Review of the opening exhibition

On May 7, we celebrated the opening of the gallery spaces in the Atrium and the Silo with Monira Al Qadiri's spectacular exhibition SILOED BEINGS. The exhibition showed the great and material diversity of the master Al Qadiri's oeuvre: from works made of 3D printing, to works made of aluminum, to glass works and works made of Plexiglas. The exhibition explored the theme of transformation and offered possible interpretations for a future without natural fuels and waste of resources.

Series of works in the silos

SILOED BEINGS showed four series from the years 2022-2023, which were arranged linearly in the silos: Sculptures from the ORBITAL series were on display at the entrance, in which the artist takes forms of drill heads from the oil industry and transforms them into fantastic objects that seem to be drilling towards the sky rather than into the earth.

In the second silo, the theme of oil was continued with the NAWA series. The aluminum sculptures reproduce patterns from cross-sections of cable systems used in the oil industry. The oil theme continued in the third and fourth silos, with the glass sculptures MAN OF WAR referring to the sea. The title of the series of works is a play on words with the English "Man o' War", which in German means Portuguese galley (a poisonous type of jellyfish). Like humans, "Man o' Wars" are social creatures that live in colonies. At the same time, they are particularly fragile and their tentacles are highly poisonous.

The ZEPHYR sculptures were shown in the last silo. They represent bioluminescent, single-celled organisms and form the original building blocks of crude oil, from which the substance has formed over tens of millions of years.

Inflatable works of art in the atrium

The exhibition extended into the atrium of the Bergson Kunstkraftwerk: the inflatable sculptures from the BENZENE FLOAT series were suspended almost 20 meters above the floor. Al Qadiri used them to enlarge the molecules of various petrochemical products such as petrol, asphalt and tar. They are a reminder of the immense scale of the oil industry and its influence on all areas of life.

9,500 enthusiastic visitors

We welcomed a total of 9,500 visitors to the Bergson Kunstkraftwerk for our opening exhibition, which ran from May 7 to June 30. Monira Al Qadiri, who inaugurated our gallery space, is one of the best-known artists in the Middle East and has had solo exhibitions at Haus der Kunst (Munich), Kunsthaus Bregenz (Bregenz) and Guggenheim Bilbao (Bilbao), among others. We were therefore all the more delighted to open the Visual Arts section of the Bergson and the cooperation with the KÖNIG GALERIE with her.

Great interest

The exhibition not only attracted interested people of all ages to the Bergson. Some were so enthusiastic that they purchased works on display. These included some of the magnificent glass works (MAN OF WAR) as well as the iridescent NAWA sculptures.

Interview with the artist Monira Al Qadiri

Why did Monira actually become an artist? What inspires her, what is the central theme of her work and why does she sometimes feel like an outsider? Bergson Communications Manager Sarah found out for you in a first-hand interview with the artist.

Sarah Winter: Dear Monira, the gallery opened with your exhibition SILOED BEINGS. What was on show in the exhibition and what is the connection to the space at Bergson Kunstkraftwerk?

Monira Al Qadiri: I found it very interesting to exhibit my work in a former thermal power station, as my work deals a lot with the subject of energy, both in an abstract sense and literally with the subject of fuel and energy (oil and gas). It feels like the artworks are coming home in a way. The silos allowed for reflection on themes that I often think about. The title of the exhibition refers to the silos in the Bergson Kunstkraftwerk, where many of my works were shown. The artworks there seemed to seep through the floor, as if they themselves were filtered through a silo.

SW: What inspired you to become an artist?

MAQ: My mother is an artist and I practically grew up in her studio. Instead of playing with toys, I spent my childhood in that creative space making art. I never thought about doing anything else and I owe this legacy to my mother.

SW: Oil is a central motif in your work. Tell us more about your personal connection to the subject and how you approach it artistically.

MAQ: I come from Kuwait, a country that is heavily dependent on oil. It runs like a thread through the history of my life and my region, between genius and madness. Energy is one of the most pressing issues of our time and I have been dealing with it for a very long time.

SW: At Bergson Kunstkraftwerk, we want to offer everyone direct access to art. In recent years, you have developed various projects in public spaces. How do you approach your audience and how do you establish a connection?

MAQ: You could say that as an artist I am very public-facing, as creating art in public spaces is my passion. I want people who never visit museums or galleries to appreciate the artistic work, even if they sometimes don't fully understand it. For this reason, I try to explain my concepts as well as possible. Art is a public mission for me.

SW: As an artist with a diverse cultural background, how do you navigate the global art scene and what challenges or opportunities have you experienced along the way?

MAQ: The fact that I am always an outsider in any cultural context I find myself in, I used to think it was an obstacle to what I wanted to do. However, after all these experiences, I feel that the outsider's gaze is actually a strength, especially as an artist. It contributes to the understanding of the human condition rather than destroying it. Being an outsider is truly a privilege.

Thank you very much for the interview, Monira!