Ahmed Alsoudani Vossstrasse Exhibition

Sadly, Ahmed Alsoudani's exhibition in Berlin had to close early. Thanks to everyone who was able to make it to Vossstrasse, it was a fantastic opening and exhibition. If you were unable to see it in person here are a few photos to enjoy!

Flavorpill visits G+R

Thanks to Noémie Bonnet of Flavorpill for this review:

Iraqi-born American painter Ahmed Alsoudani builds tumultuous compositions about violence, war, and human suffering, juxtaposing human and bestial figures whose violent disembodiment seems to unfold right on the canvas. Within these surreal landscapes, art-historical references abound, including allusions to Picasso's Guernica, Bacon's overhead lights, and Bosch's Fall of the Rebel Angels. Painterly elements in disconcertingly vivid colors are placed alongside sections of charcoal drawings on un-primed canvas, letting the mood sway unsteadily somewhere between beautiful and haunting.

Event page on Flavorpill.com

Ahmed Alsoudani in Artnet

Advance write up on show opening tonight by Charlie Finch:

What kind of art would you make if you were always on the run? If you lived in fear of arrest and were always moving across borders from one strange place to another? And how would your art practice change if you suddenly landed in the lap of luxury?

These questions arise from the life and work of Iraqi artist Ahmed Alsoudani, a man who defaced a poster of Saddam Hussein on a whim when he was a teenager and now, at 33, finds himself opening a solo show of new paintings at Chelsea's Goff + Rosenthal Gallery this weekend. After the minute Ahmed defaced Saddam, he was a marked man, who fled to Syria, living four dicey years there as a kind of non-person.

article continues...

Ahmed Alsoudani Opening at G+R

Ahmed Alsoudani in DER SPIEGEL and Titus Kaphar at SAM

Ahmed Alsoudani is the subject of a recent article in the German publication DER SPIEGEL entitled "Star of the Hour." To read the full article in German or the translated version in English, please navigate to the press section of Ahmed's artist page on the G+R website: http://www.goffandrosenthal.com/alsoudani_press/

Additionally, congratulations to Titus Kaphar for opening his solo show at the Seattle Art Museum today. The exhibit kicked off last evening with an opening reception. For more info on his show and to watch a video of the artist speaking about his work, please view the website of the Seattle Art Museum: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/exhibit/exhibitDetail.asp?eventID=15647

artnet.de coverage of Art Dubai

Goff+Rosenthal was featured in an article that appeared on artnet.de. For the full article (in German): please click here.

English translation of section discussing G+R:
In general, expectations were lowered as a precaution. Nevertheless, individual gallery owners have reported good sales on Tuesday, including Michael Schultz from Berlin and Goff+Rosenthal, who due to lacking inflow, recently closed its Berlin branch, but continues its presence in New York. In Dubai, Goff+Rosenthal has presented the large oil paintings of Ahmed Alsoudani, which behind the seemingly decorative surface reveal a violently charged atmosphere a la Francis Bacon. The Iraqi born Alsoudani lives in Berlin and was given a lot of space recently in the exhibition "Unveiled - Art from the Middle East" at the Saatchi Gallery in London. "That has certainly helped," says Robert Goff unreservedly. Because in these tense times a small miracle has occurred: even before the opening all the images were reserved (55,000 - 65,000 USD / ca. 42,000 - 50,000 EUR). Goff held back a single piece: "So we still have something to sell".

Interview with Ahmed Alsoudani in Art Dubai Journal

http://www.artdubai.ae/journal/2009/march/Ahmed_Alsoudani.html

Art Dubai

G+R has been busy this week getting ready for Art Dubai. If you're in the Middle East, check out our booth with a solo show of five of Ahmed Alsoudani's new works! TimeOut Dubai has posted a great article with an overview of the fair that highlights must-see participating galleries and artists from each continent.

Ahmed Alsoudani at The Saatchi Gallery

Ahmed Alsoudani. Baghdad I, 2008. Acrylic on canvas. 210 x 370 cm. Courtesy Goff+Rosenthal, New York.

The work of Iraqi-born artist Ahmed Alsoudani has been included in The Saatchi Gallery's Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East, which opened January 30th and will be displayed through May 9th. Unveiled is the second show in the gallery's new quarters -- Saatchi opened its new gallery space in the 70,000 sq. ft. Duke of York HQ building on King's Road, Chelsea last October. A large room on the ground floor is dedicated solely to Alsoudani's work.

To see the many reviews of the show and for more information, please see the Saatchi website.