Tewa Barnosa (b.1998) is a Trans-disciplinary artist and curator, based between troubled Tripoli and a-political Amsterdam, her artistic practice spans across trajectories of visual arts, literature, sound and curatorial collaborations, Grounded in critical curiosity- and intuitive based knowledge reinterpretation and re-production(s), She constructs surreal scenographies that navigate the intricacies of contradiction, extremity, and the evasive realm of transitional “in-between” physical and psychological spaces. Through recontextualization of source materials, generated fictions and mythologies or investigated archives, she unveils and repositions fragments of evidence concerning human alienation and socio-ecological turbulence, frequently intersecting with the thematic constructs and frameworks of war laboratories and the violations of cognitive and cultural means of resistance.
Barnosa’s body of work consists of audio-visual installations, video loops, sound essays, calligraphy, poetic texts, digital drawings, expanded paintings and objects that are her tools and toys for investigating taboos & territories on the margins, Evidently informed by experiential engagement within cycles of repetitive revolutions and the tumultuous embrace of civil unrest, her curatorial methodology centers around collaborative processes such as exhibition projects, publishing, space-making, and public interventions to facilitate nomadic infrastructures of co-creation and conversations.
She is an alumni of the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten 2021-2023, a recipient of the Iwaelwahaus african artist award 2021, and the Berlin based fellowship for artists at risk by the Martin roth initiative 2019-2020, She is the founder of WaraQ for arts and culture.
CV ︎
PORTFOLIO ︎
ARTIST STATEMENT ︎
SOLO SHOWS:
- Cursed and Sacred
Iwalewa African art awards
Bayrueth, Germany
2021
- Out of place
Curated by Adnan Misal
Uqbar Space, Berlin, Germany
2019
- Silence
Galeria David Gallo, Milano, Italy
2018
AWARDS & RESIDENCIES:
- Iwalewahaus African artists award 2021
- Artist prize 68 projects space in partnership with Contemporary art alliance 2019, Berlin
- Artist residency at Casa Arabe, Cordoba, September 2019
- A journey of belonging Studio residency, 2019, CAA berlin
- Support the supporters fellowship, Hosted by CoCulture, Awarded by Martin Roth initiative 2019/2020
- European cultural foundation mobility grant, 2018
- Start-up weekend 1st place winner for best project plan, Tripoli 2013
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
2023:
- Totalitarian Props
The Africa centre in partnership with Shubbak festival, London, UK
- Open Studios
Artists in residence Rijksakademie
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2022:
- Connection
Galerie Bart, Amsterdam
- Open Studios, Artists in residence 2021/2022
Rijksakademie
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Resilient Grounds, Nurturing Soil
SALWA Foundation at CASCO
Utrecht, The Netherlands
- How to Ascertain time?”
SAVVY Contemporay
Berlin, Germany
2021
- Solo exhibition: Cursed and Sacred
Iwalewa African art awards
October, Bayrueth, Germany
- Hotel Sahara
Magasins généraux, Paris
01.06.2021
- Shifting Sands
WaraQ art foundation
Tripoli, May 2021
- Open sesame: A photophobic experiment
Curated by Erkan Affan
Bärenzwinger Berlin
January - March 2021
2020:
- New Spaces/New perspectives
Curated by Maritta Iselar
Mercator Projektzentrum, Berlin
13.03.2020 - 28.02.2021
- Common Grounds
68 Project space, Berlin
13.08.2020 - 05.09.2020
2019 :
- Dwaya Annual Exhibition
Gallery Arabeske, Heidelberg
Supported by Heinrich Böll Stiftung
- Untoured
After europe festival
Sophiensalle, Berlin
- Retracing a disapearing landscape
Curated by Najla Alageli
Casa arabe, Cordoba
- ISUSU Afrofuturism festival,
Beke'ch Berlin, 22 August
- New spaces New perspective
Curated by Maritta Iselar
Mercator Foundation, Essesn
- Freedom Transmissions, CoCulture
Haus Ungarn, Berlin
- A journey of belonging ll
CAA contemporary art alliance, Berlin
- Out of place solo exhibition
Curated by Adnan Misal
Mutterzunge Berlin
2018 :
Common past common future festival of performances in public space // Vienna
Sahara: What’s written will remain // Gallerie Delle Prigioni, Treviso
Imago Mundi collection // Benetton foundation, Treviso
Dwaya calligraphy exhibition // Taher Haddad cultural house | Tunis
Retracing a disappearing landscape // Curated by Najla Alageli at P21 gallery London
Across Borders // Curated by the artist at 12-14 contemporary | Vienna
Neither Here Nor there // Curated by Variant collective at The foundry | London
Retracing a disappearing landscape // Curated by Najla Alageli | Casa arabe | Madrid
2017 :
Radical Love female lust // The crypt gallery | London
For Libya exhibition // French cultural institute | Tunis
Warning // WaraQ art foundation | Tripoli
Across Borders // Swab art fair | Barcelona
Radical Love female lust // Gallery X | Dublin
Dwaya Annual Calligraphy exhibition // Dar Alfaghih Hassan | Tripoli
2016 :
Textural Threads // curated by Noon arts | AWAN festival | London
Aura // curated by Rawan Muntasser and British council Libya | Tripoli
Dwaya annual calligraphy exhibition // Dar Alfaghih Hassan | Tripoli
Nushu’o // Dar alfaghih hassan | Tripoli
Talks, gatherings and workshops:
Arts, Identity and solidarity, Liverpool arab arts festival, July 2020
Navigating orientalism in contemporary western society, organized by Queer arab barty, Vorpiel Berlin
BlackBox Libya, Panel discussion, Heinrich böll Stiftung, Berlin
Freedom Transmissions, The long night of ideas, Haus Ungarn
Life in exile, Keynote speech, Körber Stiftung, Hamburg
Music freedom day, Panel discussion, by Safemuse at Kulture house, Oslo
Sahara: What’s written will remain | Gallerie delle prigioni | Italy
Art within Conflict, Talk about curatorial practices in Libya - Cast arabe - Madrid
Arts, Rights and Justice forum, The ministry of foreign affairs | Berlin
Culture, Identity and diversity Speaker at Global media forum | duetche welle
Stable and changing variables Speaker at Tedx youth Alssarim | Tripoli
Meet the artist talk at the opening of Gallerie delle prigioni | Treviso
History of the Libyan art scene Discussion Moderator at Waraq art foundation
Art in public space (The city is our gallery) Discussion Moderator at Waraq foundation