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BIOGRAPHY

BAHZAD SULAIMAN

Visual artist and performance maker.

Born 1991, Rmelan, Syria.
Lives and works in Germany.

 

EDUCATION

2017-2019  Academy of Arts, Saarbrücken, Master of Free art, by Prof. Georg Winter, Prof. Daniel Hausig, Prof. Eric Lanz.
2012-2015  Damascus University of fine Arts, Damascus, Bachelor of Sculpture.
2012-2015  Higher Institute of Theater Arts, Damascus, Bachelor of theater design.
2009-2011  Intermediate Institute of Applied Arts, Damascus, Sculpture.

 

EXHIBITIONS, Solo

2021  Installation in public space, Kulturfunke and Haus der Kultur, Lübeck, Germany.
2021  ISO-BODY, AUTOMAT artspace, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2015  Solo exhibition at Art House Gallery, Damascus, Syria.

 

PERFORMANCE CREATION

2025  Schwarzes Licht, Opera Performance, Frankfurt LAB, Germany. 
2023  Das Flüssige zwischen uns, Opera Performance, Saarland Museum- Moderne Galerie, Saarbrücken, Germany. 
2023  Civîn, Performance in a public space “Habibi Dome”, Regensburg, Germany.
2021  Performance AnDeres, PLOPP Festival, Galerie der HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2021  Performance ZWICHWN, Encore Festival, Theaterschiff Maria – Helena, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2019  Performance MIKROKAOSMOS, SPARTE 4, Saarländisches Staatstheater, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2019  Performance Die Konvulsion, HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2019  Performance INDIVIDUATION, Handwerker Gasse, Völklingen, Germany.
2018  Performance Die Begrenzung, Galerie der HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.

 

FELLOWSHIPS, RESIDENCIES, FORUM, SCHOLARSHIPS /Selection

2026  Art residency Boghossian Foundation – Villa Empain, Brussel, Belgium. (Upcoming)
2025  OASiS art residency, Budapest, HUN. (Upcoming)
2025  Magic Carpets art residency, Örebro, SE.
2024  Art Omi art residency, New York, USA.
2024  SCHLOSS WIEPERSDORF art residency, Brandenburg, Germany.
2024  BPH x BD25 International Artist Exchange Fellowship, United Kingdom.
2023  Akademie Musiktheater heute Fellowship, Frankfurt, Germany. 
2023  “7THEX” art residency, Portugal, Italy and Germany. 
2023  Bijloke art residency, Ghent, Belgium. 
2023  Research Grant #TakeHeart, Fonds Darstellende Künste, Germany.
2022  Winner of the Art and Culture Award of the regional city Saarbrücken, Germany.
2022  International Forum Fellowship, Festival Theatertreffen, Berliner Festspiele, Berlin, Germany.
2022  Grant scholarship Stiftung Kunstfonds, Bonn, Germany.
2022  Research Grant, Freie Szene Saarland, Germany.
2021  Opera Creation residency mentored by Andrea Breth, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, France.
2021  Sonderstipendium INITIAL der Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany.
2021  Enoa Fellowship Programme, Immersive art residency, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, France.
2021  Look Up art residency, ArtReach & Coculture, Berlin, Germany.
2021  Interdisciplinary laboratory with CHEERS FOR FEARS in FREIRAUM, Düsseldorf, Germany.
2020  LIBERTY art residency, ArtReach, Manchester, United Kingdom.
2019  IMPACT19 – WEAVING TRACES, Performance Symposium, PACT Zollverein, Essen, Germany.
2019  World Wood Day, International Wood Carving, open air museum Stübing, Austria.
2019  Deutschland-Stipendium for talented and high-achieving students, Germany.
2018  DOLERS art residency, Land art, Dendermonde, Belgium.
2018  STEPPING TO THE LEFT Symposium, HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2017  ZORES-Kunst WERK statt Landsweiler-Reden, Germany.
2015  World Wood Day, International Woodcarving, Eskisehir, Turkey.

 

PARTICIPATION PROJECT & LAB /Selection

2024  Dramaturgy in Verdi’s Operas, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Valencia, Spain.
2023  Creative connections in Opera, Theaterakademie August Everding, Munich, Germany.
2022  Towards a new Dramaturgy?, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
2022  New narratives and speculative imaginaries, LOD Muziektheater, Gent, Belgium.
2022  Opéra de-ci de-là, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, France.
2021  Moving Opera, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Valencia, Spain. 
2019  Concept developer for exhibition, Sketch for Syria, Kreis Galerie, Nürnberg, Germany.
2019  Concept developer for performance ,Saarland State Awards, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2018  Between the object and the body, by Kris Verdonck, ADBK, Nürnberg, Germany.
2018  Die politische Dimension der Kunst “performance with Planet Dance Ensemble” kunststiftung Erich Hauser, Rottweil, Germany.
2018  Performing entities “Choreography and performance with Prof. Georg Winter” ADBK, Nürnberg, Germany.
2017  Monotype workshop by Magdalena Grandmontagne, Beckerholz-Filstroff, France.
2017  FLAX Open Academy in Akademie der Künste Berlin, by artist Norbert Bisky, Nasan Tur, Berlin, Germany.
2016  Fine Arts Workshop by Katharina Grosse and Nasan Tur, Goethe Institute for the Diaspora, Berlin, Germany.
2014  Ceramic sculpture, National Centre of Visual Arts, Damascus, Syria.
2013  Recycle for fashion, Higher Institute of Theater Arts, Damascus, Syria.
2011  Medal Workshop, by Anna Wątróbska, Institute of Applied Arts, Damascus, Syria.

 

EXHIBITIONS, PERFORMANCE, Group/Selection

2026  Light Art Biennale EVI LIGHTS, Hildesheim, Germany. (Upcoming)
2026  Public art biennial OpenART, Örebro, SE. (Upcoming)
2025  Echoes: Memory, Meno Parkas gallery, Kaunas, Lithuania.
2025  Sfumato’s Summer Exhibition, NYC, USA.  
2024  Rare Effect, Arroz Estúdios, Lisbon, Portogal.
2024  JZ:RF, Cella Monte, Italy.
2023  1,5 GRAD, Kunsthalle Mannheim Museum, Mannheim, Germany.
2023  Institut für Kunst im Kontext, CCA, Berlin, Germany.
2023  Lange Nacht der Kunst, KuBa, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2023  LUNA Light Art Festival, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.
2022  SerformanceP | Esponja House of Culture, São Paulo, Brazil.
2022  Kulturerbe & Licht, Humboldt Forum, Berlin, Germany.
2022  „Zukunft Kollektiv“, Udk Berlin, Germany.
2022  “THIS IS NOT A CHANCE ENCOUNTER“, Leicester, United Kingdom.
2022  „This is not a love song“, Gallery M, Berlin, Germany.
2021  „Zukunft Kollektiv“, Museum Friedland, Germany.
2021  Journeys Festival International, Leicester – Manchester – Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
2021  You Are Not Alone, Salon Am Moritzplatz, Berlin, Germany.
2021  SWITCH II, Center for International Light Art, Unna, Germany.
2020  You Are Not Alone, Penticton Art Gallery, Canada.
2020  Terrain vague _ c.a.l.m, Kunstverein Wagenhalle, Stuttgart, Germany.
2020  Journeys Festival International, Leicester, United Kingdom.
2019  Schwimmreifen Performance, Schlosspark, Celle, Germany.
2019  Baum & Bild, DFG, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2019  Capturing Conflict Art – On the Rocks, Byre Studio, St. Andrews, Scotland.
2019  World Wood Day Foundation, Stefaniensaal, Graz, Austria.
2019  Warum weinen, Frankfurt, Germany.
2018  Experimance 3.0.MAUERPFEIFFER, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2018  KONSTRUKTION DER WELT.KUNST UND ÖKONOMIE, Volume V, Kunsthalle, Mannheim.
2018  KI_L_MUC_SA_R, Galerie der Künstler, BBK, München, Germany.
2018  FENCE DANCE INTERNATIONAL, Kunsthalle Museum, Mannheim, Germany.
2018  Quarantäne 9, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2018  FENCE DANCE INTERNATIONAL, Städtische Galerie, Delmenhorst, Germany.
2018  DOLERS. LAND ART, Dendermonde, Belgium.
2018  Kaputt, Galerie der HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2017  Children’s rights in the VHS center, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2017  City Museum in Neu Isenburg, Germany.
2017  Syrien, Kunst und Flucht 2, Frankfurt, Germany.
2017  Syrien, Kunst und Flucht, Artrmx Ehrenfeld, Cologne, Germany.
2017  Echo of Homs, DEPO Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey.
2017  kunst in der Mensa, University of Medicine, Homburg, Germany.
2016  Bremen Vegesacker Kunstherbst, Haven Höövt, Bremen, Germany.
2016  Gebrochene Flügel, Frauenbüro, Homburg, Germany.
2016  Syrien Kunst und Flucht, Kultur Bunker Köln, Cologne, Germany.
2015  World Wood Day, World Wood Day Foundation, Eskişehir, Turkey.
2015  Promising Creation, Culture Center, Damascus, Syria.
2015  Wood Exhibition, Art House Gallery, Damascus, Syria.
2014  Discussion of Young Artists, Culture Center, Damascus, Syria.
2014  Monopoly, Art Café, Latakia, Syria.
2014  Karkaz, cultural meeting place, Damascus, Syria.
2014  Annual Spring Exhibition, Asaad Pasha Museum, Damascus, Syria.
2013  Fingerprints, Qamlishi Cultural Center, Qamlishi, Syria.
2013  New Spring, Culture Center, Rmilan, Syria.
2013  Old city, Bab Touma, Damascus, Syria.
2013  Ono heik, cultural meeting place, Damascus, Syria.
2012  Annual Spring Exhibition, Asaad Pasha Museum, Damascus, Syria.
2012  Seventh Exhibition for Young Artists, Riwaq al Fann Gallery, Damascus, Syria.
2012  Five Young Artists, Empty House, Al-Malikiyah, Syria.
2011  Young Syrian Talent, al-Rawak Hall, Damascus, Syria.
2011  Annual Spring Exhibition, Asaad Pasha Museum, Damascus, Syria.
2011  Medal Workshop Exhibition, Nation Hall, Damascus, Syria.
2010  Mustafa Ali Exhibition, Mustafa Ali Gallery, Damascus, Syria.

 

ARTIST TALK

2024  Start Up Arts, Discussion podium, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2023  “Mobile and dynamic sculpture” Sofia Underground Performance festival, Bulgaria.
2022  Art and Culture Award, Saarbrücken Castle, Germany.
2022  “Artists in Exile”, Musée national de la Résistance Esch, Luxembourg.
2022  Journeys Festival International, Leicester, United Kingdom.

 

WORKSHOP leader, COURSE lecturer

2025  Lecture (The artistic process in a New Work), Saarland University of Applied Sciences-HTW saar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2025  Dear Art World (Artistic professionalism Course), Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar-HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2025  Lecture (Artistic professionalism), Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar-HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2024  Lecture (The artistic process in a New Work), Saarland University of Applied Sciences-HTW saar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2022  Body movement improvisation, La Sala, Las Palmas GC, Spain.
2021  Performance Course “Picnic + hiking = Performance “, Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar-HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2021  Lecture (FREEDOM project, Reflektor teatar), Belgrade, Serbia. 
2021  Performance Course “Object + you = Performance “, Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar-HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2020  Coach for performance NKK NXT, Staan & Opvallen, Utrecht, Netherlands.
2020  Performance Course “Body and Movement“, Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar-HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.
2019  Performance Course “Movement and Space“,Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar-HBKsaar, Saarbrücken, Germany.