 2020.06.03: Art & Me Gallery. Eötvös utca 27, HU 1067 Budapest. Limbus Revisited. Collage, painting, sculpture.
2019.06.08 untill 2019.06.16: Gallery Burg 32 for International Art. LIMBUS. Together with Vikória Traub, László Csernátony Lukács and Miriam Grüning. Painting and collage.
2019.04. 04 untill 2019.06.09: Cabinett at Fotografische Sammlung ( Photographic collection) Schloss Kummerow / Mecklenburg, Germany. Collector: Thorsten Kunert. Staged photography and sculpture "1912.04.28. Phoenix".
2018.06.18 untill 2018.07.27: Gallery Müritz Sparkasse / main office in Waren ( Müritz). Staged photography, collage, painting.
2018.04.24 untill 2018.06.15: Gallery Müritz Sparkasse / agency in Röbel ( Müritz). Staged photography, collage, painting.
2018.05.19 untill 2018.05.27: Zerrbilder für Waldbewohner ( Distortions for Inhabitants of the Forest). Solo exhibition with guest artists: Emiliano Baiocchi ( IT) and Miriam Grüning ( GER) at Galerie Burg 32, Burgweg 32 in 17209 Stuer Vorwerk, Germany.
2017.06.03. untill 2017.06.11: Das Monster Schläft im Garten ( The Monster Sleeps in the Garden). Solo exhibition with guest artists: Sebastian Franzén ( S) and Miriam Grüning ( GER) at Galerie Burg 32, Burgweg 32 in 17209 Stuer Vorwerk, Germany.
2016.05.14. untill 21: Vom Stamme der Bori Pori. Solo exhibition (guest artist: Miriam Grüning) at Galerie Burg 32, Burgweg 32, D - 17209 Stuer Vorwerk / Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
2013.06.21 untill 2013.06.23: Solo exhibition at Galerie Rotiro, Skalitzer Strasse 58, 10997 Berlin. Vernissage at 6 pm and Performance ( together with Miriam Grüning ) at 10 pm.
2013.05.04 untill 2013.05.10: Solo exhibition & Body-Photogram-Performance : "Tijana Titin & Boris Duhm: Nackt!" at Galerie Kreuzberg Pavillon, Naunystrasse. 53, 10999 Berlin. Vernissage at 8 pm.
2013.02.22, untill 2013.03.10: "Mehrweg im Dickicht ( Reloaded)". Together with A. Helfer and K. Krause. Atelierhof Kreuzberg, Schleiermacherstrasse 31, 10961 Berlin.
2012.12.12 untill 2013.01.19: "Emotional Disasters and Masquerades" at Godot Galeria, Bartók Béla út. 11, HU - 1114 Budapest.
2012 September 28. - October 14.: "Mehrweg im Dickicht", Kunstverein Lübeck DEFACTO ART (Defacto Art e.V., Balauerfohr 31-33, 23552 Lübeck). Together with Karsten Krause und Andreas Helfer.
2011 December 10. - 13. "Raft of Medusa (After Sunset), Version 2" Room installation and other works at Gallery Kreuzberg Pavillon (Skalitzer 140 Temporary). Plügerstr. 70, 12047 Berlin-Neukölln.
2011 May 20 - June 19: "Jetzt kann nur noch ein Wunder helfen". Solo-show at Gallery ZeroZero on approx. 500 sqm in Berlin.
2010 November 27. /28. "Höhlengleichnis für Witwen und Jungfrauen" (with Daniel Chluba) Gallery Berber 1, Berlin-
2010 July 29. - 31. "Von Helden und Narren" (About heros and fools).
With Irma Markulin on 600 sqm Freispiel Brandshof, Harbour City, Hamburg , Germany
2009 Greetings from Space. Godot Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2008 Gibt es den Farbengott? Privatklub Wohnung, Berlin, Germany
2004 Freeze Plates. Art Hall Vaasa, Finland
2004 What´s Love Got to Do With It? Galleri Cosmopolitan, Göteborg, Sweden
2003 The Flying Fish. Backa Theater, Göteborg, Sweden
2002 The Suspect Island. Gallery Une Galette dans l´Art, Paris, France
Art fairs
2012 August 10-17: Kassel Documenta XIII. Kreuzberg Pavillon Kassel: "The Humans are Dead".
2009 September: Berliner Liste. Fair for contemporary art.
2007 Septemeber: Berliner Kunstsalon. Art fair.
Group shows ( selection)
2023.03.09 – 2023.04.09: Hochdruckgebiet. Kunstverein Rostock. Print graphic.
2023.03.10 – 2023.04.23: Schleswig-Holstein-Haus Schwerin. Neue Mitglieder. Collage.
2022.06.05 - 2022.09.11: Schloss Ludwigslust ( Gärtnerei). Lupinale, Positionen zeitgenössischer Kunst. "Mind Map", 21 paintings on A4.
2022.05.15 - 2022.07.08: Kulturforum Pampin ( art hall). 15 relief prints Horrors of War and sculpture "Phoenix.1912.04.23".
2022.04.14 - 2022.04.18: Alte Kachelofenfabrik ( Basiskulturfabrik), Neustrelitz, Germany: Benefit exhibition in favour of help for Ukraine. Auction 18th April 2022, 3 p.m. On show: relief prints Horrors of War.
2020.11.21 - 2020.12.20: Licht. Werk. Neubrandenburg. RWN Halle 12, Nonnehofer Strasse 19 ( postponed).
2019.10.04 - 2019.12.31: Museumsfabrik Pritzwalk ( Meyenburger Tor 4, 16928 Pritzwalk, Germany): "5 Jahre KunstFreunde Pritzwalk". Staged photography and collage. Triptych "Dream of the Crane-man".
2019.09.07 - 2019.09.22: Gallery Gurg 32 for International Art. Contemporary Romanian Painting. 52 romanian, moldavian, chinese and german artists. Oil painting.
2019.03.09 - 2019. 03.29: ABC Art Gallery, Genova / Italy: "Other Identities- Altre forme di identità culturale i pubbliche".
2017.11.06 - 2017.12.20 . Ways of Looking: Galerie Vierraumladen, Berlin. Curated by Stefania Carrozzini.
2017.10.01 - 2017.10.08. Künstlerhaus Alte Feuerwache, Röbel / Müritz, Germany. Curator: Kerstin Borchardt. Gotthunskamp 11, 17207 Röbel, Müritz.
2014.09.23 untill 2014.10.26, Opening: 2014.09.23, 4 – 10 pm: NYKARLEBY RECALL – COMING BACK.
Rådhusgalleriet / Raatihuoneengalleria . Kyrkogatan 4 Kirkkokatu . 66900 Nykarleby / Uusikaarlepyy, Finland.
2014.06.27 untill 2014.07.13: SCHAU FENSTER at Raum für Kunst, Lobeckstr. 30 - 35, 10969 Berlin.
2013.10.03, 8 pm at Funkhaus Berlin, Gallery on third floor, Nalepastr. 52. "Antibody".
2013.05.11 at Kreuzberg Pavillon, Naunynstr. 53, 10999 Berlin "The Feedback of all Times" with Era Vati (HU) and Ariel Grout (FR).
2013.04.10 untill 2013.04.14: Mongolfiere Libere @ Ressort Gallery, Invalidenstrasse 51, 10557 Berlin - Mitte.
2013.01.26 untill 2013.02.10: Keep Me Posted at Morgenstern Galerie , Budapester Straße 14, D - 10787 Berlin. Curated by Philip Koch.
2012 November12: Artists´ open studios in Funkhaus Berlin, Nalepastr. 18 - 50, 12459 Berlin. 2 - 10 p.m.
2012 August 25: Night of Open Museums Lübeck (Lübecker Museumsnacht ). Defacto Art Gallery, Balauerfohr 31-33, 23552 Lübeck. "Women with Money".
2012 June 21 from 4 to10 pm, Skalitzer Straße 58, Berlin-Kreuzberg: Galerie Rotiro: Painting- and Photoperformance / Group exhibition.
2012 May 04 - July 27: Ein Ort irgendwo - Heimat - Fotografien. Group exhibition curated by Tanja Hofmann. Galerie KH, Kulturhaus Karlshorst, Berlin.
2012 April 28 - May 05. "The Legend of Peggy´s Cove and other Stories". Galerie Igel, Seumestraße 24, 10245 Berlin. Vernissage 2012 April 27. at 6 pm.
2011 October 03. "Swimming Sculpture Park" at lake Weissensee, Berlin. Public installation and performance "Raft of the Medusa". Curated by Daniel Chluba, "Dixiland" .
2011 August 08-18. I exhibit the Budapest-version of the Walden Cabin on the Sziget-Festival in Budapest. An open-air exhibition, severeral interpretations by international artists of an UTOPIA are on view at the KUlturalis ZOna (KUZO). Curator: Zoltan Kunckel
2011 July 08-10 "Urlaub in Berlin". Atelierhof Kreuzberg, Berlin2011 June 10-30 "Based in Berlin" Kunsthalle am Hamburger Platz, Berlin
2011 June 01-03 The Beauty of Minor Matter, Gallery Skalitzer140_Temporary, Berlin
2011 April 29. - May 08. "800 Meter freier Fall - Gott würfelt nicht" Arthall m3 at Kuenstlerhaus Mengerzeile, Berlin
2010 December 02. - 2011 January 07. Exhibition "Mainzer Kunstpreis", Staged Photography. Mainz, Germany
2010 September 24. "Blind Date". Galerie im Regierungsviertel, Berlin
2010 August 07. - 08. "Everybody learns from Disaster". Villa Elisabeth, Berlin-Mitte
2010 June 25. - 27. "Places with Connection". 48 Stunden Neukölln, Kindl-Brewery, Berlin
2010 June 24. - July 08. Golanmausi - Analogismus, ArtSpace Berber 1, Berlin
2010 May 10. - 24. Neosakral - Saalkrone, ArtSpace BERBER 1, Berlin
2009 December 13. - 30. Alchemigrams. ACUD Gallery, Berlin
2009 November 7. - 29. "Querschnitt 22", Rosegger Kunst Zentrum, Berlin
2009 September 2. - 19. "Faces of Godot", Godot Gallery, Budapest
2009 April: Greetings from Space. Art Hall Darmstadt. Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie, Darmstadt, Germany
2008 December: Drawings. Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin
2008 July: Drawings. Galerie in der Stadtscheune, Otterndorf, Germany
2008 February: Drawings. Galerie Citycenter, Berlin
2007 August: Galerie GLUE, Berlin
2007 July: Galerie Fotoshop, Berlin
2007 April: Galerie MeinBlau, Berlin
2006 December: Galerie Blütenweiss, Berlin
2005 Hägerstens Kulturcentrum, Stockholm
2005 Kulturzentrum Kreuzberg, Saray Sosjal, Berlin
2004 Rådhusgalleri, Nykarleby, Finland
2003 Galleri Platform, Vaasa, Finland
2003 Stadsbibliotek Göteborg, Sweden
2002 Gothenburg Museum of Art, Hasselblad Center
2001 Galleri Box, Göteborg
2001 Galleri Replika, Stockholm, Sweden
2001 University for Photography and Fim Gothenburg, Sweden
2000 Kleisthaus-Gallerie, Berlin
1998, 99, 00: Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg, Germany
Permanent works in public space
2012 October: Installation of a 4,5 meters high tower of wood with a figure inside at the beach of Steinbeck ( Baltic Sea ), 35 km east of Lübeck (near Boltenhagen). The installation was intentionally destroyed by art-haters only one week after it was put up.
2011 June 24, 5-12pm: Walden-Cabin, exhibition and live-performance (together with Holger Lang) at Krossener Strasse 28, Berlin. The Walden-Cabin is a permanent installation in public space.
2008 June: wall- and ceiling-painting / collage on 72 sqm in Kulturbrauerei, Knaakstra ße, Berlin Prenzlauer Berg. Titel: „Man muß unbedeutender werden!“ (You have to get less important! A homage to Ingeborg Bachmann).
Curated exhibitions
2016 - 2021 Annual exhibitions with variouse international guest artists at Gallery Burg 32 for International Art in Stuer Vorwerk / Mecklenburg, Germany.
2019.09.07 - 2019.09.22: Contemporary Romanian Painting. 52 romanian, moldavian, chinese and german artists. Gallery Gurg 32 for International Art, Burgweg 32, D - 17209 Stuer Vorwerk, Germany.
2012 March: Künstler Salon MURID BOSH: Für Hunde in der Zentralgrube. Kunsthalle M3, Mengerzeile 1-3, 12435 Berlin
2012 January: Künstler Salon MURID BOSH: 1000 Meiserwerke & Neue Duelle. Krossener Str. 28, D - 10245 Berlin - Friedrichshain
2004 March: Rådhusgalleri Nykarleby: „Drömläge“ with students in fine arts from the Art School Nykarleby, Politechnika, FIN.
Grants
2010/11: two years working grant from the Konstnärsnämnden Sthm.
2006/07: one year working grant from Konstnärsnämnden, Stockholm.
2005: project grant from Swedish Artist Council, Konstnärsnämnden, Sthm.
2004: exhibition grant from Artist Council Gothenburg, Kulturnämnd.
2004: exhibition grant from Artist Council Österbottens Konstråd, Vaasa FIN.
2003: artist grant from NIFCA, Helsinki, FIN.
2001: project grant from Adelbertska Stiftelsen, Gothenburg.
2000: project grant from Adelbertska Stiftelsen, Gotheburg.
Represented by
Kulturforum Pampin. 19372 Pamin, Mecklenburg, Germany.
Godot Galeria. Budapest, Hungary
Galerie Rotiro. Berlin, Germany
Courtesy Galerie Burg 32, Germany
Galerie Alte Feuerwache, 17207 Röbel / Müritz
Kunstverein Lübeck, Germany
Kunstverein Mainz, Germnay
Kunstsammlung Neubrandenburg, Germany.
Anke Becker, Anonyme Zeichner, Berlin, Germany
Private collectors
in Germany, USA, Finland, Sweden and Hungary
University Teaching Positions
2010 Lecture on internationalism and Networking for artists / presentation of own body of work at Center for Contemporary and Experimental Art, Yerevan, Armenia.
2006 June: Lectures in staged photography at Göteborgs Konstskola, Prof. Peter Backhaus, S.
2005 Maj-Nov: Teacher for photography at Folkuniversitet Göteborg, S.
2005 Feb.-April: University lecturer at the department for Visuell Communication (Prof. Kopek) at the
University of Arts and Design Budapest, HU.
2004 March: Curator and leading artist for art-students at the exhibition “Drömläge” (Dream- Site) at
Rådhusgalleri, Nykarleby, FIN.
2003 Okt- 04 March: Guest-teacher for Staged Photography at the Art School Polytechnika of Nykarleby,
Merits /Residences / Prices
2018, July: Artist in Residence in Bistrita / Nassaud, Transsilvani, Romania
2005: Artist in Residence at the Moholy-Nagy University for Arts and Design Budapest, Hungary
2003-04: Artist in Residence på Konstskola Nykarleby, Finland
2003: Artist behind „Smörshoes på Getryggen“ (Butter-Shoes on Goat-Back), a photo – installation in
the mountains of Jämtland, Sweden. The installation had been randomly discovered by passer-
bys and then had drawn a lot of international media attention in radio, TV and newspapers.
1996: Best young photographer of the year in Niedersachsen
(Handwerkskammer Niedersachsen), third prize in all of Germany.
1992-95: Member of the artist-group KARG (Karg means meager, local art-landscape) with ateljé-house
and an own gallery (burned down in 1995), artist-association work, Oldenburg, Germany.
Education
2002 MFA Master of Fine Arts and Photography.
2000-02 Master program at the Högskolan för Fotografi och Film in Göteborg, Sweden, at Prof. Tuija Lindström and artist Magnus Wallin.
2000 Bachelor Degree in Visuell Communikation.
1996-00 Studies at Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg: Visuell Communikation, Fine Arts at Prof. Bernhard Blume and Prof. Jochen Hiltmann.
1993-96 Education as a professional photographer in Westerstede, Germany.
1991-93 Studium Generale (fine art, music, pedagogics, geography and psychology) at the University of Oldenburg.
Published in
2018 Müritz Anzeiger Nr.09/2018 „Fotocollagen aus Stuer“ und „Zerrbilder für Waldbewohner“
2017 Müritz Zeitung „Der Helikopter-Pilot und das Monster im Garten"
2016 Nordkurier „Bori Pori und die Farben des Waldes“
2012 March: TIP Magazin Berlin ( by Gunnar Lützow): Der Friedrichshainer Kunstsalon Murid Bosh vergrößert sich.
2008 June: Shortstory „Fictive Dogstory One“ (Sauflied in fünf Strophen)“ (Drinking song in five verses) in EIGENART, the art periodical of the Hochschule der Künste Berlin /HdK, Berlin. Several drawings included.
2008 June: Garden Eden Performance: „The Control-Cross“: dubble page as a photo-poster in EIGENART, HdK Berlin.
2007 Nov: Garden Eden Performance: „The Concilium“: dubble page as a photo-poster in EIGENART, HdK Berlin.
2007 Sept: catalogue Berliner Kunstsalon, D
2004 April: ”Saray Sosyal” onlinecatalogue, Berlin, D.
2003: ”Getryggen är namnet på fjället…”, preamble by Ann Nordvall in ”Konstnären”, KRO, Swedish Artists Association periodical, nr. 3/2003.
2003, 23. Nov: ”Nykarlebybor ställde upp och jubilerade”, Jakobstads Tidning, FIN.
2003, 20. Oct: ”Konsten vi älskar och hatar”, Dagens Nyheter, frontpage cultur, Stockholm, S.
2003, 10. Oct:”Göteborgare låg bakom mystiska skor”, Metro Göteborg, S.
2003, 09. Oct: ”Skor på fjället”, Metro Malmö, S.
2003. 09. Oct: „140 skor med smör på det öde fjället”, Aftonbladet, S.
2003, 08. Oct: “Smörfyllda skor på det öde fjället förbryllar”, Aftonbladet, S.
2003, 09. Maj: ”Mannens roll står i fokus”, Göteborgs Tidning, S.
2003, 01. April: ”Sarkastisk klang i rapp kvinnopjäs”, Borås Tidning, S.
2003, 30. Mars: ”Metoden ger bilden liv”, Göteborgs Tidning, S
2003, 28. Mars: ”Girlpower och manliga bilder på Backateater”, Metro Göteborg, S.
2003, 27. Mars: ”Mäns och kvinnors roller på Backa”, Bohusläningen med Dals Dagblad, S.
2002, 23. Aug: Program to ”Festival Art et Squats”, communiqué de presse, Paris, FR.
2002, 29. Maj: ”Existenser”, master-students exhibition at Hasselblad Center”, Göteborgs-Posten, S.
2002, 21. Maj: ”Sju fotografer, sju temperament”; Göteborgs-Posten, S.
2002: ”Humaniora utan humanism, humanism utan humaniora”; photography and drawings; Lars Sewilius Berg, ABF, Göteborg, S.
2000: Exhibition-catalogue for exibition at Kleisthaus - Gallerie, Berlin, D.
1997: ”Mein Schaukelstuhl springt vom Balkon”; phototableau in ”Orient”; publication in Material-Verlag, Hamburg, D.
Publications
2009 „Works – Boris Duhm - Berlin 2007 – 2009“. 40 Seiten, self-published.
2006 „Portfolio 2000 - 2006". 84 Seiten, self-published.