A woman in white clothes is standing in the midst of green bushes and shrubs. Her arms are raised like the wings of a bird, her eyes are closed, but eyes are painted on her eyelids. This is a recording of a video by the artist Katia Kameli, who is presenting her exhibition "Das Hohelied der Vögel / The Canticle of the Birds" at the ifa Gallery Berlin from 13 May to 30 July 2023.

"Le Cantique des oiseaux, variation", 2022, UHD-Film, 25 min, Filmstill © Katia Kameli, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2023

The Canticle of the Birds

13 May 2023

13 Aug 2023

ifa Gallery Berlin
Linienstraße 139/140
10115 Berlin

Artist: Katia Kameli
Curated by Valérie Chartrain

The exhibition "Das Hohelied der Vögel / The Canticle of the Birds" by Katia Kameli combines ceramic figures, watercolours and sketches as well as a new film production by the artist into a poetic whole.

The work is inspired by the "Conference of the Birds", an epic poem by the Sufi poet Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār, who lived in 12th century Persia. It follows the initial migratory voyage of thousands of birds in search of the mythical winged creature Simorgh. In reference to the title of a new French translation of the work, with "Das Hohelied der Vögel / The Canticle of the Birds" Katia Kameli presents her very own translation of the epic poem, appropriating various narrative elements in novel forms and combinations while simultaneously adding layers of music, dance and geography.

Programme

Trailer of "Le Cantique des oiseaux, variation" by Katia Kameli

World Premiere: The film "Le Cantique des oiseaux, variation" (approx. 25 min, 2022), featured in the exhibition at ifa Gallery Berlin, brings together dancers at the Rayol Garden on the Mediterranean coast of the South of France, associating each dancer with a bird. Each bird, and thus each dancer, has distinct choreography and a distinct sound. The dancers have been co-directed with Youness Anzane to a musical composition by Aurélie Sfez.