Shirin Sabahi
Laputa
Year: 2024
Material: Watercolor on silk paper lantern, wood, washi tape, latex balloons, helium gas, curling ribbon
Dimensions: 94 x 51 x 51 cm
Edition: Unique
The flying object is reminiscent of a scene from Laputa, the floating island city in Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels (1726). This floating kingdom doesn’t have a conventional army and is devoted to the arts and scientific experiments and the arts.
Shirin Sabahi is a Berlin-based artist. Her projects include installations, sculptures, and films that engage with transformations of built space over time. Recent solo exhibitions include at Format, Malmö (2024); Goya Curtain, Tokyo (2023); Klosterruine, Berlin (2023); Jameel Art, Dubai (2019); and Edith-Russ-Haus, Oldenburg (2018).
This year, as a homage to the rebellious power of the wind, we are presenting kites designed by nine artists. These will be showcased, flown, and subsequently offered as Jahresgaben during the anniversary celebration of the Dortmunder Kunstverein on November 30, 2024. The project was developed in collaboration with the artist Moritz Englebert, kindly supported by Stellfeld & Ernst GmbH.