ADEL ABDESSEMED

The artist attended the École des Beaux-Arts d’Alger, Algiers, and the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, France. In 2008, he joined David Zwirner Gallery, where he had his first American gallery solo exhibition, RIO, in 2009. Adel Abdessemed: Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? marked his second solo show at the gallery in 2012.

A major survey of the artist’s work was on view at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (October 3, 2012 – January 7, 2013). A special presentation was recently held at the Musée d’Unterlinden in Colmar, France, and it displayed Abdessemed’s Décor (2011-2012), four life-size sculptures of the crucified Jesus made entirely from razor wire, next to German Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece. Other notable solo exhibitions include the following venues: Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art, London; Ontario College of Art & Design, Toronto (both 2010); Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin (2009); MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts; San Francisco Art Institute (both 2008); P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, New York (2007); and the Musée d’art Moderne et Contemporain, Geneva (2004).

The artist has participated in a number of important group exhibitions, including In Praise of Doubt, Punta della Dogana, Venice; Seeing is believing, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin (both 2011); Aichi Triennale 2010, Nagoya, Japan (2010); Mapping the Studio: Artists from the François Pinault Collection, Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, Venice; 10th Lyon Biennale, France; 10th Istanbul Biennial; 10th Havana Biennial (all 2009); 7th Gwangju Biennial, Gwangju, South Korea (2008); 52nd Venice Biennale (2007); Happiness: A Survival Guide for Art and Life, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2003); Yokohama Triennale (2001); and Manifesta 3, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2000).

His work is represented in prominent collections internationally, including the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; The Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Musée d’art moderne et contemporain, Geneva; Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; and the François Pinault Foundation, Venice. He lives and works in Paris.