Timo Nasseri (born in 1972, Berlin, Germany) lives and works in Berlin. He received his diploma in photography from the Lette-Verein, Berlin in 1997. His work uses the means of natural science to open up a perspective for the poetic and fantastic. Inspired by Ibn Muqla, Nasseri started an in-depth research on Arabic writing and alphabet, giving particular attention to forms and aesthetics. His practice discusses the infinity and boundlessness, transcendence and metaphysics in a wider context and writing as the beginning and the end.
Nasseri has had solo exhibitions at Stichting Kunstfort bij Vijfhuizen (2018); Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah (2017); and AK Vienna (2016). His work has also been shown at Haus Konstruktiv, Zurich (2019); the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto (2017); the Melbourne Triennale (2017); Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt (2016); KW-Kunstwerke, Berlin (2015); and the Drawing Room Biennial, London (2015). He was also the winner of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize in 2011.
Education
1997
Photography Diploma. Lette-Verein. Berlin, Germany.
Solo exhibitions
2023
All Borrow Their Light, Lawrie Shabibi Gallery, Dubai (UAE)
2023
Aphel. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2023
All Borrow Their Light. Lawrie Shabibi. Dubai, UAE.
2022
I am a sky where spirits live. Taubert Contemporary. Berlin, Germany.
2019
Constellations and Trajectories. Duo show with Franziska Furter. CCA Andratx Gallery. Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
2019
A Universal Alphabet. Galerie Sfeir-Semler. Beirut, Lebanon.
2018
Uncertain Phases. Kunstfort bij Vijfhuizen. Vijfhuizen, Netherlands.
2017
All the letters in all the stars. Maraya Art Centre. Sharjah, United Arab Emitates.
2017
I saw a broken labyrinth. Ab-Anbar Gallery. Teheran, Iran.
2016
Florenz - Bagdad. AK Wien. Vienna, Austria.
2015
The more beneath my feet the skies I see. Sfeir- Semler Gallery. Hamburg, Germany.
2015
Nine Firmaments. Schleicher/Lange. Berlin, Germany.
2013
Core. Schleicher/Lange Gallery. Berlin, Germany.
2012
O Time Thy Pyramids. Galerie Sfeir-Semler. Hamburg, Germany.
2010
Nasseri/Englund. Schleicher+Lange. Paris, France.
2009
Ghazal. Galerie Sfeir-Semler. Hamburg, Germany.
2009
ONE OF SIX. Kunstverein Arnsberg. Arnsberg, Germany.
2008
epistrophy. Galerie Schleicher+Lange. Paris, France.
2006
Falling Stars. Galerie Schleicher+Lange. Paris, France.
2005
Timo Nasseri. Galerie Robert Morat. Hamburg, Germany.
2005
Jet Skin. Galerie Schleicher+Lange. Paris, France.
Group exhibitions
2024
In the Night. SAMoCA. Riyadh, KSA.
2023
Build, Inhabit, Create. Casa Wabi, Mexico
2022
History in Fragments. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2022
Spieglein, Spieglein. Kunstmuseum Heidenheim. Heindenheim an der Brenz, Germany.
2022
Reflections. Museum Konkrete Kunst Ingolstadt. Ingolstadt, Germany.
2022
Geometric Opulenz. Museum Haus Konstruktiv. Curated by Sabine Schaschl. Zürich, Switzerland.
2022
ONEONONE. Taubert Contemporary. Berlin, Germany.
2021
Drawing Biennale 2021. Drawing Room. London, UK.
2021
Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet. Asia Society Museum. New York, USA.
2021
Epic Iran. Victoria and Albert Museum. London, UK.
2021
Reclections. The British Museum. London, UK.
2021
Balassanian, Fathizadeh, Nasseri, Moghaddam. Cromwell Place. London, UK.
2021
Franziska Furter - Landscape with Landscape. Lullin + Ferrari. Zürich, Switzerland.
2021
BETWIXT”. O54. Berlin, Germany.
2020
Wo die Zitronen blühen… Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Hamburg, Germany.
2020
Garten der Gegenward. Hamburg, Germany.
2019
Konkrete Gegenwart. Museum Haus Konstruktiv. Zürich, Switzerland.
2019
Negativer Raum. ZKM. Karlsruhe, Germany.
2019
Fragile Frontiers–visions on Iran's in/visible borders. Yarat Contemporary Art Space. Baku, Azerbaijan.
2019
La Nuit. Institut des Cultures d’Islam. Paris, France.
2019
Lesage, Simon, Crépin. LaM – Lille Métropole, Musée d’art moderne, d’art contemporain et d’art brut. Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France.
2019
Drawing Biennial 2019. The Drawing Room. London, UK.
2018
Through The Spectrum. Athr Gallery. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
2018
DOME. Zeiss Grossplanetarium. Berlin, Germany.
2018
L’horreur du Plein. Selma Feriani Gallery. Tunis, Tunisia.
2017
NGV Triennial. National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne, Australia.
2017
L'horreur du Plein. Selma Feriani Gallery. Tunis, Tunisia.
2017
Basis Kunst und Bau. Stadtgalerie Bern. Bern, Switzerland.
2017
Drawing Biennial 2017. The Drawing Room, London, UK.
2017
Artists against AIDS. Museum Ludwig. Cologne, Germany.
2016
A World View: The Tim Fairfax Gift. Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art. Brisbane, Australia.
2016
Temporal Turn: Art and Speculation in Contemporary Asia. Spencer Museum of Art. Kansas, USA.
2016
Unter Waffen. Fire and Forget 2. MAK. Frankfurt, Germany.
2016
In Correspondence with the drawing. Michael Fuchs Galerie. Berlin, Germany.
2016
Wendezeiten. CCA Andratx. Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
2016
MASS INDIVIDUALISM. Ab/Anbar Gallery. Teheran, Iran.
2015
Triplicity. Athr Gallery. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
2015
Sculpture and Performance at Gudenau. ALEXANDER OCHS PRIVATE BERLIN | BEIJING. Berlin, Germany.
2015
Fire and Forget. KW-Kunstwerke. Berlin, Germany.
2015
Drawing Room Biennial. Drawing Room. London, UK.
2015
Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Beirut, Lebanon.
2014
WIR 2 – Der Sinn von Politik ist Freiheit. Klinger Forum. Leipzig, Germany.
2014
Nullpunkt aller Orte. Sammlung Dominic und Cordula Sohst-Brennenstuhl, Weserburg. Bremen, Germany.
2014
The Language of Human Consciousness. Athr Gallery. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
2014
Weights and measures. Galerie Lahumiere. Paris, France.
2014
...about Edith. L'oiseau présente... Berlin, Germany.
2013
Fellbach Kleinplastik Triennale. Fellbach, Germany.
2013
Schönheit der Mathematik. Schloss Agathenburg. Agathenburg, Germany.
2013
Modification. ZKU. Berlin, Germany.
2013
Silk. Highlight Gallery. San Francisco, USA.
2012
Sculpture is Everything. Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art. Brisbane Australia.
2012
SUPERCLUSTER. CAN (Centre d'art, Neuchâtel). Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
2012
CHKOUN AHNA-ON THE TRACK OF HISTORY. Le musée national de Carthage. Tunisie, Tunisia.
2012
The Elephant in The Dark. Devi Art Foundation. New Delhi, India.
2012
Abwehr-Überlebensstrategien in Natur, Wirtschaft, Politik und Alltag. Stiftung Charles + Agnes Vögele. Pfäffikon, Switzerland.
2012
Ever Living ORNAMENT. Micro Onde, Centre d’art de l’Onde. Vélizy-Villacoublay, Paris, France.
2012
WUNDER. Kunsthalle Krems. Krems, Austria.
2012
DÉCALAGE-CHRIS CORNISH, TIMO NASSERI, EVARISTE RICHER. Galerie Schleicher+Lange. Paris, France.
2012
In Other Words. Black Market of Translation – Negotiating Contemporary Cultures. NGBK. Berlin, Germany.
2011
WUNDER. Deichtorhallen Hamburg. Hamburg, Germany.
2011
ABRAAJ CAPITAL ART PRIZE. Art Dubai. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
2010
Taaffe-Streuli-Nasseri. Galerie Sfeir-Semler. Beirut, Lebanon.
2010
En Miroir. CRAC. Alsace, France.
2009
TASWIR - PICTORIAL MAPPINGS OF ISLAM AND MODERNITY. Martin Gropius Bau. Berlin, Germany.
2009
Balla-Drama. Paradise Row Gallery. London, UK.
2009
Animated. Centre d’Art Bastille. Grenoble, France.
2009
Mashq: repetition, meditation, mediation. Green Cardamom. London, UK.
2008
Phoenix vs Babylon. Espace Paul Ricard. Paris, France.
2008
Democracy In the Age of Branding. The Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School. New York, USA.
2008
EURASIA, MART. Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea. Trento, Italy.
2008
The New World. Artnews projects. Berlin, Germany.
2008
Die Wahren Orte. Alexander Ochs Galleries. Berlin, Germany.
2008
Echo. Galerie Sfeir-Semler. Beirut, Lebanon.
2007
Dark Matter. Artnews Projects. Berlin, Germany.
2007
Photo España. Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo. Madrid, Spain.
2007
SCULPURE NOW. Galerie Herrmann und Wagner. Berlin, Germany.
2007
Saar Ferngas Förderpreis Junge Kunst. TUFA. Trier, Germany.
Art Fairs
2024
Art Basel Hong Kong. Sabrina Amrani. Hong Kong.
2024
Art Dubai. Sabrina Amrani. Dubai, UAE.
2023
Abu Dhabi Art. Sabrina Amrani. Abu Dhabi, UAE.
2023
ARCOlisboa. Sabrina Amrani. Lisbon, Portugal.
2023
Art Basel Hong Kong. Sabrina Amrani. Hong Kong, China.
2023
Art Dubai. Sabrina Amrani. Dubai, UAE.
2023
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2022
Abu Dhabi Art. Sabrina Amrani. Abu Dhabi, UAE.
2019
Art Basel. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Basel, Switzerland.
2018
Art Basel. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Basel, Switzerland.
2017
Frieze London. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. London, UK.
2017
Art Dubai. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
2017
Art Basel. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Miami, USA.
2017
Art Basel. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Basel, Switzerland.
2016
Art Dubai. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
2016
Art Abu Dhabi. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
2016
FIAC-Paris. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Paris, France.
2016
Artissima. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Turin, Italy.
2016
Frieze-New York. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. New York, USA.
2016
Art Basel. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Basel, Switzerland.
2015
Art Abu Dhabi. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
2015
FIAC-Paris. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Paris, France.
2015
Frieze-New York. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. New York, USA.
2015
Frieze-London. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. London, UK.
2015
Art Basel. Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Basel, Switzerland.
Residencies
2020
Casa Wabi. Oaxaca, Mexico.
2019
Field Kitchen Academy. Wüsten Buchholz, Germany.
2019
CCA Andratx. Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
2015
CCA Andratx. Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
2014
YARAT Residency. Azerbaijan.
Awards
2020
Stiftung Kunstfond, Bonn. Arbeitsstipendium, Germany.
2012
Ilse-Augustin-Stiftung, Arbeitsstipendium, Germany.
2011
Abraaj Capital Art Prize. Arab Emirates.
2006
Saar Ferngas Förderpreis Junge Kunst. Kunstpreis, Germany.
2004
Stipendium der Konrad-AdenauerStiftung. Arbeitsstipendium, Germany.
2003
Aenne Biermann Preis. Kunstpreis, Germany.
Publications
2018
All the Letters in All the Stars. Published with Maraya Art Centre. Sharjah. Arab Emirates.
2017
I saw a brokem Labyrinth. Published with Ab-Anbar Gallery. Iran.
2015
O time thy pyramids. Artist Book, 100 limited edition copies with a special edition of 10 original etchings.
2011
Nasseri. Published by Distanz Verlag. Berlin, Germany.
Public collections
Sammlung DaimlerChrysler. Berlin, Germany.
British Museum. London, UK.
Victoria and Albert Museum. London, UK.
National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne, Australia.
Gallery of Modern Art. Brisbane, Australia.
Spencer Museum of Art. Kansas, USA.
David Roberts Collection. London, UK.