elisabeth smolarz (Germany)

In the course of political change in the former Communist Poland of 1989, Elisabeth Smolarz’s family emigrated to Germany. Aged 13 at that time, Elisabeth Smolarz grew up between two different cultures and was affected by post-communist as well as democratic systems. As a consequence, she got increasingly involved in the idea of how consciousness and perception are influenced by one’s surroundings and its specific cultural, political, social and economical conditions. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally, at venues such as Baden Württembergischer Kunstverein, Photography Triennial Esslingen, Carnegie Mellon, Independent Museum of Contemporary Art (IMCA), Cyprus, Brooklyn Arts Council, Reykjavik Photography Museum, Espai d’art contemporani de Castelló, the Sculpture Center and the Moscow Biennial (2009) among others. Awards and residencies include the Institut für Auslandbeziehungen Travel Grant; Karin Abt–Straubinger Stiftung Grant; Capacete Artist Residency, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and, Red Gate Gallery Artist Residency, Beijing, China.

http://smolarz.com/