Opening of the video installation “I Build My Skin With Rocks” by Sandra Mujinga at Hamburger Bahnhof - Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart. BMW as exclusive partner of Preis der Nationalgalerie.

Munich/Berlin. From December 9, 2022, Sandra Mujinga, awardee of the Preis der Nationalgalerie 2021, will show her new video installation, titled "I Build My Skin With Rocks", in Hamburger Bahnhof's Historic Hall. For many years, the recipients of the Preis der Nationalgalerie, supported by long-time partner BMW, have been honoured with a solo exhibition. In the work, the artist refers to evolutionary adaptations of animals and specifically to the thick hide of the elephant.

The work unfolds around a fantastic creature – half-human, half-elephant – which has the power to grow so large that it can no longer be captured by the human eye. Instead, it becomes a shifting and shimmering landscape, which from time to time reveals fragments of its stony body. Flickering between human and elephant, the hybrid beast in "I Build My Skin With Rocks” raises questions about what it means to be human in times of increasingly hostile planetary conditions.

Sandra Mujinga: “Though we may see an isolated figure in 'I Build My Skin with Rocks', this work has hosted many wonderful conversations and I am most grateful for how art brings people together.”

Dr. Sam Bardaouil, Director, Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart: “We are thrilled to present Sandra Mujinga’s work at Hamburger Bahnhof. Her practice tackles the problematics of race and representation through an open ended approach that collapses the boundaries between human and non human, nature and technology allowing for a politically nuanced treatment of some of the most pressing issues of our time. We look forward to welcoming you to what will be a true feast for the mind and senses!”

“The international prestigious Preis der Nationalgalerie is an integral part of BMW Group Cultural Engagement and we are delighted to have been a partner to the award for almost 20 years. We extend our heartiest congratulations to Sandra Mujinga, awardee of 2021, on her solo exhibition at the Hamburger Bahnhof and wish visitors fascinating insights and lasting impressions with Mujinga's new video installation,” says Dr. Nicolas Peter, Member of the Board of BMW AG, Finance.

The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive publication published by Distanz Verlag with contributions by scholars from various disciplines who shed light on Sandra Mujinga's practice in a variety of ways.

The Preis der Nationalgalerie was founded in 2000 by Freunde der Nationalgalerie and supported by BMW as exclusive partner for 16 years now. The award focuses on young important positions of today, which have an impact on contemporary art in a sovereign and outstanding manner and provide important impulses. Eligible are artists of all nationalities who at the time of their nomination live and work in Germany and are under the age of 40. Previous awardees amongst others were Monica Bonvicini (2005), Cyprien Gaillard (2011), Anne Imhof (2015), Agnieszka Polska (2017) and Pauline Curnier Jardin (2019).

Sandra Mujinga. IBMSWR: I Build My Skin with Rocks
December 9, 2022 – May 1, 2023
Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart

Opening
Thursday, December 8, 2022, 8pm

Press conference
Thursday, December 8, 2022, 11am
The artist will be present.
Please obtain an accreditation by sending an email by Wednesday,
December 7, 2022, to presse@smb.spk-berlin.de.

Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
Invalidenstraße 50/51, 10557 Berlin

The press conference will be attended by:
Dr. Sam Bardaouil, Director, Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
Christian Kohorst, Vice Chairman, Freunde der Nationalgalerie
Prof. Dr. Thomas Girst, Head of Cultural Engagement, BMW Group
Daniel Milnes, Curator of the exhibition, Freunde der Nationalgalerie   

For further information and image material, please visit the press section of www.preisdernationalgalerie.de or www.smb.museum.