Joseph Semah

“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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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