Hyde Park Art Center Welcomes 2016 Deutsche Bank Artist of the Year Basim Magdy for Chicago Residency

CHICAGO, IL –This July the Hyde Park Art Center (5020 S. Cornell Ave.) will welcome Deutsche Bank’s “Artist of the Year 2016,” Basim Magdy, to participate in the Jackman Goldwasser Residency for the summer of 2016. During his time as an artist in residence Magdy will host an open studio on July 30 from 2p.m.-5 p.m. and an artist talk on August 3 from 6p.m.-7p.m.  As a Jackman Goldwasser resident artist, Magdy will have the opportunity to expand his practice through new research while immersing himself in Chicago’s rich art scene. Unlike similar artist residencies, this program makes no production demands on its artists, allowing them to take risks in their work and engage with the resources and vibrant art community offered by Chicago. Magdy is best known for film, video and photo-based work, though while in residence, he is eager to reconnect with other lesser-known facets of his practice, such as painting.

“This residency will be an opportunity to generate new ideas, not only for Basim Magdy’s personal practice but also his fellow artists at the Art Center and the Chicago art community as a whole,” said Allison Peters Quinn, Director of Exhibitions and Residency Programs. “That is really the purpose and goal of these residencies; to promote an exchange of artistic ideas centered at the Hyde Park Art Center.”

Magdy, who splits his time between Basel and Cairo, works in a variety of media including film, video installation, photo-based work and painting. His works, which are often recognizable by their deep saturated color, seek to assign new meanings to pervasive images that may have fixed associations. Through his poetic, multifaceted and humorous, Magdy’s work questions the ways in which people experience images and understand events, both historical and contemporary. Magdy has recently focused on developing film and video work, creating a series of Super 8 and 16 mm films, which have been included in many festivals including the New Museum Triennial.

About Basim Magdy

Basim Magdy was born in 1977 in Assiut, Egypt. He received a BFA at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University, Cairo. Magdy’s work has been remarkably well-received earning him numerous awards including Deutsche Bank “Artist of the Year 2016,” the 2015 Experimental Award at the Curtas Vila do Conde at the International Film Festival, Portugal and the 2014 Abraaj Art Prize, Dubai. Recent solo shows include An Absent Population Laughs at its Haunting Withdrawal, Art in General, New York (2014); A Steady Progress of Nothingness, Newman Popiashvili Gallery, New York (2013), Confronting the Monster in a Monster Costume, Centre Culturel Suisse, Paris (2013), and On A Better Day than This, Townhouse Gallery of Contemporary Art, Cairo (2008). He has participated in numerous international group exhibitions including at Whitechapel, London (2016), MoMA, New York (2015), The New Museum Triennial (2015), 13th Istanbul Biennial (2013), Sharjah Biennial 11 (2013), Future Generation Art Prize (2012), Venice (2013), Homeworks, Askhal Alwan, Beirut (2013), La Triennale, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012), Transmediale, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin (2012), One Day We Will Shine Like the Stars, Kunsthalle Wien (2011) and Rencontres Internationales, Centre Pompidou, Paris (2011). Later this year, Magdy will have a solo exhibition at the Jeu de Paume, Paris.

About the Jackman Goldwasser Residency

Situated within the community of Hyde Park Art Center, the Jackman Goldwasser Residency provides a platform for international, national, and local artists each year to take creative risks within their practice and expand their professional networks while living and working in Chicago. The Jackman Goldwasser Residency aims to stimulate Chicago’s cultural community by supporting the creative process and provide a space for cross-cultural exchange and conversation.

Residencies are curated with selection based on the quality of artists’ work and the impact this residency will have on their practice. International and national residencies range from six to eight weeks, while local artists may be in residence for up to a year, depending on the artist’s needs and project scope. Artists are provided studio space at the Art Center, accommodation, supportive resources, and connection to the city’s artists, institutions, and cultural communities.