Artists
Photo Credit: NIU Chun-Chiang
Ze Wei
Ze Wei
| Location | Germany / Berlin |
|---|---|
| Residency | Künstlerhaus Bethanien |
| Year of the Grant | 2017 |
Ze Wei has abundant experience in exhibitions and artist residency, including a residency in Sàn Art in Vietnam, Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Germany, Peru, and Kaohsiung in Taiwan. Solo exhibition "Ephemera and Immortal," Kaohsiung, Taiwan (2020), "Peace is upon me the day of my birth, and the day of my death and the day of my being raised up alive.", Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany (2018); group exhibition "Subzoology: 2020 Taiwan Biennial". Her project "Negraille" has been selected in the final list of 2016 Taipei Art Awards, Taiwan; "Ani series II- Saint Apôtres Church."(2019) is collected by National Art Bank, Taiwan.
Artist Statement
The Künstlerhaus Bethanien is at a three-floored office building in the city center of Berlin. It is near Kottebusser Tor station (Kotti), which is the border of East/West Berlin and the critical base of the Leftists and social activists. Therefore, the area is still full of a strong revolutionary atmosphere and rebel spirits.
During my residency, I had two exhibitions. One was Open Studio on 1st March, the other one was my solo exhibition at Künstlerhaus Bethanien between mid-April to early May. Both of the exhibitions focused on my project, "Ani." For" Ani," I spent time on photo and video producing, case studies and got involved with critical Armenian communities in Berlin.
During the exhibition time, I focused on interacting with critical influencers, for example, historians, Armenian/Turkish artists, and curators. I invited them to my exhibition and exchanged opinions on my project and artworks. Moreover, I seized the opportunity to visit the local Armenian community and interviewed Armenian theater directors and singers on the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
I also went to see a lot of exhibitions during the residency. Among them, I was deeply impressed by the experimental sound/music performances, which I had less experience in. In Berlin, the art institutions are pretty diverse. In addition to public galleries and private institutions, there are also many non-profit project spaces for experimental artworks.
All in all, the residency in Künstlerhaus Bethanien was an excellent opportunity for me to interact with different communities and get feedback on my work. Besides, I have learned a lot from observing artists of different nationalities and professions. I would be able to know their working methods, their beliefs about art and life, as well as their experience and career plan. It inspires me so much, no matter my artistic creation or life.
>> Please download the PDF via the link for the complete artist statement/ experience of the residency.
https://artres.moc.gov.tw/upload/upload/wei.pdf