“It is evident that for the artists who take part in the Western project there is no such thing as a profane object. That is to say, all artworks on display in public spaces are always ritualistic and forever linked to a certain ‘sacred’ text.
At this point, it is also worth observing that each and every work of art on display in the public space presents a simultaneous presence of what is readable and what is veiled.”
Joseph Semah
Joseph Semah (2010)
Joseph Sassoon Semah (2010), Tracing Martin Heidegger's Hut and Paul Celan's Clouds [...]. Tracing paper, black ink, white thread, Richard Wagner sheet music, 39x49 cm
Joseph Semah, Placenta & Infinity, 1995
series of ten, handwriting & drawing, signed litho prints, 35 + 1 AP, 1st edition, 38,2 x 56,6 cm
Joseph Semah, Placenta & Infinity, 1995
series of ten, handwriting & drawing, signed litho prints, 35 + 1 AP, 1st edition, 38,2 x 56,6 cm
Joseph Semah, Placenta & Infinity, 1995
series of ten, handwriting & drawing, signed litho prints, 35 + 1 AP, 1st edition, 38,2 x 56,6 cm
Joseph Semah, Placenta & Infinity, 1995
series of ten, handwriting & drawing, signed litho prints, 35 + 1 AP, 1st edition, 38,2 x 56,6 cm
Joseph Semah, Placenta & Infinity, 1995
series of ten, handwriting & drawing, signed litho prints, 35 + 1 AP, 1st edition, 38,2 x 56,6 cm
Joseph Semah, Placenta & Infinity, 1995
series of ten, handwriting & drawing, signed litho prints, 35 + 1 AP, 1st edition, 38,2 x 56,6 cm
Joseph Semah, Placenta & Infinity, 1995
series of ten, handwriting & drawing, signed litho prints, 35 + 1 AP, 1st edition, 38,2 x 56,6 cm
Joseph Semah, Placenta & Infinity, 1995
series of ten, handwriting & drawing, signed litho prints, 35 + 1 AP, 1st edition, 38,2 x 56,6 cm
Joseph Semah, Placenta & Infinity, 1995
series of ten, handwriting & drawing, signed litho prints, 35 + 1 AP, 1st edition, 38,2 x 56,6 cm
Joseph Semah
Joseph Semah was born in Baghdad, Iraq. He lives and works in Amsterdam.
Selected solo exhibitions
2009 Ich bin, der ich bin, Gerhard Marcks Haus, Bremen, Germany
2008 Ferdinand van Dieten invites Joseph Semah to be his guest – The Doubling of the House, Galerie Ferdinand van Dieten, Amsterdam
2007 Next Year in Jerusalem, Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche Hannover, Germany
2007 Thou Shalt Love thy Neighbour as Thyself (An introduction to the Principle of Relative Expression), Vier-Jahres-Projekt, Museumpark Orientalis, Heilige Landstichting, Nijmegen, Netherlands
2006 Read Full text, Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo, Netherlands
2004 A Journey into PaRDeS, Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo, Netherlands
2003 The Song of the Sea, Hallisch-Fränkisches Museum, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany;
12 Churches and Synagogues, Gerhard-Marcks-Haus Bremen; Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, Netherlands; Galerie Nouvelles Images, The Hague
2001 Full Moon, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Netherlands
1999 Measurement in Time, Museum Jan Cunen, Oss, Netherlands
1998 The Wandering Jew/The wondering Christian, Leiden University, Netherlands
Selected group exhibitions
2009 Taswir, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin
2008 Dessins contemporains des Pays-Bas, Institut Néerlandais, Paris
2007 Drawing Typologies, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
2006 Room with a Views, De Bouwfonds Kunstcollectie, Gemeentenmuseum, The Hague
2005 Den Haag Sculptuur, The Hague, Netherlands
2005 Respect! Forms of community – Contemporary art from the Netherlands, Marrakech, Mondrian Foundation, Amsterdam
2004 Joseph Semah: Open/Closed, Centrum Beeldende Kunst De Krabbedans, Eindhoven, Netherlands
2002 Kunst zonder kerk, Museum voor Religieuze Kunst, Uden, Netherlands
2001 Collection Becht, Krabbedans, Eindhoven, Netherlands
1999 Gotische Reflecties, Stadsgalerij, Heerlen, Netherlands
1998 Der Turm zu Babel, Museum Gerhard Marcks Haus, Bremen, Germany
1996 Should I stay or Should I go, Tilburg, Alkmaar, Utrecht, Netherlands
Selected books & catalogues
2009 Arie Hartog a.o. (eds.), Joseph Semah. Ich bin, der ich bin (EHYeh ASheR EHYeH), Gerhard Marcks-Haus, Bremen
2008 Jürgen Fitschen, Julia Helmke (eds.), Next Year in Jerusalem Museum. Joseph Semah, Gerhard Marcks Haus, Bremen
2006 Ulco Mes, Joseph Semah a.o. (eds.), Joseph Semah. A Journey into PaRDeS, Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo
2006 Felix Villanueva, Joseph Semah (eds.), Joseph Semah. The Wandering Jew/The Wondering Christian, LAK Gallery, University Leiden