In May 2023, Vienna's BURN-IN Gallery invites you to the solo exhibition The Shadows Within with the painter Osso, who comes from Syria and has lived in Vienna since 2008. The exhibition reflects the many facets of the artist. The shadows that lurk within are emblematic of the darker sides of life, which Osso addresses in his works. His paintings are a reckoning with the world and with himself. A world marked by pain, loss and alienation. A world that has forced the artist to flee his homeland and start over in a foreign land.
Osso shows in his works that pain and suffering can also have a beauty. His paintings are expressive and colorful, but also somber and painful. They show the shadows that accompany the artist, but also the hope that drives him. Osso processes his experiences in art and thereby creates an outlet for his emotions.
His works are a critique of society, political conditions and the injustice he has experienced. Osso asks questions and does not give answers. His paintings are a mirror of society, but also of his own soul. They challenge the viewer and force him to confront his own shadows.
The exhibition promises to be a journey into the depths of the human soul. Osso shows that art doesn't just have to be beautiful, but can also convey politically and socially relevant messages. His works tell a story of pain, loss and hope, but also of love and happiness. They show us that life is not always easy, but that it is worth fighting for.
Vernissage & Program
BURN-IN invites you to the exhibition opening on 26.05.2023, 18-20 h.
Location
BURN-IN Gallery at Gerngross 2. OG | 1070 Vienna, Mariahilfer Straße 42-48
#Art TRANSFER
Art AND FLIGHT
We stand here and look at works of art, but how many of us really know what lies behind it? What pain, what longing, what loss? Art and flight have shared a long history. Artists who have had to flee war, persecution and oppression carry their experiences and emotions in their works. It is as if through their art creation they want to express their inner world and tell us their own flight.
The reasons for flight can be many - political instability, cultural oppression, personal persecution. But the urge for freedom and security unites all refugees. And in this search for safety and protection, they often also look for a place where they can develop their creativity and talent. Art becomes a means of expression, a language that transcends borders and expresses the feelings, hopes and fears of refugees.
In art we can see the beauty and the cruelty of the world, love and pain, life and death. It reminds us that we are all human, regardless of background, race or culture. Art can help us put ourselves in someone else's shoes.
We should look at the works of artists who have fled not just as mere works of art, but as testaments to their experiences and manifestations of their aspirations and dreams. We should strive to understand their stories and engage with their art in order to better understand ourselves and the world around us.
BURN-IN has been keen to promote and showcase artists from politically precarious destinations in Austria since the very beginning. The past exhibitions Im Kreuzfeuer des täglichen Lebens, Misteria or the Summer Exhibitions testify to our commitment.
In the current solo exhibition we show 20 mostly large-scale works that convince through strong expressivity and conceptual depth.
Osso's flight and his arrival in Vienna, the accompanying confrontation with his own and foreign identities, society per se and human relationships form the foundation for his artistic work. With the expressive forms and lines, Osso brings his emotional and psychological states into the viewer's focus. Parallels to Egon Schiele suggest themselves, who caused a sensation with thin, contorted bodies in vulnerable or painful poses. Austrian artist Maria Lassnig also focuses on the human body and its form. She explores the body as a physical shell for human consciousness. Similarly, Osso uses the body as a medium to express human emotion and experience. In doing so, the bold, colorful paintings reflect his own perception of the world.
Dive into this wonderful show!
