Reflections.
Diversity Art Forum-Academy Now-Leni Dothan's Exhibition in Norway 2017.
Saturday 7th October 2017
Academy Now Artist Winner--Leni Dothan.
Leni Dothan | Birth & Death
7 October - 12 November Opening 7 October, 2pm
Håvegen 347, 4365 NÆRBØ, Norway www.hagamleprestegard.no
I met Leni Dothan in London, during her final degree show at the Slade School of Fine Art, in June 2015 and seeing her work blow me away immediately... There were videos, sound and photographic installations: they were poetic, strong, bold and at moments, light and even funny. There were reference to classical biblical iconography but the narrative was new and original, personal and universal. Her work revisits representation of women and motherhood in renaissance paintings and through powerful installations she encourages the viewer to reflect upon the non-spoken.
Leni was there and I interviewed her on the spot. Lots of questions and lots of answers gave me the full picture of the person behind the work. I discovered an incredibly brave, restless young mother who did not give up on her aspiration to become a professional artist and managed to move to London, grow her 3 year old child and gain a distinction as final result of her MA at Slade.
Leni Dothan was chosen this year by the Academy Now judges and she is among the 5 shortlist artist 2017 for bravely encouraging discussions around topics like motherhood, family relations and social/cultural boundaries.
Leni Dothan was born in 1981 in Israel and lives and works in London. She is currently a PhD student at the Slade School of Fine Art. Dothan completed her B.Arch studies in 2009 at the Bezalel Academy for Art and Design and her MFA Studies in 2015 at the Slade (Distinction). Solo shows include the Temple Church in London, St. Cyprian's Church in London and Ha'Hanut Gallery in Tel -Aviv, Israel. Group shows venues include The Jewish Museum in London, Latitude Film Festival UK, Fresh Paint - video greenhouse, Tel-Aviv, OFF Course, Contemporary Art Fair in Brussels, Belgium.
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ACADEMY NOW JUDGES 2017- 2018
The Academy Now jury is made of young as well as more senior professionals: artists, curators,
museums/foundations directors and art patrons. All judges are invited for their knowledge of contemporary visual
culture and for their genuine focus on supporting research and new artists.
Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, collector and president of Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo- Turin.
Vittoria Matarrese, head of cultural program & special projects and chief curator of performance art at Palais de Tokyo -Paris.
Pauline de Souza, senior lecturer at the University of East London and director of Diversity Art Forum -London.
Frédéric de Goldschmidt, private collector and art patron- Brussels.
Pre-selectors:
Zhu Tian, artist, winner of the Broomhill National Sculpture Prize '14 (UK) and the Catlin Art Prize '15 (UK), shortlisted by Academy Now 2014.
Lorenzo Balbi, newly nominated artistic director of MAMbo, former curator, coordinator of the Young Curators Residency Programme at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo -Turin.